Do all cars use fuel injectors?
All production vehicles today use computerized fuel injection systems to feed fuel and air into the combustion chamber of the engine. Computer controls allow the engine to operate at peak efficiency in all situations, and allow the vehicle to start right up, even on cold days.
What cars use fuel injectors?
Petrol-engined cars use indirect fuel injection. A fuel pump sends the petrol to the engine bay, and it is then injected into the inlet manifold by an injector. There is either a separate injector for each cylinder or one or two injectors into the inlet manifold.
How do I know if I have fuel injection?
Dirty Fuel Injector SymptomsThe Engine Misfires. Dirty fuel injectors may cause your vehicle's engine to misfire. ... Idling Gets Rough. Does your vehicle sputter and shake when you're at a stop sign or sitting in traffic? ... Your Gas Mileage Tanks. ... The RPM Needle Starts to Dance. ... Your Car Won't Start.
Do engines come with fuel injectors?
0:008:06How Fuel Injectors Work - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then we have these four fuel injectors that sit on top of your air inlets on the head of theMoreAnd then we have these four fuel injectors that sit on top of your air inlets on the head of the engine above the engine block.
What year did fuel injection come out?
1930s – 1950s: first mass-produced petrol direct injection In 1936, Daimler-Benz began mass production of the precombustion chamber-injected Mercedes-Benz OM 138 diesel engine, one of the first passenger car engines with fuel injection.
When did cars get fuel injectors?
1950sThe first examples started to appear in the 1950s. By the 1970s, fuel injection was appearing in mainstream cars. Since the mid-1990s, it has been impossible to buy a new car without fuel injection in Europe (all newly introduced engines have had to be fuel injected from 1992).
Are fuel injectors expensive?
While the price varies for every vehicle, the bad news is that in all cases, it's expensive. New fuel injectors range from several hundred dollars for basic vehicles up to over $1,000 for high-end vehicles and performance vehicles that require high fuel delivery rates.
How much does a fuel injector cost?
On average, you can expect to pay between $350 and $850 to replace your fuel injectors. The range of costs depends on a number of factors. Smaller vehicles with fewer cylinders requiring less expensive parts will come in at the lower end of the spectrum. Larger, high-performance engines will command a higher price tag.
Are fuel injectors the same as spark plugs?
Spark Plug is used to create a spark in the compressed air fuel mixture whereas injector is used to regulate the fuel flowing into the engine cylinder.
Where are my fuel injectors located?
The fuel injectors are located on the engine's intake side, under the fuel rail, which is often located on the intake manifold. If you have a diesel car, your fuel injector is likely located in the cylinder head, but gas fuel injectors are installed on the intake manifold in almost all cases.
How many fuel injectors does a car have?
A car generally has one fuel injector per cylinder. So, if you drive a four-cylinder car, it will most likely have four fuel injectors.
How long do fuel injectors last?
between 80,000 and 100,000 milesSo, how long do fuel injectors last exactly? Some can be expected to last between 80,000 and 100,000 miles, while the best fuel injectors can last as long as you have your vehicle. You can expect your fuel injectors to last longer with a little care and attention.
What is the only thing in common with all fuel injection systems?
Typically, the only thing in common all fuel injection systems have is the lack of carburetion. There are two main functional principles of mixture formation systems for internal combustion engines: internal mixture formation, and external mixture formation.
What is the difference between fuel injection and carburetor?
The primary difference between carburetion and fuel injection is that fuel injection atomizes the fuel through a small nozzle under high pressure, while a carburetor relies on suction created by intake air accelerated through a Venturi tube to draw the fuel into the airstream.
Where is the fuel supplied in a common rail system?
Main article: common-rail injection. In a common rail system, the fuel from the fuel tank is supplied to the common header (called the accumulator). This fuel is then sent through tubing to the injectors, which inject it into the combustion chamber.
What is direct injection in an engine?
Direct injection means that an engine only has a single combustion chamber, and that the fuel is injected directly into this chamber. This can be done either with a blast of air ( air-blast injection ), or hydraulically. The latter method is far more common in automotive engines. Typically, hydraulic direct injection systems spray the fuel into the air inside the cylinder or combustion chamber, but some systems spray the fuel against the combustion chamber walls ( M-System ). Hydraulic direct injection can be achieved with a conventional, helix-controlled injection pump, unit injectors, or a sophisticated common-rail injection system. The latter is the most common system in modern automotive engines. Direct injection is well-suited for a huge variety of fuels, including petrol (see petrol direct injection ), and diesel fuel .
What injection scheme is used in a manifold engine?
Manifold injected engines can use several injection schemes: continuous, and intermittent (simultaneous, batched, sequential, and cylinder-individual).
Where is the fuel injector located on a Marvel multipoint system?
