There are four specific parts in the fuel system that can get clogged if you don’t have the fuel system serviced. The general recommendation for a fuel system cleaning is every 30,000 miles. This ensures the fuel filter gets changed and the fuel system parts get flushed. Let’s talk more about this below.
Fuel Filter
As we just mentioned, the fuel filter should be changed every 30,000 miles. Gasoline or diesel fuel runs through the fuel filter twice to ensure it is free of dirt and sediment. Unfortunately, all fuel has sediment. It doesn’t matter how expensive it is. The fuel filter traps this sediment and any additional dirt so that the fuel is clean when it is sprayed into the combustion chamber. Over time, the fuel filter will get clogged with this dirt and sediment.
Fuel Hoses
The fuel hoses can also get clogged. They, too, can get stopped by the sediment that is found in the gasoline if the fuel filter is not doing a good enough job of clearing out the sediment. When you bring your vehicle to our shop for a fuel system service, we flush the fuel hoses to remove the dirt and sediment so the gas flows freely.
Fuel Injectors
The fuel injectors get clogged by carbon deposits. Carbon is a natural byproduct of engine combustion. Consequently, the fuel injectors will have this carbon build up on them during the combustion process. There are OTC fuel injector cleaners, but they are not as effective as a professional cleaning. A professional cleaning removes all carbon.
Fuel Pump
Finally, the fuel pump can also be clogged by dirt and sediment because it draws the fuel out of the tank. In fact, you can damage the fuel pump if you let your vehicle get too low on fuel between fill-ups. This causes the fuel pump to draw fuel from the bottom of the tank where the dirt and sediment have settled. This can clog the fuel pump.
Signs of a Clog
If your vehicle has a clogged fuel system, it will suffer from engine performance problems such as misfiring and lagging. You may also find it difficult to get your vehicle started. In addition, the fuel pump may start to whine because it will overwork its motor to get the fuel passed the clog in the fuel system. This can damage the fuel pump.
Give us a call today if you have not had a fuel system service in over 30,000 miles.