3 SIGNS THAT YOUR FUEL INJECTORS CLOGGED / STUCK OPEN OR GOING BAD (AUDI) OR ANY CAR

Summary

In this informative video, Bruce Custom Motors discusses the signs of failing or clogged fuel injectors, which can lead to poor fuel economy and engine issues. He explains the symptoms, such as lean codes, rough starts, oily spark plugs, and black smoke from the tailpipe, indicating a rich fuel mixture. Bruce also suggests using a fuel injector cleaner as a temporary fix, but emphasizes the importance of professional cleaning or replacement for long-term solutions.

Takeaways

• 🛠️ Clogged fuel injectors can be caused by poor fuel quality, debris in the fuel system, or wear and tear.
• 🔍 Signs of a clogged fuel injector include lean codes, rough engine starts, and longer startup times.
• 🔧 If a fuel injector is stuck open, it can cause the engine to run rich, leading to excessive fuel consumption and potential damage to the catalytic converter.
• 💡 Indicators of a stuck-open injector include oily and gassy spark plugs, decreased fuel efficiency, and black smoke from the exhaust.
• 🔌 The solenoid within a fuel injector is powered by a plug and can wear out, leading to issues with fuel regulation.
• 🚗 Poor fuel economy and a decrease in average miles per gallon can be signs that a fuel injector needs maintenance or replacement.
• 🧽 Fuel injector cleaners can provide temporary relief but may not fully resolve the issue.
• 🔄 For a more thorough solution, removing the intake manifold and cleaning or replacing the fuel injectors is recommended.
• 🛑 Worn-out rubber seals in the injector can cause fuel leakage and lead to a lean condition.
• 🛠️ Soaking the injector in acetone can help clean it and improve efficiency, but this is a temporary fix.
• 👍 The video script is a subscriber request and emphasizes the importance of proactive maintenance to prevent fuel injector issues.

Q & A

What are the three main issues Bruce discusses regarding fuel injectors?

Bruce discusses failing fuel injectors, clogged fuel injectors, and fuel injectors that are stuck open.

What can cause a fuel injector to become clogged?

A fuel injector can become clogged due to poor quality fuel, debris in the fuel system, or wear and tear over time.

What are some signs that you have a clogged fuel injector?

Signs of a clogged fuel injector include lean codes, rough starts, and insufficient fuel to match the air intake, causing too much air and not enough fuel.

What does it mean when your car is running lean?

Running lean means there is too much air and not enough fuel in the engine, which can be indicated by lean codes.

What are some symptoms of a fuel injector that is stuck open?

Symptoms of a stuck open fuel injector include fume smells, oily or gassy spark plugs, decreased fuel efficiency, and black smoke coming out of the tailpipe.

How does a stuck open fuel injector affect gas mileage?

A stuck open fuel injector can lead to decreased gas mileage because it causes the car to use more fuel than necessary, making it less efficient.

What does black smoke from the tailpipe indicate?

Black smoke from the tailpipe indicates that the engine is running rich, meaning there is too much fuel being injected and not enough air, causing unburned fuel to exit through the tailpipe.

How can running rich damage the catalytic converter?

Running rich can damage the catalytic converter because the excess fuel and subsequent explosions in the tailpipe generate heat and cause damage, as the fuel is meant to be burned in the combustion chamber.

What are some temporary solutions for a clogged fuel injector?

Temporary solutions for a clogged fuel injector include using fuel injector cleaners available from auto parts stores.

What is the recommended long-term solution for a clogged fuel injector?

The recommended long-term solution for a clogged fuel injector is to remove the intake manifold and clean or replace the fuel injector to ensure it functions properly.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Signs of Clogged or Failing Fuel Injectors

In this video, Bruce from Bruce Custom Motors discusses the signs of a failing fuel injector, including clogged or stuck open injectors. He explains the consequences of poor fuel quality and wear and tear leading to clogs in the injector's six small holes. Bruce suggests checking for lean codes, rough starts, and decreased fuel efficiency as indicators of a clogged injector. For stuck open injectors, he mentions symptoms such as rich fuel smell, oily and gassy spark plugs, and black smoke from the tailpipe, which can damage the catalytic converter. He also touches on the use of fuel injector cleaners as a temporary fix but emphasizes the need for more thorough cleaning or replacement for long-term solutions.

05:01

🧽 Solutions for Fuel Injector Issues

Bruce continues by offering solutions to fuel injector problems, such as using fuel injector cleaners available at auto parts stores, which can provide some relief. However, for a more effective fix, he recommends removing the intake manifold to clean or replace the injectors, especially if the rubber seals are worn out, causing fuel leakage and lean conditions. Bruce also suggests soaking the injector in acetone to improve efficiency. He advises viewers to be proactive with fuel injector maintenance to prevent more serious and costly engine problems, and to consider this video as a guide to identifying and addressing failing fuel injectors.

