Tips

Do Fuel Injectors Really Need Cleaning?

Do your vehicle’s fuel injectors really need to be cleaned? We here at Advanced Automotive understand there is misinformation out there surrounding fuel injector cleaning. You might think it’s a scam automotive service shops employ to get money out of you, but this simply isn’t true. Let’s talk about fuel injectors and how they can get clogged and end up needing to be cleaned.

Fuel Injectors

Your car, truck, or SUV has a combustion chamber that needs both fuel and air to start and run the engine. The fuel injectors use a combination of nozzles, pumps, and valves to spray gasoline into the combustion chamber’s cylinders. If the cylinders do not get the right amount of fuel, you will notice problems with the performance of your vehicle’s engine.

Signs Your Injectors Are Clogged

The most common problem injectors face is clogging, and the fuel combustion process is to blame. Even though your vehicle cannot start without combustion, it is this combustion that leaves carbon deposits on the fuel injector nozzles. Combustion also leaves carbon on the pistons. You can tell your fuel injectors are clogged or getting dirty if you notice

  • You have difficulty starting your engine. This could be because the nozzles are either stuck open and gas is flooding your engine or stuck closed and the engine isn’t getting enough gas.
  • Your acceleration is sluggish and wonky. Again, your engine might not be getting enough gasoline because the injectors or fuel filter is clogged.
  • Your vehicle shakes when it idles. Your car, truck, or SUV needs a steady gas stream even when it’s idling and it can’t get that if the injectors are clogged.
  • Your gas mileage is tanking. If the injectors are stuck in the open position, gasoline is pouring into your engine and being burned.

Any of these signs indicate a problem somewhere in your vehicle’s fuel system. If it isn’t the injectors, it could be the fuel pump or fuel filter. You may also have clogged fuel lines. Bear in mind that even if you buy premium gasoline, it has sediment in it that can be drawn out of the tank by the fuel pump and circulated through your engine. 

Call Advanced Automotive in Stanwood, WA, at 360-502-4606 if you believe your fuel injectors are clogged. We will get to the bottom of your vehicle’s performance issues and recommend the best course of maintenance or repair for your approval. Call us today.

Photo by KCHANDE from Getty Images via Canva Pro
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