Symptoms of Bad Fuel Injectors

Fuel injectors are what distribute fuel into the engine. They control how much fuel is given to the engine at a time, and regulate when and where it's delivered. These components may wear down over time, freeze in position, or get clogged from debris or deposits if they're not cleaned regularly. When these problems start to occur, there are some symptoms that show up in your car. We’ll discuss what a bad fuel injector looks and sounds like and some symptoms that it might have. You may not realize that you have failing or dirty fuel injectors until you start experiencing these problems with your engine, so be cautious.

So how does a car act when the fuel injector is going out?

Combustion engines must have three essential elements to help the engine operate. These are fuel, spark, and air. Fuel injection is a process that delivers crucial fuel quantities into an engine’s combustion chambers for its operation. You can imagine that if there’s an air-fuel mixture imbalance, your vehicle will experience some issues. You may experience common symptoms of a bad fuel injector such as:

1) Rough idle

If you have faulty fuel injectors, your vehicle is not getting enough fuel, or a largely uneven fuel supply. The RPM while idling may drop below optimal levels, be inconsistent, or surge.

2) Misfires and engine vibrations

Bad fuel injectors could cause your engine to misfire or not start at all. The delicate balance of fuel and air is something that your engine relies on to run smoothly. If your fuel injectors are dirty or failing, your motor will feel like it's sputtering and shaking with the poor fuel and air mixture, which will send vibrations through the vehicle. Unresponsive throttle input, are also usually symptoms.

3) Fuel leaks (fuel odors)

If your fuel system has a fuel injector that is leaking, you may notice a slight gasoline smell while running. If you find the source of the leak, you should have it patched or replaced immediately so you don't fail an emissions test, or risk fire to the vehicle.

4) Poor fuel economy  (MPG)

A faulty fuel injector can cause poor fuel efficiency. Mismanaged fuel will cause inefficiency from dispensing too much fuel and wasting it, or is unable to produce enough to sufficiently power the cylinder(s), resulting in bad fuel efficiency.

5) The Check Engine light may come on

You may see a "Check Engine" light from the engine control unit on your dash from faulty fuel injectors. The codes coming from a bad injector can range from misfire codes (P0300, P0200 codes) to lean codes, meaning the fuel system is running out of specification.

Cost for fuel injector replacement

The cost of replacing injectors differs on the brand, size, fuel type required, and how many your engine requires. For an accurate estimate based on your needs, or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to our expert customer service team.

For the highest-quality fuel injector offerings, you can trust MAPerformance. We only stock the highest quality fuel injectors with the very best materials, testing, and reliability.

Driving with a bad fuel injector

It’s not recommended. Pay attention to the 5 signs of bad injectors we’ve mentioned. If the injectors are not in good health, the car’s engine will be in danger of long term damage done by driving it.

How long do fuel injectors last?

Fuel injectors typically have a life expectancy of 50,000 to 100,000 miles. The length of time that the injectors could potentially last depends on your engine performance, the type of fuel used, and how often those fuel filters are changed. So that number is "give or take." Many aftermarket fuel injectors are rated to last for the life of the vehicle, but you have to keep in mind that non-ideal conditions experienced on the road combined with a lack of regular maintenance lead to most fuel injectors needing replacement.

Fuel Injector replacement recommendations:

Evo X injectors:

Our Evo X fuel injectors are able to handle anything from a stock setup to high power builds.

GT-R injectors:

We love the GT-R for its beast of a twin-turbo V6 and a future-focused AWD system. That's why we provide the best deals on Fuel Injectors for the Nissan GT-R 

STI fuel injectors:

The WRX is a downright BLAST to drive. Keep that drive going with our STi fuel injectors that are flow tested and highly rated.

If you have any questions about fuel injectors or the great deals we have, please reach out to our expert support team.