Many of us have been into an auto service shop to do repairs, maintenance, or even just check up on our vehicles. Going to the shop can be a hassle, and very expensive. They tell us the problems our cars have and ways that we should fix them. It often leads us to wonder exactly what we need and why.
Has your auto service shop recommended a fuel system cleaning?
If yes, you’re probably wondering just what type of service this is and exactly why you need it. In this article we are going to be sharing some tips to help you understand why your vehicle might need a fuel system service, or why it might not.
What is a fuel injector?
One of the first main things you should know a bit about is how your car’s engine actually operates.
With time, comes change, we see that in many things. It is no different for cars and all of the mechanisms inside of them. Fuel systems have continued changing majorly throughout the years. We commonly see that older cars used to have a carburetor; the purpose of the carburetor was to feed fuel to the engine. However, because carburetors were not efficient, with time, auto manufacturers developed a fuel injection system, this system worked by electrically controlling the fuel injection in your vehicle.
These systems are very complex; however, they provide accurate fuel monitoring. That means when you press on the gas pedal, the fuel injector delivers the proper amount of fuel your vehicle needs directly to your engine. With that being said, because these systems are so complex, they need periodic maintenance to make sure they run as efficiently as possible.
Why do you need fuel injector cleaning?
Proper cleaning and maintenance is a large part of owning a car. Many car owners do not realize how often they should be cleaning certain areas of a car. So you may be wondering exactly why you need to clean your fuel injector. Well, to simply put it, cleaning your fuel injector system removes built-up fuel and deposits, it also clears the intake valves and cylinder heads, and flushes out the entire fuel system.
What does all this really do? Well properly maintaining and cleaning the fuel system periodically makes sure that car performs efficiently, extends the life of your vehicle’s engine, improves your engine’s performance, and increases fuel economy. If you aren’t properly maintaining and cleaning your fuel injector, it could potentially become clogged with the fuel and deposits, which has many negative effects. These effects can range from something as simple as poor acceleration, or lower power, to more extreme and serious problems with your engine.
Fuel system cleaning can also lower your automobile’s carbon footprint by improving the fuel economy.
How often should you clean your fuel system?
Fuel injection service sounds great, but also like a lot of work, and who has the time for that, especially regularly? So how often does your vehicle really need it? Well, believe it or not, you don’t need to clean your fuel system as often as you’d think.
Because technology is always improving, contrary to the older models that have carburetor-fueled systems that required periodic cleaning to prevent clogs, the more advanced and modern technological systems have been designed with efficiency in mind. We advise that owners take a look at their own vehicle manufacturer’s manual for specific recommendations.
However, in general more of the modern vehicles don’t need fuel system service before 60,000 miles, unless a specific problem crops up.
How much does a fuel system service cost?
Now that we know all of this, the last thing that we want to know is, how much does this service cost? Well, typically, fuel system injector cleaning can cost anywhere between $50 and $80. Which is pretty affordable, and thankfully many auto service professionals perform this service often, which means it also shouldn’t take more than a couple hours.
Agape Auto Service prides ourselves on having the most qualified technicians to work on your vehicle while also using the top quality equipment and products. Agape Auto Services uses BG Products to protect you, your family, and your vehicle. If you’re experiencing any issues with your fuel system or would just like a routine inspection of your vehicle to prevent any issues, give us a call today or click here to make an appointment.