Keywords

💡Fuel Injector

A fuel injector is a component in an internal combustion engine that delivers fuel to the engine's combustion chamber. It is crucial for the engine's performance and efficiency. In the video, the host discusses issues related to clogged or malfunctioning fuel injectors, which can lead to poor engine performance and fuel inefficiency. The script mentions that if a fuel injector is clogged, it can cause lean codes, indicating too much air and not enough fuel.

💡Clogged

In the context of the video, 'clogged' refers to the blockage of the small holes in a fuel injector, often due to debris from poor fuel quality or wear and tear. This blockage can prevent the proper amount of fuel from reaching the engine, leading to issues like lean codes and rough starts, as mentioned in the script.

💡Lean Codes

Lean codes are diagnostic trouble codes that indicate an engine is running with an air-fuel mixture that has too much air relative to the amount of fuel. In the video, the host explains that a clogged fuel injector can cause lean codes, as the injector may not be able to deliver enough fuel to match the air intake, resulting in an imbalance.

💡Solenoid

A solenoid is an electromechanical device that converts electrical energy into linear mechanical motion. In the context of fuel injectors, the solenoid opens and closes the valve to control the fuel flow. The script mentions that if a fuel injector is stuck open, it could be due to a faulty solenoid, which can cause the engine to run rich, with too much fuel and not enough air.

💡Stuck Open

In the video, 'stuck open' refers to a malfunctioning fuel injector that remains open, allowing fuel to continuously flow into the engine. This can lead to a rich fuel mixture, which is too fuel-heavy and can cause issues such as fume smells, oily spark plugs, and decreased fuel efficiency.

💡Rich Fuel Mixture

A rich fuel mixture is one that contains more fuel than necessary for optimal combustion. The video discusses how a stuck-open fuel injector can cause a rich mixture, leading to symptoms like fume smells and oily spark plugs. This condition can also damage the catalytic converter due to the excess unburned fuel.

💡Fume Smells

Fume smells, as mentioned in the script, are indicative of a rich fuel mixture where unburned fuel is present. This can be a sign that a fuel injector is stuck open, allowing too much fuel into the engine and resulting in the smell of fuel fumes.

💡Oily Spark Plugs

Oily spark plugs are a sign that there is an excess of fuel in the combustion chamber, which can be caused by a stuck-open fuel injector. The script explains that if spark plugs appear oily or gassy after a tune-up, it could indicate a problem with the fuel injector's solenoid.

💡Fuel Efficiency

Fuel efficiency refers to the rate at which a vehicle uses fuel to travel a certain distance. In the video, the host suggests that a decrease in fuel efficiency could be an indicator of a stuck-open fuel injector, as too much fuel is being used without being properly burned in the engine.

💡Black Smoke

Black smoke from a vehicle's tailpipe, as discussed in the script, is a sign of a rich fuel condition where too much fuel is entering the engine and not being fully combusted. This can be a result of a malfunctioning fuel injector and can damage the catalytic converter.

💡Catalytic Converter

A catalytic converter is a device in a vehicle's exhaust system that reduces harmful emissions. The video mentions that running too rich, possibly due to a stuck-open fuel injector, can damage the catalytic converter because of the excess unburned fuel and the resulting heat and explosions from the incomplete combustion.

Highlights

Introduction to the video discussing signs of failing fuel injectors

Three main issues covered: clogged fuel injectors, stuck open injectors, and their effects

Explanation of how poor fuel quality can lead to clogged injectors

Visual of fuel injector and its position in the intake manifold

Lean codes indicating a clogged fuel injector and their implications

Definition and explanation of 'lean' in the context of fuel and air ratios

Signs of a clogged injector: rough starts and prolonged engine cranking

Introduction to the concept of a stuck open fuel injector

Mechanism of a solenoid in a fuel injector and its potential failure

Symptoms of a stuck open injector: rich fuel mixture and oily spark plugs

Explanation of how a stuck open injector can affect fuel economy

Importance of monitoring fuel economy for signs of injector issues

Black smoke from the tailpipe as a sign of a rich fuel mixture

Risks of running too rich and potential damage to the catalytic converter

Suggestion to use fuel injector cleaner as a temporary solution

Recommendation to remove the intake manifold for a thorough cleaning or repair

Advice on proactive maintenance to prevent injector issues from escalating

Conclusion summarizing the key points and thanking the viewers

Transcripts

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what's going on youtube this is bruce

