Why You Need to Service a Fuel Rail Injection System Regularly

Posted on: 22 November 2021

If an internal combustion engine is to operate smoothly and without any issue, the fuel must be delivered with great precision. In modern vehicles, this is the job of a common rail injector system, and if you want uninterrupted motoring, you need to ensure that it is always in good condition. What do you need to know about this complex system?

How Everything Should Work

Although you may not know much about the inner workings of an engine, in basic terms, pistons need to move up and down in rapid succession and in proper order. This will turn a crankshaft and provide power to the transmission. A controlled detonation takes place in each combustion chamber to push the piston down, and this requires air, fuel and an electronic spark.

Your engine turns at high speed, and it's crucial that fuel is delivered at the right time to each combustion chamber. This is where the common rail injector system comes in. From here, it receives fuel from the tank before distributing it through tiny injectors under very high pressure.

High-Risk Environment

Due to the pressure involved and the high-performance requirements, issues may sometimes arise with those injectors. When this happens, the vehicle will not perform as it should, and you may find it hard to overtake without a sputtering engine. You will also pay more at the pump, and your emissions will increase as well.

Contamination and Corrosion

A filter sits between the tank and the fuel rail injector system and will catch most of the potential contamination found within a typical litre of petrol. However, tiny particles may still be able to get through, thus eroding internal parts within the injector system such as the control valve and ball. When droplets of water find their way through, these can cause corrosion as well, adding to the problem.

Carbon Build-Up

As time goes by and injectors become less efficient, they may deliver a small amount of unneeded fuel to the combustion chamber. Then, when the engine shut down, this additional fuel will be burned off within the chamber and not through the exhaust manifold. In turn, this will lead to a build-up of carbon deposits that will start to block the end of the injector.

Regular Servicing Important

It's important to take the vehicle in for regular service so that a technician can have a look at the condition of the fuel rail injector system and clean out any imperfections that may be found. They can also get rid of any residual carbon deposits and make sure that the system performs as intended. For more information, contact a car servicing company. 

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