Fuel Injectors - Invest Now or Pay Later

Money is one of those things that is hard to come by but easy to lose. Nobody wants to see their hard-earned money going to waste. But not properly caring for your diesel vehicle is a great way to do just that. Instead of needlessly throwing money down the drain, simply having a consistent maintenance schedule and paying attention to well-known problem areas can save you from high-cost repairs in the future.

One specific well-known problem area stems from your fuel injectors. If not properly maintained, fuel injectors can wind up costing you a pretty penny in more ways than one. Beyond having to replace a fuel injector altogether, an expense nobody wants to dish out unnecessarily, a faulty injector can continuously cost you money without you even realizing it. When not working correctly, a fuel injector will prevent fuel from being sprayed into the engine or will upset the intervals at which it is supposed to be sprayed. Either way, your vehicle won’t run the way it’s supposed to, or worse, become undrivable.

By treating your diesel fuel with Howes Diesel Defender, you are taking a critical preventive step in getting ahead of a variety of problems. Defender will start by cleaning and preventing deposits on your fuel injectors. Then, it will add back the vital lubricity that’s missing in today’s Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel, extending the life of your injectors, pumps, and cylinders. It will also safely remove water and boost your fuel economy by 5% or more, guaranteed.

Whether you’re driving a heavy or light-duty diesel vehicle, treating regularly, even in warmer weather, can help prevent the following slew of problems that can stem from poorly functioning fuel injectors.

Check Engine Light Turns On
The most obvious sign of a problem is when the “Check Engine” light illuminates on your dashboard. Although this could mean a lot of things, a bad fuel injector could certainly be one of them. Any time an injector delivers less (or too much) fuel than needed, the engine’s efficiency is lowered and can trigger the check engine light to come on.

Rough Idle or Engine Stalls
When injector deposits are preventing your vehicle from getting enough fuel or causing an uneven supply of fuel, the RPM while idling drops below the optimal level and results in rough or violent idle. If the RPM falls too low, the vehicle will actually stall, and you will need restart.

Engine Vibrations
A faulty fuel injector will prevent the corresponding cylinder from firing. This means that while driving, the engine will vibrate or hiccup after it tries to finish each cycle without fuel.

Engine Misfires
A clogged injector can prevent a proper fuel spray, leaving the engine without enough fuel. If this happens, the engine will misfire as you drive. Your vehicle will struggle to accelerate, or you may notice a pause after stepping on the pedal. These occurrences will leave your engine susceptible to overheating or worse.

Engine Surge
If the fuel is injector is spraying too much fuel into the engine cylinder, this will create a surge in the engine causing your acceleration to be much slower. When you drive, you’ll find that the engine RPM will change noticeably, struggling under constant load rather than remaining at a constant RPM. 

Fuel Leak
If your fuel injector becomes broken or cracked from damage or premature wear, diesel will begin to leak out of it. This means the fuel won’t be able to reach the nozzle and instead leak from the body. If you check the fuel injector, you will notice diesel on the exterior or the nearby fuel rail. Often, the leak is coming from the fuel injector seal which deteriorates over time, but at a much faster rate when lacking lubrication.

Bad Fuel Economy
If the engine is not getting the right amount of fuel it needs for combustion, it will place more demand on the injector to supply it with additional fuel. This results in poor fuel economy due to the excess fuel the vehicle’s ECU thinks is needed but is in fact, not necessary.

At the end of the day, actively treating your diesel fuel is imperative to the proper functioning of your fuel injectors. The money spent on a quality additive can save you countless more that you could end up wasting in fuel economy and unnecessary repairs. Take the simple step to defend your wallet and treat your diesel with Howes Diesel Defender.