subject: How Well Do You Know Your Fuel Injection System? [print this page] Engines require gasoline to goEngines require gasoline to go. Everyone who drives a car understands this and is faced with this reality whenever they have to pay an arm and a leg at the gas pump. Without gasoline, internal combustion engines would not go. Internal combustion engines require a mixture of gasoline and air to run smoothly. Fuel injection systems have been the standard since the 1980's in maintaining the proper levels of gasoline and air. Fuel injection systems replaced carburetors in engines because of the increased performance and ease they provided. Fuel injection systems are also much less harmful to the environment as opposed to carburetor equipped engines.
As mentioned, fuel injection systems control gasoline and air mixture levels. These systems help the car start more reliably under many various conditions, like extreme hot or cold temperatures. Fuel injectors are electronically controlled enabling it to monitor oxygen levels in engines precisely. Carburetors were not capable of monitoring the exact levels required for performance levels in automobiles, thus the replacement. Carburetors are still used in chainsaw and lawnmower engines though.
Fuel injection systems send a rush of air to the engine whenever a driver steps on the gas pedal. This is ironic because even though we call it a "gas" pedal, we are really sending air to the engine. The throttle valve is connected to the gas pedal and the engine. When the gas pedal is pressed, the engine's computer recognizes the pedal and increases the amount of fuel to the engine expecting the engine to receive more air. This is how fuel injection systems bring the mix of air and gas to the engine, which provides movement for the car.
Fuel injectors require maintenance just like every other part of a car. Fuel injectors can have a little bit of fuel build-up at the tip whenever a driver turns their car off. No big deal, but it can cause a performance issue like a slow start up. The products that clean fuel injectors eat up fuel injectors, so the amount of times one can clean a fuel injector is limited. It is recommended that you clean the fuel injector once a year or every 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. So after three years, replace the fuel injector. The fuel injector itself can be found for around $40, the price can go lower if you know where to look. It is also recommended for the non-mechanically savvy people to take the car to the mechanic to replace the fuel injectors.
