Does Your Fuel Injector Work?

Your diesel engine can’t run efficiently without a good fuel injector. The diesel fuel injector is a delicate piece of equipment that often requires maintenance. Lack of proper care can cause dirt and gunk to clog up the nozzle, and that can lead to some engine problems. Fortunately, checking and maintaining your fuel injectors is something you can do at home. A proper maintenance check involves ensuring the injector works, and determining when it needs to be repaired and replaced. The following steps will show you how to check the function of your car’s fuel injector.

Assemble your tools.

If you don’t have any tools, you should consider getting some. Some car maintenance steps are quite easy, and you don’t really need to visit a mechanic. However, you can’t do them if you don’t have tools. In this situation, you’ll need safety gear like thick gloves and eye protection. You’ll also need a foot-long screwdriver and an automotive test light.

Listen to the car run.

If you know what to listen for, you can tell the state and health of your fuel injector from the sound of the engine. Start the car’s engine and place your screwdriver on the fuel injector. This simple act can help you determine whether the injectors are activating or not. Next, lean in close enough to hear the vibrations of the rod. Be careful not to lean in too close to the engine. If the ejectors are activating, you should hear a clicking sound when you lean in.

Switch on your battery.

For the next step, you’ll need to check the injector’s electrical connection using your car battery. It can switch off your car engine so that it stops running. But then, make sure the battery is still active. You can confirm this by switching on electrical parts of the car like the radio and the lights. Once you confirm that the battery is still working, retrieve your test light. 

Use the test light.

Since the ejector is electronically activated, it should have a charge going through it. If it doesn’t, it’s probably faulty. To use the test light, connect the clip to the negative terminal of your battery. Touch the pointed tip to the exposed wire of each injector. This should confirm an electrical charge by turning on the test light. Repeat this step for each fuel injector, and determine which is on line and which isn’t.

Determine your next step.

Fuel ejectors will need repairing and replacing from time to time. There are so many factors that can cause the fuel ejector to fail. Before heading over to https://goldfarbinc.com/ to buy another, investigate the fault first. Factors that can cause an injector to fail include:

• Deposit buildup on the inside and outside
• Fractures and breaks on the body and nozzle
• Rust
• Breaking of the O-ring

If you can’t determine what’s wrong with your fuel injector, you should visit your mechanic. They can perform a full check, and even find other things you might have missed.