Whether you just got your first car or you want to start saving money by taking care of your vehicle's maintenance yourself, this website is for you. Every article here is written to help everyday people understand the basics of vehicle ownership. As you read through our site, we hope you feel empowered to take simple repair projects into your own hands. For larger projects, we recommend following up with our professional resources so you can take the best possible care of your vehicle. With a little bit of time and support, you can get to know your vehicle and take excellent care of it.
Getting to Know Your Vehicle
Knowing Your Vehicle: Can You Tell If You Have a Bad Diesel Engine Injector?
Sofia Curtis
Engine injectors are the backbone of the fuel injection system. The system generates pressure and injects fuel into compressed air for the engine to execute combustion and power the vehicle as needed. Therefore, the injector must regulate the supply of fuel to ensure that the vehicle has enough for ignition and take-off. The timing of the supply and its condition are equally essential for the proper functioning of the engine. If you have a bad diesel engine injector, you need resolve as soon as possible by looking out for any of the following red flags:
A Misfiring Ignition
The first warning signs of a bad diesel injector will manifest when you start the vehicle. The ignition misfires and produces a repetitive cough-like sound before the vehicle finally starts. Usually, the struggle is an indication that the start mechanism is not receiving enough fuel to fire up the engine. A complete check will reveal the insufficient fuel passing through the injection system or a failure of the combustion to generate the heat it needs when starting. This happens when the fuel charge in the engine cylinders does not ignite as required. Many people often ignore this sign because the vehicle eventually starts despite the struggle. However, you must check and resolve it before the problem extends to the rest of the system.
Dirty Emissions
Engine injectors fail because of many reasons. Some of them include clogging because of fuel impurities, engine heat and normal wear as you use the vehicle. One or a combination of the factors mentioned here leads to incomplete combustion of fuel and eventual discharge of dirty emissions from your engine's exhaust pipe. Watch out for thick, unusually dark smoke caused by improper burning of the carbon elements in your diesel fuel.
Loss of Power When You Stroke
When going hard at the accelerator, you expect your powerful diesel engine to take off in a smooth, responsive shove. Sometimes that does not happen, and you notice the engine losing power, forcing you to accelerate more. Typically, this results from a delay in the injector's spool valve. It takes longer than expected to open and deliver fuel as needed, making the engine lag as you accelerate. The remedy is to replace your injector systems to restore the timing from the accelerator command and the injector components.
Usually, a loss in power in the stroke will go hand in hand with increased fuel consumption as the vehicle struggles to stay at the same level of efficiency. Contact a diesel dealer like a Bosch authorised dealer near you to learn more.
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