If you have noticed a strong smell of petrol when you're driving your car and the performance is not where it should be, you will obviously be worried. You may suspect that you simply have a fuel leak, but it may be something to do with the injection system. What could be going wrong in this situation?
How Injectors Perform a Crucial Job
Modern-day vehicles are equipped with a sophisticated fuel injection system. This uses a pump to pull petrol from the tank and delivers it to a fuel "rail" which contains a number of individual injectors, one for each combustion chamber. The fuel injector is an electronic device that also contains a plunger and a spring. It's controlled by the vehicle's ECU, which can activate a solenoid switch as and when needed. When the switch is on, it will cause the plunger to move downward, spraying droplets of fuel through a tiny aperture into the combustion chamber. When the switch turns off, the spring will return the plunger and block the supply of fuel.
When Things Go Wrong
Unfortunately, commercial fuel is not always as "clean" as it should be. Microscopic particles may find their way through the filtration system and get as far as if your fuel rail. Over time, these particles can build up inside each fuel injector and may clog the system. Some of that fuel may actually push back and leak out of the casing when this happens, and you will then begin to notice that strong smell of petrol when the vehicle is underway.
More Problems Arise
Occasionally, the plunger or spring may fail, and in this case, the injector may be stuck open. In this case, too much fuel will find its way into the combustion chamber, and this will lead to excess detonation, emissions problems, misfires, vibrations and a host of other problems. You will also pay a lot more for your petrol at the pump, and your vehicle could even fail an emissions test.
Getting Professional Help
As you can see, those humble fuel injectors are very important, and you need to ensure that they do not get clogged. Consequently, take your vehicle to a mechanic so that they can clean the injectors and check their normal operation. The technician may also need to replace certain seals or O-rings, and this should also help you avoid any problems in the future.
Share14 December 2021
If you drive a lot for business, you probably put a lot of kilometres on your vehicle. Whether you are driving from client to client in the same city or driving across the country, your vehicle needs to be well prepared for the journey. You don't want to miss out on a great opportunity because your car has broken down on the way to the meeting. Hi, my name is Carla, and I've been stranded on the side of the road, desperately trying to reach a client to reschedule. After that experience, however, I decided that I needed to pay more attention to auto service, and recently I decided to create this blog to help others in similar situations. Thanks for reading! I hope my tips help you!