with bruce custom motors bringing you

guys another video

i hope you guys are liking the videos

that i'm putting out if you guys have

any new suggestions of videos please let

me know in the comments make sure you

mash that like button alright guys in

this video i'm going to tell you guys

three things if you have a failing fuel

injector a clogged fuel injector or you

simply have one that's stuck open yes

they can be stuck open as well so watch

this video from beginning to end and

you'll find out exactly how so pretty

much the first thing that i want to talk

about is if you have a clogged fuel

injector so if you look right there i

don't know if you guys can see i'm

trying to zoom in you have like six

little holes right there so what happens

a lot of times if you're running your

car if you put poor fuel in your car

there's any debris in your fuel system

from wherever you've got gas at or just

wear and tear over time you can

generally get these clogged up and the

only sad part about getting these

clogged up is once they're clogged up

you pretty much have to take off the

intake manifold and i did a video on how

to take off the intake manifold if

there's anyone that really wants to

champion taking it off because these

fuel injectors as you can see these

tubes on the intake manifold right here

this fuel injector sits right below

these tubes right here and this is what

shoots the gas into the engine so some

signs that you have a clogged one will

be if your car is giving you some lean

codes any lean codes could lead to you

having a clogged one and what lean

actually means is you have too much air

coming into your car and not enough fuel

to match it so you're getting all of

this air that the turbo or your intake

is bringing in and your fuel injectors

are not shooting enough fuel to match

that air so you're going to end up

getting the lean cold also

rough starts when you try to start your

car in the morning it's going to be

rough starts and the reason why it's

going to be rough starts is because

you're not going to have your system

primed correctly with enough fuel to

start your car so your starts are going

to take a lot longer generally when

you're starting your out it should be

bam bam start not bam bam bam bam start

if you understand what i'm saying so

that's going to be

another indicator that you have a

clogged fuel injector on the flip side

inside this actual fuel injector it's a

solenoid that's powered by this plug

right here so on the flip side if you

have one that's stuck open what's going

to happen is your car is going to run

rich which means you have too much fuel

and not enough air so basically your

computer normally controls how much fuel

is going into your car through your mass

airflow sensor i did a video on that as

well now if the computer can't control

how much fuel and regulate the engine's

ecm to tell this to open up it's going

to be stuck open so signs that you have

one stuck open or that's generally going

bad it's going to be fume smells or

spark plugs that look really really kind

of oily and smell gassy and if you do a

tune-up or you change your spark plugs

and you notice that it looks oily or

gassy those are some indicators that

your fuel injectors the solenoid is

wearing out or there's some fuel sliding

through the solenoid that's going to be

another thing that you want to look out

for when it's stuck open second thing is

if you notice that your gas mileage on

your vehicle is not efficient as it used

to be that can be an indicator that it's

stuck open and it's shooting out way too

much gas or it just needs to be replaced

or maintenance you might want to always

look out for your fuel economy look at

your average miles per gallon and see if

it decreases over time if it decreases

over time this is something that you

might want to look out for as well

all right guys so the third thing that's

going to be black smoke coming out your

tail pipe when you have black smoke

coming out your tailpipe that means that

you're running rich and that means that

you're shooting way too much fuel into

your engine and it's not being burned in

a combustion chamber so all of that

excess fuel is pretty much going out the

tailpipe you know a lot of times when

you see people they have the anti-lag on

their cars they're actually setting up

their cars to

burn the fuel in the tailpipe and that's

why you hear that popping sound on a lot

of exhaust the tune pretty much doesn't

burn all of the fuel so you're burning

and they and they the time and so

you have a lot of backfire and that's

pretty much just fuel

inside the tailpipe so if you're not

tuned for that and you notice that you

have a lot of black smoke you're running

way too rich and when you're running too

rich you definitely can damage your

catalytic converter with all of that

excess gas going through there and the

heat and the explosions from the burning

because it's all meant to happen in the

combustion chamber not the tailpipe so

you can buy a fuel injected cleaner from

autozone from o'reilly's and you know

i've used them before they do help a bit

but ultimately if you really really want

to get it cleaned or you want to get it

fixed you really want to go ahead and

just take off the intake manifold or

have a service to fix a lot of times

even these rubber seals right here can

just wear out and this can cause a

leakage of fuel and cause you to run

lean

you know like i said if that solenoid is

bad that's when you really have to

replace it or you can even soak this in

some acetone or something that can just

kind of you know clean up this right

here to where it can be more efficient

so like i said taking it off you can

deep dive this and clean it and salvage

it because these aren't too cheap at

times you know but if you just wanted to

save money and wants to be better or

proactive i suggest you

put in some fuel injector cleanup before

it's too late before it turns into a

problem are just temporary but

ultimately you want to take this off so

yeah guys i just want to give you guys

this video on signs to look out for for

a failing fuel injector or one is going

out or one is bad i hope this helped

this is a subscriber request thank you

guys for watching remember to like and

subscribe and share this videos custom

motors peace

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