Fuel injection technology has helped make cars fuel-efficient and reliable for decades, but the technology still requires maintenance despite improved designs. Even when you carefully operate and maintain your car, the fuel injectors in your engine can clog and cause performance problems.
Fuel deposits
As a normal part of engine operation, gasoline leaves waxy compounds behind after combustion. Engine heat bakes these compounds onto the nozzles of fuel injectors, resulting in impaired fuel delivery to engine cylinders. Gasoline producers add detergents to their fuels to combat this problem by keeping injectors clean. For the most part, these detergents extend the maintenance interval by removing much of the residue left behind. However, the detergents can't keep up with the rate at which deposits accumulate on fuel injectors.
Some gas suppliers exacerbate problems with fuel injectors by reducing the detergents added to their fuels to save money, meaning cheap gas can present real risks to your engine. Factors other than gas also affect the condition of fuel injectors. For example, some locations inside the engine get hotter than others, causing some injectors to clog more quickly than others.
That's why it's best to have your Audi North Miami service technicians inspect all the fuel injectors in your car when you bring it for service. Despite the good condition of some fuel injectors in your engine, others may have serious blockage.
Problems with clogged injectors
Clogged fuel injectors can cause problems that range from diminished fuel economy to emissions failures. Oxygen sensors can indicate lean mixtures and point to clogged injectors. In lean conditions, engines will increase the fuel supply to compensate. This causes the injection of too much fuel into some cylinders, resulting in performance problems. Even small amounts of blockage inside fuel injector nozzles can cause misfires, which trigger check engine light illumination in cars with OBD II emissions.
Other symptoms of clogged injectors include hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions, rough idling, power loss, and hesitation during light acceleration.
Clean or replace fuel injectors
Only qualified auto technicians can tell when to clean fuel injectors and when to replace them. Auto owners should have the fuel injectors in their cars periodically cleaned. Although most cars call for cleaning between 15,000 and 30,000 miles of operation, car owners should check the owner’s manuals for their cars or contact the Audi North Miami service department to find out the recommended service interval for their cars.
Our professional service technicians can tell when injectors require replacement. If one injector has worn out, the others will likely soon fail. Technicians usually replace injectors as a set to ensure the fuel system stays balanced.
The Audi North Miami service center uses only OEM injectors designed to meet the performance requirements of your vehicle. Enjoy the confidence that comes from knowing your car operates with peak performance.