Cross-section drawing of a Marvel multi-point injection system. Note that the fuel injector is located closely to the intake valve – this is typical of multi-point injection systems
How does single point injection work?
Single-point injection uses one injector in a throttle body mounted similarly to a carburetor on an intake manifold. As in a carbureted induction system, the fuel is mixed with the air before the inlet of the intake manifold. Single-point injection was a relatively low-cost way for automakers to reduce exhaust emissions to comply with tightening regulations while providing better "driveability" (easy starting, smooth running, no engine stuttering) than could be obtained with a carburetor. Many of the carburetor's supporting components - such as the air filter, intake manifold, and fuel line routing - could be used with few or no changes. This postponed the redesign and tooling costs of these components. Single-point injection was used extensively on American-made passenger cars and light trucks during 1980–1995, and in some European cars in the early and mid-1990s.
Where does a fuel injector go?
Fuel injectors deliver fuel to the combustion chamber directly or indirectly. During its evolution the fuel injector has moved, from the intake manifold to the combustion chamber.
What happens if fuel injectors are not working properly?
If the fuel injectors are not operating properly, then other parts of the engine will be affected as well. Therefore, if this precision is thrown off by restrictions; electrical problems or fuel problems, it can cause driveability issues.
How long do fuel injectors last?
In general, fuel injectors are hard wearing and with a little care, can often last; the life of the engine. Like any other engine part, regular maintenance is the key, to keeping them going. If you plan on running up high mileage on your car; then there are a few things you can do to help.
What can cause catastrophic engine failure?
Oil thinning, which can lead to catastrophic engine failure
Is it easy to replace fuel injector seals?
Replacement fuel injector seals and washers are cheap and are, fairly easy to install. This can often fix the problem, and if you are handy with a wrench, it’s not that difficult to do.
Can you replace an O ring on a fuel injector?
If the O-ring fitted to the injector is the problem ; then replacing this O-ring will usually fix the leak. If the injector body; nozzle or internal components are cracked; then a new or refurbished injector is your only option. Replacement fuel injector seals and washers are cheap and are, fairly easy to install.
How to keep injectors in good health?
Another great way to keep injectors in good health is; to regularly add a fuel injector cleaner to to your fuel tank. Many manufacturers claim that these cleaners, will give your car extra power or increased mpg. Additives. They probably won’t, or make much difference, to a car that is running properly.
How to start a car with direct injection?
To start the car, you had to pull out the choke and let the engine warm up. Modern fuel injection systems don’t require this warm-up period. Many of today’s cars and trucks are now utilizing direct-injection, a system that has been proven to improve engine efficiency, and by turn, increase consumer fuel economy.
What is the purpose of computerized fuel injection?
All production vehicles today use computerized fuel injection systems to feed fuel and air into the combustion chamber of the engine. Computer controls allow the engine to operate at peak efficiency in all situations, and allow the vehicle to start right up, even on cold days.
Do carburetors need a screwdriver?
Fuel injection requires sophisticated computers, but carburetors require only a screwdriver and a willingness to get one’s hands dirty.
Why do automakers use carburetor?
To keep expenses down, these auto makers avoid computer controls and use mechanical components such as a carburetor on their cars to make them more easily repairable. In this is the greatest positive attribute that can be found in vehicle carburetion.
Can carburetors be rebuilt?
This ability to easily rebuild carburetors has led to their extensive use in motorsports, hot rodding and enthusiast driving. This allows the owners of the vehicles to tune their fuel needs according to the performance parts in their engine. While carburetors may not have a life in new vehicles today, chances are good that they’ll still be used ...
Why replace fuel injectors when diesel goes bad?
Fuel injectors play a vital role in regulating the flow of diesel to and fro, the engine. Hence, replacing it when it goes bad is necessary.
How to tell if fuel injector is bad?
Signs Of a Bad Fuel Injector. When you notice any of these signs, you should check out the entire system and components in the engine bay. This is because most of these signs also apply when some other critical engine component is failing. The check engine light illuminates on the dashboard. Engine misfire.
Why isn't my engine getting fuel?
In some cases, the reason why it seems like your engine isn’t getting fuel is due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator. When the pressure regulator is faulty, it tends to malfunction. To check this, you need a pressure gauge; you could rent from a friend.
What to check when car is not getting gas?
The first place to check when it seems your car is not getting gas to the engine is the delivery system (fuel pump, injectors, and filter). But if you check and the delivery system looks good, it’s time to check another place.
How to troubleshoot a fuel delivery system?
Troubleshooting the fuel delivery system should start with checking the filter to ascertain if it is clogged. A clogged fuel filter won’t allow fuel to flow freely, likewise, a faulty fuel injector won’t pump (“inject”) fuel into the engine.
How many ABS sensors are there in a car?
