It can be frustrating when your common rail fuel injectors fail, and you might be left with questions.
So, what exactly caused the failure?
Several things can lead to issues with your common rail fuel injectors, including fuel contamination, poor fuel filtration, improper installation and even the use of non-OEM quality remanufactured parts.
We’re taking a look at each of these problems a little more closely to help you understand just what’s going wrong with your injectors and what you can do to help prevent it in the future.
What Poor Fuel Filtration Can Do To Your Injectors
Something we see a lot with failed common rail injectors is issues caused by poor fuel filtration.
It’s likely that along with this, you’ll have ball seat erosion. This occurs when the small ball sealing the passage of the magnetic valve inside your injector doesn’t seal correctly.
Poor sealing doesn’t allow for optimal function. When abrasive contaminants erode the ball seat, causing damage, you won’t get the correct injection.
Symptoms of Poor Filtration and Ball Seat Erosion
If you’re experiencing these problems in your diesel engine common rail fuel injectors, there’s a few symptoms you can keep an eye on. These include:
- Excessive Smoke
- Potential Engine Failure
- Starting or Idling Problems
Using filters with the same micron rating as the OE filters can help ensure your system is functioning properly. You’ll also want to make sure you’re following the recommended oil change intervals.
Fuel Contamination and Your Common Rail Injectors
Contaminated fuel can actually cause a lot of problems throughout your diesel engine, including your common rail injectors.
Corrosion caused by water contaminating the fuel is particularly problematic. This can happen when water enters the fuel storage tank.
The fuel storage tanks are designed with a vented cap to allow air to enter, which equalizes the pressure when fuel is removed. This air from outside the tank contains moisture, and as it enters it can cause water to condense inside the tank.
Symptoms of Fuel Contamination
If your injectors are failing because of contaminated fuel, you might notice poor engine performance, or problems with your engine’s idle (like vibration during idle.)
Purchasing your fuel from a reputable supplier that moves large quantities of fuel can help avoid this issue. If the fuel isn’t sitting in the tank as long, there’s less of an opportunity for contamination.
The proper fuel/water separator can similarly help prevent contamination from damaging your engine.
Failed Injectors From Poor Installation
It’s important your injectors are being installed correctly. Improper installation techniques can lead to a whole host of problems.
Poor installation can include anything from missing seal rings, incorrect tightening torque or incorrect cleaning of the nozzle.
What Do Improper Installation Techniques Lead To?
If your injectors haven’t been installed correctly, you might notice a few symptoms, including:
- Engine Misfires
- Check Engine Light (MIL)
- Poor Performance
- Black Smoke
You can avoid these problems by following the proper installation procedures as laid out by the engine manufacturer’s instructions.
Using Non-OEM Quality Parts
Not every remanufactured injector you find is created equal, with some giving you more problems than you signed up for.
The injector quality is determined by the remanufacturing process and what components are replaced.
You might get a good deal on parts that aren’t rebuilt to OEM standards, but they’re not going to keep your engine running right and they might end up costing you more in the long run.
Common Rail Injectors From Highway & Heavy Parts
You don’t have to worry about quality when you buy injectors from HHP. We’re proud to carry Bosch common rail fuel injectors. This means you’re getting the same injectors as OE in design, materials, engineering, manufacturing and quality control.
They include the latest OE updates and meet current emission standards, so they might even be better than your original injectors.
If you’re not sure these injectors are right for your diesel engine, or you have questions about your fuel system, give us a call! Our ASE Certified Technicians can help answer your questions and get to the bottom of what is going on in your engine.
We want to make sure you’re getting the right parts to get the job done.
From diagnosis through delivery, we’re Highway & Heavy Parts!
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