GDI has become a mainstream inclusion in a large market of vehicles and many people rave about the efficient work it does for cars, but is there more to this than meets the eye?
GDI or Gasoline Direct Injection is considered a great invention by automakers and delivers the newest technology in fuel delivery. It’s marketed to provide better fuel economy which is highly appealing to all road users.
It has been proven to provide results of up to an additional 4 mpg and an extra 34 horsepower without having to sacrifice on precious fuel economy.
GDI is an abbreviation for Gasoline Direct Injection, which is a fuel delivery technology designed to improve fuel economy and horsepower without any negative sacrifices.
It has been rapidly taken on by many manufacturers and vehicles such as the Kia GDI engine have been designed with this technology to improve engine performance, gas mileage and even reduce emissions making this the ideal inclusion for economical driving without the need for a hybrid/ electric vehicle.
The GDI is a fuel delivery system in the internal gasoline combustion engines that uses high-pressure rail accumulator assembly to drive the gas mixture straight into your engine’s combustion chambers.
GDI differs from other methods as the system delivers a unique air/fuel mixture that is not as easily achieved with other engines’ fuel injection systems.
To achieve these high levels of power whilst still keeping low emissions the engine directly injects high-pressure fuel into the engine’s cylinders during the combustion cycle increasing efficiency. To avoid premature ignition fuel is evaporated and cooled into a mix of air/fuel.
This technology was designed to accomplish a powerful and fast drive without creating a fuel-guzzling vehicle. Vehicle owners regularly opt for a speedy drive, however, the bad fuel efficiency that usually comes with this speed is often offputting.
This is why the GDI has become an appealing offer for those seeking exhilarating speeds with a perfected balance of relaxation and eco-friendly emissions and fuel economy.
Although the precision and direct fuel injection is the common appeal to GDI, this can also be its main drawback with high numbers of complaints claiming their GDI-powered cars have experienced high rates of clogging in the fuel system and even had engine carbon buildup.
In some cases, this has even led to engine stalling and total loss of power is left unnoticed. This has led to some seriously expensive costs putting many speed-seekers firmly against the idea of GDI systems.
With many technicians quickly noticing these issues coming forward with the increasing popularity in GDI, many started seeking solutions to prevent this injection system from being a total flop.
In BMW and Kia vehicles with this technology, there have been specific service bulletins to their dealerships with information to strongly advise ethanol-free brands of gasoline and options with detergents.
They also recommend adding a fuel-system cleaner on these specifically affected models to prevent any backlash from the negative impacts of this technology.
Some automakers have also experimented with modifying the engine to create a small fuel spray onto the valves to act as a solvent and keep them clean and therefore, less likely to develop a buildup that could lead to total power loss in their vehicle.
With the GDI system also being highly reliant and controlled by computer-controlled electric injectors, this opens up the opportunity for more faults. When carbon buildup occurs on the backside of the intake valves, this can throw a computer code and lead to engine misfiring.
The direct injection requires an extremely high pressure to operate of up to 2200 PSI which means when oil is released into the crankcase it accelerates oil vaporization and can cause the droplets to not coat the intake valves and not get sprayed onto the intake valves.
One of the best ways to avoid the common faults of buildup and poor performance is to regularly monitor all aspects of your GDI and clean the dirty intake valves yourself. This can prevent a serious garage bill from occurring if you are left with a misfiring engine.
For extremely built-up heavy carbon deposits you may need to remove the cylinder head to clean the valves, but you can use a chemical cleaner and spray it directly into the throttle body or intake manifolds intake sorts.
You can also remove the intake manifold to spray solvent into the intake ports in the cylinder head.
Although port injection is much better than older carburetors, you can’t match the power and economy of a GDI with the rising fuel costs and the diminishing inclusion of direct injection systems.
In comparison to direct injection, the GDI engine can achieve a 50% increase in low-end torque and return a 15% increase in fuel economy.
GDI is becoming more and more popular amongst car manufacturers and the likes of Audi, BMW, Kia, Mazda, and Volkswagen are all planning to offer GDI engines in the future. You can find GDI engines in Kia and Mitsubishi vehicles currently.
When MPI and GDI were compared, there was approximately 10% greater output and torque at all speeds from the GDI, and in high-output mode, the GDI had impressive acceleration compared to the MPI.
Because the gasoline additives don’t reach the intake valves on GDI engines this comes with its own maintenance issues. You should clean your GDI engine every 10,000 miles or every time you change your engine oil to prevent deposit buildup and expensive damages.
GDI engines are becoming highly popular in recent vehicle releases, but it’s important you know the pros and cons of this injection system before you purchase one.
Although the speed and efficiency can be highly appealing, the risk of engine damage and total loss of power can be an extremely costly fix if you don’t regularly clean all carbon build-up and maintain your GDI correctly.
