EdupradaGone are the days of carburetors , today cars are all equipped with injectors which allow the car to be more efficient in terms of fuel consumption but also pollution.
A true jewel of technology, discover everything there is to know about your car’s injectors thanks to this article.
What is the role of the injectors?
To function properly, a car’s engine needs fuel and air in very precise quantities. It is precisely the role of the injectors to inject this mixture in sufficient quantity into the engine to allow good combustion.
Therefore, if your injectors are defective, this risks directly impacting the performance of your engine since the air/fuel mixture will no longer be able to be produced correctly. It is therefore essential to properly maintain your injectors to prevent them from becoming clogged or completely blocked.
Here are some tips to avoid clogging your injectors and increase their lifespan:
- Select good quality fuel: this greatly limits clogging of your engine.
- Do not leave your tank almost empty: this prevents the fuel pump or injectors from corroding.
- Perform oil changes regularly: this allows you to change your filters and purge your engine oil before they clog the engine and injectors.
- Do regular descaling : to avoid clogging your car’s engine, descaling is a good solution, especially if you only drive in urban areas.
What are the symptoms of a HS injector?
There are several symptoms that can alert you to the condition of your injectors:
- Your car won’t start : you turn the ignition key and you hear the engine roar but your car still won’t start. It is surely that your injectors are unable to inject fuel and/or air into your engine, thus preventing combustion.
- Excess fuel consumption: you notice that your car is consuming more fuel than usual. This may be due to a faulty injector which is injecting too much fuel into the engine. Likewise, this symptom can also come from a leak in the injectors if they are cracked or broken.
- Fuel odor in the cabin : If you smell fuel in your car cabin , it means that some of your fuel is not being burned in the engine. This could be due to a damaged or defective injector.
- Black smoke emissions: if the quantity of fuel or air injected by the injectors is not correct, combustion in the engine risks being incomplete. This will result in a lot of black smoke emitting from your exhaust.
- A loss of engine power : if you feel a loss of power when you accelerate, this could be due to a problem with the injectors.
- Jerks when accelerating: if your injectors are clogged or dirty, you may experience engine misfires when accelerating.
- A fuel leak under the car: if you notice the presence of a fuel stain under your car, it could be due to a leak in the injectors.
If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, we advise you to quickly go to an auto garage to have your injectors inspected before the failure worsens and increases the bill by affecting other parts of your engine. .
It will also be necessary to check if it is indeed the injectors which are the cause of these malfunctions: an injection pump can also be defective, just like the turbo.
How to clean injectors?
Your injectors are clogged and you are wondering how to clean them effectively? Please note that there are several ways to clean injectors, we explain everything to you here! In any case, be very careful because your injectors are a key part of your engine and the slightest error could cost you dearly.
Cleaning with additives
This is the simplest and most accessible cleaning method since you can find injector cleaning additives anywhere on the internet or in auto centers. These products are quite accessible: they cost around ten euros.
It is recommended to use them approximately every 5,000 kilometers . However, this is a preventative cleaning so if your injectors are already clogged, it is already too late for this solution.
Using the additive is very simple since you just need to pour it all into your tank. Be careful, however, to check the instructions for use carefully to find out whether your tank must be empty or contain a certain number of liters.
Pressurized cleaning
Reserved for professionals, pressure cleaning consists of sending cleaning product at high pressure into the injectors to unclog them. This is a more effective method than simply using additives.
Ultrasonic cleaning
Also reserved for equipped professionals, ultrasonic cleaning consists of cleaning the injectors by placing them in an ultrasonic tank. Thanks to the power supply, the cleaner is sent directly into the injector. This operation costs around €50 .
Good to know: It is possible to dismantle your injectors yourself and send them directly to the mechanic to reduce the bill.
Put your injectors through the test bench
Last method reserved for automotive professionals: the test bench . This is a specific machine used to test the proper functioning of the injectors and to rebalance the air/fuel mixture optimally.
How much does it cost to replace injectors?
Changing an injector costs on average €196 . However, the price varies depending on the model of your vehicle and your type of engine (petrol or diesel).
It will also be necessary to pay attention to the price of labor, which will not be the same depending on the garage: this will also depend on the total duration of the intervention, estimated between three and six hours in general. Also take into account the fact that the total price could increase significantly if you need to change all of your injectors.