Fuel System Cleaning – Why It’s Important

Having a clean fuel system is vital to making sure your vehicle is operating properly. A fuel system that’s dirty will affect vehicle power, performance, fuel economy and drivability. It can also have a direct impact on some of the other engine systems in your vehicle. If you haven’t thought about cleaning your vehicle’s fuel system, you may want to read through this blog post to learn more.

The fuel system begins at the gas tank where the gasoline is stored. A system made up of fuel lines, fuel filters, fuel injectors and fuel pumps feed the gasoline into the engine where it is mixed with air and ignited by the spark plugs. If you don’t maintain a clean fuel system, some of the following things can happen:

• The fuel pump can become clogged. This pump sends the gasoline to the engine so anything that hinders the flow or prevents this from happening properly, will cause engine problems. You may find it to be difficult to start your vehicle. You may also notice that the engine backfires, stalls or hesitates while you accelerate. The simplest way to avoid this type of problem is to periodically clean or replace the fuel filter.
• The fuel lines can become cracked or clogged, again hindering the flow of gas going into the combustion chamber. Replace these damaged lines.
• The fuel filter can become clogged. To make sure the flow of gasoline is not hindered, a fuel filter should be replaced at an interval between 20,000 to 40,000 miles.
• The fuel injectors will need to be replaced. Fuel injectors will last anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 miles. The amount of time it takes before one or more injectors fails depends on the type of gas you use and how often the fuel filters are changed.

One last thing to mention… Do not allow the level of gas in the tank get close to empty before refilling the tank. When you wait until the gas gauge is on “E” or the gas light comes on, the fuel lines end up sucking in debris that’s on the bottom of the gas tank. Ideally, you should refill when the gauge shows ½ a tank. At a minimum, don’t let the gauge go below ¼ of a tank before refilling.

The simplest way to maintain your vehicle’s fuel system is to bring your car, truck or van to Shade Tree Garage in Morristown, NJ. Our ASE and Bosch-certified technicians have the equipment and expertise to diagnose and repair engine performance problems. We can also assist you with changing fuel filters, fuel pumps, and fuel injectors. Click here to schedule an appointment to have the fuel system checked, maintained or repaired today.