Do Fuel Injectors Need to Be Replaced? (Answered)

A fuel injector is a mechanical device inside the engine that is used to inject or spray the fuel inside the combustion chamber to create the air-fuel mixture and power stroke. This is most often used in automotive engines. 

In this article, we will discuss the functionalities of a fuel injector. 

Do fuel injectors need to be replaced? 

Each fuel injector has its lifespan. Typically, fuel injectors work up to one billion cycles, which is also considered the lifespan of a car. But due to lack of adequate repair and maintenance, the fuel injector may have to be replaced even after driving 50,000 to 100,000 miles. 

The fuel injector helps to create a better quality of air-fuel mixture by spraying them inside the combustion chamber to provide higher fuel economy.

Generally, when the car is driven at higher RPMs, the combustion chamber needs the fuel injector to deliver as much as fuel it can. If the fuel injectors become clogged and dirty, they won’t be able to provide an adequate amount of fuel.

As a result, the car will fail to accelerate at higher speeds. This happens when the car is not maintained regularly. So, you might need to replace the fuel injector to avoid damage to your engine.

Fuel injectors are made to provide service throughout the car’s lifespan. This means that they are effective up to a certain cycle and then become useless.

But, in some cases, you might need to replace the fuel injectors after 50000 miles of driving to make sure your car provides fuel efficiency and higher fuel economy.

Do all fuel injectors need to be replaced at once? 

You can use the engine by replacing one fuel injector if you want, but since all the fuel injectors work together as a team, you will need to replace all the fuel injectors at once for better performance.

Replacing all the fuel injectors at once will help your engine to produce a better air-fuel mixture in every cylinder and provide better fuel economy. Changes to the fuel injector depend on the condition of the engine and the vehicle.

If your car is not fuel-efficient and does not work properly then you should replace the fuel injector. Also, if you haven’t replaced a fuel injector before, it’s a good idea to replace all fuel injectors at once.

But it will also be quite expensive. Your car engine has a fuel injector for each cylinder. So, if you use an 8-cylinder engine in the car, you need to change 8 fuel injectors.

When to replace fuel injectors? How often do fuel injectors need to be replaced? 

If you notice any unusual symptoms in your car such as engine misfire, poor fuel economy, and failure to accelerate at high RPM, you should inspect the car’s fuel injector and replace it.

Usually, when fuel is sprayed into the combustion chamber by the fuel injector, the waste and the toxic particles mixed with the fuel accumulates in the fuel injector nozzle and clog it. That is why it should be changed as soon as possible.

Fuel injectors usually become useless after the car has been driven 50,000 to 100,000 miles. You should replace it immediately without delay. Generally, the fuel injectors are made to survive throughout the lifetime of the car.

But, due to the adverse driving conditions and lack of proper maintenance, the fuel injectors are required to replace after 50000 to 100000 miles of driving. It is recommended to replace all of them at once to avoid further malfunction of the engine.

Are fuel injectors expensive to replace? Is it worth replacing fuel injectors?

Since it is a vital component for the engine, fuel injectors are quite expensive. Each fuel injector costs around $200. Moreover, the price depends on the availability, brand, quality, and installation.

Generally, the expense might go up to $350 in case you want to get it replaced from an automobile repair shop. The fuel injector price depends on some factors. If you have a smaller car with fewer cylinders, the replacement cost will be lower.

The larger and high-performance enabled engines to require expensive fuel injectors to provide better performance.

Replacing the fuel injectors is worth it since it helps to enhance the performance of your car. Driving with a damaged or clogged fuel injector will cause you poor fuel economy and engine idling.

So, replacing the fuel injector is the best option for you. Moreover, changing all the fuel injectors at once will improve the engine performance significantly. 

Why would fuel injectors need to be replaced? What happens if you don’t change your fuel injectors? 

Fuel injectors need to be replaced because replacing them will provide you with better performance, fuel economy, and efficiency as well as a higher rate of acceleration.

A clogged or dirty fuel injector won’t be able to provide the required amount of fuel inside the engine cylinders.

As a result, it will cause you fuel leaking and engine misfiring and finally cause you an expensive repair. So, immediately inspect the problem and replace the fuel injectors. 

Changing the fuel injector is important because if you don’t change the fuel injector after a certain period, your engine might fail when you’re driving on highways. Moreover, a bad fuel injector can cause your engine to break down.

The damage that can be done if the fuel injector is not changed is as follows: 

Engine breakdown:

One of the significant damages is that a fuel injector causes your engine is to engine break down. The fuel injectors are bad or dirty, they cannot function properly.

As a result, it puts a lot of pressure on the engine and the engine might break down.

Engine misfire:

Engine misfiring is also one of the familiar problems you will notice. Bad fuel injectors cannot inject the required amount of fuel inside the cylinder and as a result, it is unable to ignite the engine properly.

Usual sputtering noise:

A full injector is bad or clogged, you’ll hear sputtering noise coming from the engine. Moreover, your car might shake when driving.

How do I know if my fuel injectors need to be replaced?

Fuel injectors are made so that they can be used throughout the lifetime of a car. But due to the adverse condition and the toxic particles present in the fuel, it makes the fuel injector nozzle clog or dirty.

So, after long-term use to fuel injectors become unable to operate at their best. Usually, it is recommended to replace the existing fuel injectors after 50,000 to 100000 miles of driving.

Some signs will show up if the fuel injectors are bad. There are mentioned below: 

Engine idling:

When the fuel injector becomes unable to supply the required amount of fuel inside the cylinder, the engine might start to vibrate due to a lack of fuel. As a result, you might face difficulties when driving.

Engine heating:

When the fuel injector is unable to provide the required amount of fuel inside the cylinders, accelerating to higher speeds might put excess pressure on the engine and the engine might heat up.

Poor mileage:

A common issue that every driver faces when the fuel injector is bad is poor fuel economy. This is one of the most common problems that cause the engine to use excessive fuel from the tank and provide bad mileage.

How to replace fuel injectors? 

Fuel injector replacement is sensitive and time-consuming work and you should get this job done by a professional automotive mechanic. But you can also do this work by yourself with a little skill and save some money.

If you can inspect and figure out that your fuel injector is not functioning properly, you can fix it at your home. Make sure to take all the safety measures before you start working on it.

The following instruction shows how to replace or change a bad fuel injector: 

Disconnect the fuel rail:

Some cars have a fuel rail in their injection system to deliver the fuel in the injectors. Make sure to check if your car has such type of system. After that, disconnect the fuel line located at the end of the rail.

Take out the injectors:

Once you remove the fuel rail, you will see the fuel injectors. Take them out carefully. They have a plug at the top that connects to the wiring. Disconnect the fuel injectors using a screwdriver. 

Put the new fuel injector:

Installed a new fuel injector. The overall process will cost you around one to two hours to install each fuel injector. Tighten up them using a screwdriver.

Final thoughts 

The engine is a very delicate component of your car and the fuel injectors play a vital role to run the engine. You need to change the fuel injectors after a certain time. This will enhance the performance of your engine, also prevent your engine from causing any expensive repair in the future.