There are at least four ABS sensors in a car, and when one fails, it could be challenging to choose between changing the faulty one of all of them. Well, in this case of the fuel injector, let’s see what you should do.
What happens if a fuel system goes bad?
The fuel system in modern cars is quite intricate and comprises several components; if one of its components should go bad, you would experience loss of acceleration and other engine-related problems.
How many miles does a new injector need to be?
If the vehicle is new, it may only need a minor repair to replace one injector. When we say “new” it means the car is a few years old and the mileage is 50,000 miles and below.
How much does it cost to replace a fuel injector?
You can expect to pay between $350 and $850 on average for one set of fuel injectors. A range of factors affects the cost to replace a fuel injector. Smaller vehicles with fewer cylinders will require less expensive parts and come in at the lower end of this spectrum.
Why replace a car that is old?
If the car is old and you have the budget, replacing all of them can help you avoid future problems. You just have to find the source of your troubles and act on that or else it will cost you more in the long run.
Can you have more than one injector fail at the same time?
Rarely will more than one injector fail at the same time. A good diagnostic mechanic should check the whole system because other parts could be the cause (plugged fuel delivery lines or broken wires in the injector harness etc.)
Why is my engine misfiring?
Previously we have written an article on how to fix misfire engine. As a recap, one of the culprits for the misfiring engine is a faulty fuel injector. You may need to replace it if it is found to be bad. A car generally has one fuel injector per cylinder. So the question is if one fuel injector is bad should you replace them all?
Can a bad fuel injector cause a whole system?
A single bad injector can cause a whole system’s worth of problems. When it does fail in older cars, the others are likely to follow suit soon after. Unless you need to fix other things that may be causing your fuel injector to fail (which is usually the case), replacing only one will do little good and cost time and money.
What is the difference between a carburetor and a fuel injector?
Obviously, the main goal for both a carburetor and a fuel injector is to give the engine the proper fuel and air mixture it needs to run efficiently. They each have the same basic functions, but there are also some major differences between the two of them.
What is fuel injection?
The fuel injection system is what eventually replaced the carburetor. For those who want the best type of performance from their engines, fuel injection systems are usually the first and popular choice. Port fuel injection and direct injection are the two main types of fuel injection systems you’ll find in a car.
What cars have carburetor systems?
There are other types of vehicles you may see that more commonly have carbureted systems such as ATV’s, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and jet skis.
What are the advantages of carburetors?
They each have the same basic functions, but there are also some major differences between the two of them. The advantages of a carburetor is that they are fairly easy to operate, clean, and fix. They are also less expensive if they need to be replaced.
Is fuel injection more expensive than carburetor?
Fuel injection systems do have a drawback though. Because it is such a sophisticated system, it is often more expensive to fix than it would be to fix a carburetor. Th e process of installation is a bit more complicated because of the electrical components required.
Is a carburetor a nightmare?
Carburetors weren’t necessarily a nightmare to have, but as society naturally moves towards increasing technology, manufacturers started going with the fuel injection system that was more reliable and efficient.
Why is ethanol hard on carburetors?
Ethanol gas is especially hard on carburetors because ethanol gas often absorbs water which can ultimately make a carburetor malfunction. Carburetors were often the culprit for poor engine performance. This can include sluggish acceleration, less power, and noticeable decrease in fuel efficiency. This is because the carburetor isn’t giving ...

Overview
Classification
The overview below illustrates the most common types of mixture formation systems in internal combustion engines. There are several different ways of characterising, grouping, and describing fuel injection systems. The classifications are based upon differentiation between internal and external mixture formation systems.
Fundamental considerations
An ideal fuel injection system can precisely provide exactly the right amount of fuel under all engine operating conditions. This typically means precise air–fuel ratio (lambda) control, which allows, for instance: easy engine operation even at low engine temperatures (such as a cold start), good adaptation to a wide range of altitudes and ambient temperatures, precisely governed engine speeds (including at idle and redline), good fuel efficiency, and the lowest achievable exha…
System components
All fuel injection systems comprise three basic components: they have at least one fuel injector (sometimes called an injection valve), a device that creates sufficient injection pressure, and a device that meters the correct amount of fuel. These three basic components can either be separate devices (one or multiple fuel injectors, a fuel distributor, and a fuel pump), partially combined devices (an injection valve and an injection pump), or completely combined devices (a unit …
History and development
In 1872, George Bailey Brayton obtained a patent on an internal combustion engine that used a pneumatic fuel injection system, also invented by Brayton: air-blast injection. In 1894, Rudolf Diesel copied Brayton's air-blast injection system for the diesel engine, but also improved it. He increased the air blast pressure from 4–5 kp/cm (390–490 kPa) to 65 kp/cm (6,400 kPa).
External links
• History of the D Jetronic system
• How Fuel Injection Systems Work
• Multi Point Fuel Injection System (MPFI)