Fuel injectors are an essential part of an engine. It is crucial to run an engine. But sometimes, fuel injectors can get dirty, faulty, or leak over time for various reasons.
You may ask if fuel injectors cause misfires. Let us help you find the answer you are looking for and know more about this problem in the process as well.
Can fuel injectors cause a misfire?
Fuel injectors can cause misfires. Misfire is a common issue among engines from new to old ones. Although this is not a significant issue, it can cause a lot of trouble while driving and can be fatal for the driver and the engine. Fuel injectors are one of the reasons for misfiring in a vehicle.
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Among all the issues that occur in an engine, misfire is one of them. Misfire causes the engine to lose speed or RPMs or momentarily stall for short periods of time. Sometimes due to the stall and choking in the engine will cause it to shut down and overheat.
It can cause the oil to get burnt as the engine tries to consume more fuel to run properly.
But frequent misfires are an indication that the engine might have problems. One of the problems is the fuel injectors. If the fuel injector is not working correctly for various reasons, it can cause the engine to misfire. Misfire causes a lot of problems to the engine in the long run.
You might ask yourself why fuel injectors cause a misfire. Here are some common reasons why it causes misfire and the reason behind the cause:
Dirty and clogged fuel injector:
A dirty and clogged fuel injector causes a misfire. A dirty and clogged fuel injector is the most common reason behind a misfire. Fuel injectors get dirty over time and use. Dirt and other materials clog the fuel injectors as a result.
This issue causes a problem in the fuel delivery system. The engine does not receive enough fuel to operate correctly due to the dirty and clogged fuel injectors. This results in a misfire. It can also block air from getting in.
Leaking fuel injector:
A leaking fuel injector causes a misfire. It is common to see fuel injectors leak over time. This part gets aged and it causes to start breaking up. As a result, the fuel injector starts to leak.
Due to the leaking fuel injector, it causes oil and gas to leak. Thus, the engine does not get the necessary amount of fuel. It causes waste of precious fuel as well. As a result, the driver has to spend more money purchasing fuel.
Faulty fuel injector:
A faulty fuel injector causes a misfire. This is also known as a bad fuel injector. This causes the engine to lose power frequently when running. It causes the engine to shake, stall and choke. Thus, a bad fuel injector is not suitable for the health of an engine.
How to check if the fuel injector is causing a misfire?
There are multiple ways to check if the fuel injector is causing a misfire or not. Here are some ways that we think may be easy for you to find if the fuel injector is causing a misfire:
Engine will vibrate and make a lot of noise:
While running the engine, it may vibrate after each cycle it performs. This happens due to the lack of fuel for bad fuel injectors. It can make a lot of noise too. The lack of fuel causes the engine to choke and makes a lot of sound.
Engine will choke or stall while trying to accelerate:
If the fuel injector is causing a misfire, it will cause problems in the fuel supply to the engine. Thus, it will force the engine to stall or choke. Due to that, the engine will lose power and eventually decelerate.
Engine will leak fuel and spread fuel odor:
If there is a problem in the fuel injector that is causing a misfire, you might smell burnt or fresh fuel. You can find evidence of that under the engine if it is leaking. It will cause high fuel usage, which may cost the drive more than expected.
How to fix fuel injector misfire?
If the fuel injector is causing a misfire in the engine, you have to fix it as fast as possible. There are various ways to fix fuel injector misfires. But fixing it using a fuel injector cleaner is the easiest way.
Let us discuss the steps that you have to follow to fix fuel injector misfire using fuel injector cleaner:
Almost empty the fuel tank:
The first step of fixing a fuel injector misfire is to empty the fuel tank. So when you start doing the fix, drain the fuel tank accordingly. Keep running the engine until the low fuel warning turns up.
Pour fuel injector cleaner in the fuel tank:
After almost emptying your fuel tank, you need to fill the fuel tank with a fuel injector cleaner. Purchase a bottle of fuel injector cleaner from your nearby car repair shop or online. Pour the whole bottle into the fuel tank for one fuel injector cleaning.
Fill the rest of the tank with fuel:
After filling the fuel tank with fuel injector cleaner, top the rest of the fuel tank with fuel. Make sure that you fill the whole tank. This will help to mix the fuel injector cleaner and fuel. As a result, it can get into the engine properly and clean the fuel injectors.
Burn through all the fuel and clean the fuel injectors
Lastly, you will have to use the whole tank. Remember that you have to run your car at 60 miles per hour during this cleanup and constantly run the engine for 1 – 2 hours.
This will help to clean the dirty and clogged fuel injectors. When your fuel tank is empty, clean the fuel injector heads for better results.
If unsolved, consult with a mechanic:
Even after doing all of the above, your engine may still be having misfires due to fuel injectors. This is probably happening due to a bad fuel injector that is causing fuel leaks or choking in the engine.
This is better to be fixed by a mechanic if you do not have the repair skills and experience.
Can fuel injector cleaner fix a misfire?
Yes, fuel injector cleaner can fix a misfire. Misfires due to fuel injectors are common in engines. Mainly it is caused due to the dirt and carbon build up in the fuel injectors. Thus, fuel cannot enter the engine, which causes the engine to stall and choke. Eventually, it ends up as a misfire.
Fuel injector cleaner helps to clean dirty fuel injectors. It removes all the dirt and clogs in any fuel injector. It also helps to remove carbon residue from the fuel injectors. Therefore, fixing a misfire due to fuel injectors allows the engine to run properly.
Can fuel injector cleaner cause misfire?
A fuel injector cleaner cannot cause a misfire.Fuel injectors help to remove dirt and carbon from the fuel injectors. It helps to lose the dirt and carbon residue as well so that you can clean it up at the end of the cleaning process.
A fuel injector cleaner cannot cause any misfire. Misfire is caused due to dirty and clogged fuel injectors. But fuel injector cleaner does not clog them. Rather than it unclogs them. Therefore, it cannot cause any misfire.
How often to clean fuel injectors?
The fuel injectors need to be cleaned after every 45,000 miles of driving. Engine manufacturers suggest users clean their fuel injectors after every 3,000 miles of driving. But this may become costly to some people.
This is why experts and mechanics suggest that you have to clean your car’s fuel injectors after every 45,000 miles of driving. You might have to do that earlier, depending on how you drive. Therefore, it can be easily said that you have to clean the fuel injectors every 3 years.
When to replace fuel injectors?
Fuel injectors need to be replaced after every 50,000 – 100,000 miles of driving.Fuel injectors are rated to last up to 1 billion engine cycles. Some are rated to last until the lifetime of the vehicle. But the fuel injectors do not last long due to various reasons.
Due to the driving conditions of the driver and the environment that the engine has to go through, the fuel injectors do not last too much. On average, it is said that fuel injectors have to be replaced after 50,000 miles of driving.
Final thoughts
Fuel injectors can cause a misfire. This is caused due to dirty, clogged, poor, and faulty fuel injectors in the engine. Dirty and clogged fuel injectors can be fixed by using fuel injector cleaner and cleaned afterward. But poor and bad ones have to be replaced for resolving the issue.