How to Change a Fuel Injector
Is your engine flooded with gas and your motor sputtering? It might be because your fuel injector is dirty or plugged up. Although it’s not a very common dilemma, it’ll be worth looking into. If you’ve got enough automobile knowledge to tackle this problem, then here’s what you should do.
What You’ll Need:
New fuel injector
Sockets
Wrenches
Rags
Pliers
Motor oil
Goggles
Procedure:
Examine the assembled engine carefully, making notes of where and how the parts are attached. If you want, you can take a photo, so you’ll have a guide to follow later on.
Remove the air intake system, as well as mounts, hoses, wires and other parts that stand in the way of the car’s injector railing.
Not all car models have injector retaining rails, so if yours have these, here’s how to take it out: find the bolts that are securing the injector retaining rail in its place, then remove them with the wrench properly. Set these bolts aside, you’ll need them later on. Pull the rail out so you can access the injectors.
Put on your goggles to protect your eyes from any sudden squirts. Pull the first injector out. There will be pressure in the system and it will make a small gasoline squirts with a lot of force. Check if your injector requires special removal tool, go to a local auto parts store or automobile dealership and see if you can purchase one.
Find the old seal. Make sure there are no pieces stuck to it. If there are remnants or dirt, use a screwdriver or pick to get them out.
Prepare your new fuel injector. Remove any caps and lubricate the seal with a little bit of motor oil. Move this new injector to the car, and put it beside the fuel line, on a clean rag.
Affix the new fuel injector. The manufacturer will have a recommended torque for the injector; follow it accordingly.
Connect the wires, hoses and other parts back to the engine, cleaning the dirt and excess grease with a rag as you go along. Use your notes or photos as a reference.
Replacing your fuel injectors is not common, but if the need arises, do not neglect this simple maintenance trick. Otherwise, you’ll expect plenty of problems soon.