Fuel injectors play a crucial role in your BMW: they deliver fuel. Fuel injectors get dirty over time, but a number of different factors may contribute to their being clogged or blocked.
It is often recommended to clean the fuel injectors in your BMW periodically to keep your car’s engine in tip-top shape. This article is going to answer a few questions related to cleaning your BMW’s fuel injectors.
How do fuel injectors get dirty?
Fuel injectors are part of the combustion process in your vehicle. They deliver a fine mist of gasoline into the cylinder. The fuel combines with the air and spark in the cylinder to create power.
Over thousands of miles, fuel injectors become dirty and get clogged. Deposits will begin to build up, hampering the injectors’ ability to deliver a fine mist of fuel. This results in a less than optimal combustion, which creates power for the engine to use.
The type of gasoline you use in your BMW can also affect how dirty and/or clogged the fuel injectors become. A chemical called detergent is present in all gasolines — ever since 1995 when the government mandated it — and the detergent helps to prevent problems of buildup in the engine. If you use lower-quality gas, it may use only the minimum amount of detergents necessary. This can contribute to significant buildup, and it may also clog your BMW’s fuel injectors.
The Case for Cleaning Them
Cleaning your fuel injectors is recommended by most mechanics and dealers. However, it may not be entirely necessary for your vehicle unless you are experiencing some specific issues, which will be discussed later.
With this being said, preemptive action will always be better than reacting. Prevention really is the best medicine.
If your car is exhibiting signs of a clogged fuel injector, like a rough idle, stalling, poor acceleration or high emissions levels, then you should clean your fuel injectors to get your car running back to its potential. This will also save you money, as cleaning your fuel injectors will most likely increase your car’s fuel efficiency.
Thankfully, cleaning them isn’t too difficult, and H&A Service & Sales’s certified mechanics will gladly clean your BMW’s fuel injectors as part of a regular tune up or if they think it is necessary.
How to Know Your BMW’s Fuel Injectors Are Clogged
The fuel injectors in your BMW may be clogged if you notice some of the following symptoms:
Problems Starting the Engine
Because the fuel injectors control how much fuel reaches the engine when it is starting, if it is clogged, the wrong amount of fuel may be sprayed. If you have issues starting your BMW’s engine or can’t start it at all, then one or more fuel injectors may be clogged.
Rough Idling
Idling is a good time to observe how your fuel injectors are performing. When sitting idle, the fuel injectors need to deliver a consistent amount of fuel to the engine. If this isn’t done, the car may feel rough and you may hear violent sounds coming from the engine.
Low Fuel Efficiency
There is a very specific air-fuel ratio your vehicle needs to be efficient. When the fuel injectors behave erratically, that ratio can be upset, which makes your car less efficient, requiring more fuel to be used.
Difficulty Accelerating
If you can’t effectively speed up or slow down in your BMW, the fuel injectors may be dirty and need to be cleaned.
H&A Service & Sales Can Clean Your BMW’s Fuel Injectors for You
If you think a dirty fuel injector or two might be contributing to some of the symptoms listed above, come by H&A Service & Sales in Marietta, GA and one of our experienced, ASE-certified mechanics will clean them for you. Because we know how much you value your vehicle’s performance, we make sure we get the repair done right the first time, all for a low price.
We pride ourselves on our friendly and courteous customer service as much as our high-quality repair and maintenance on BMWs. Our customers are like family to us, and we want to make sure that each time they visit our repair shop, they know they are welcome.
Come by our location at 811 Chance Rd in Marietta to experience Marietta’s favorite repair shop.