Signs of Dirty or Failing Fuel Injectors

Fuel injectors are part of the system that fuels your vehicle. Controlled by the vehicle’s computer, fuel injectors spray fuel into the combustion chamber at specific intervals and with specific volumes of fuel sent into the chamber. There are several common signs of dirty or clogged fuel injectors, and you might recognize them in your vehicle.

Check Engine Light

The check engine light can indicate several different issues with your vehicle, and dirty or bad fuel injectors are one of those problems. Anytime your check engine light comes on, be sure to take your vehicle to a qualified service center for assessment and diagnostics.

Misfires

When insufficient fuel reaches the combustion chamber, your car may misfire. If your vehicle is often misfiring, it’s time to take it to a qualified service center like Cooper’s Auto Repair Services in Puyallup, WA, where technicians can diagnose the problem behind the misfires.

Smell

Do you smell gas around your vehicle? Has your gas mileage decreased recently? You may have old and deteriorating fuel injectors that need to be replaced. With age, the seal around the tip of your fuel injectors can deteriorate and allow the pressurized fuel in the injector to leak. If you smell gas around your vehicle, it’s time to get it checked out and have your fuel injectors repaired or replaced.

Poor Idle

If your vehicle’s idle is rough and choppy, or it feels as though it will stall if you’re not giving it gas all the time, you may have a problem with your fuel injectors giving either too much or not enough fuel to the engine.

Won’t Start

If your vehicle doesn’t start or struggles to start or stay running, you may have a fuel injection problem.

Engine Performance

Any engine performance indicator that drops off can show a fuel injection problem, including decreased gas mileage and strange smells.

Fuel injection is what gets your vehicle going and keeps it that way. When you have a failure in this system, you’re going to be stuck at some point. At the first sign of a fuel injection problem, take your vehicle to Cooper’s Auto Repair Services in Puyallup, WA, and let their qualified technicians diagnose and repair your vehicle.