Back to all

Fuel Injectors

December 3, 2023



The last new American vehicles sold in Columbus with a carburetor rolled out of the Ohio dealerships in 1990. Since then, all new vehicles here in Columbus, and nationally, have had fuel injectors. In very simple terms, a fuel injector is a valve that squirts fuel into your engine. Your engine control computer tells the fuel injector how much gas to deliver as well as the precise time it should be delivered. Of course this happens thousands of times a minute. Fuel injectors deliver fuel far more precisely than carburetors. That translates into better fuel economy and more power for Columbus drivers. Virtually all fuel injectors for gas engines are known as port fuel injectors because they deliver the fuel to a port just outside the cylinder. Port fuel injectors operate at about 40 to 80 pounds per square inch of pressure.

A few vehicle manufacturers have introduced gas direct injection systems on some engines recently. These systems inject the gas directly into the cylinders under very high pressure - hundreds of times the pressure of port injection systems. Although more complicated, direct injection technology promises greater power with improved fuel economy, so Ohio drivers can expect to see more of it in the future.

As Columbus residents can see, the level of precision required of fuel injectors is very high. It's important that they operate properly in order for your vehicle to run right.

High temperatures under your hood and variations in Columbus gas quality cause fuel injectors to become fouled with wax, dirt and carbon. Injectors can become partially clogged, preventing them from delivering the proper amount of fuel at the correct pressure. The design of each engine requires a specific spray pattern from the fuel injector that might be altered when the injector is dirty. When injectors are dirty, the fuel doesn't burn as efficiently, resulting in poor fuel economy and loss of power. So it is important to keep your vehicle fuel injectors clean.

Skilled service technicians at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Columbus in Columbus can perform a fuel system service for you. That is a fuel system service - not just fuel injector cleaning. That is because the fuel has a lot of ways to become dirty or contaminated between the Columbus gas pump and your fuel injectors. A fuel system service at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Columbus starts with a fuel filter replacement. This filter cleans the gas as it leaves the tank. The various parts of the fuel intake system need to be cleaned from time to time to remove harmful gum deposits and varnish. Finally, the fuel injectors are cleaned so that they operate properly for you and deliver the right amount of fuel at the right time.


Our pros at Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Columbus use a process for cleaning your vehicle fuel system that includes state-of-the-art cleaning chemicals as well as some old fashioned scrubbing. Proper maintenance of your fuel system means that you will enjoy strong performance and prevent repairs down the road.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Columbus
4188 W. Broad
Columbus, Ohio 43228
614-276-0164
http://www.tuffycolumbus-broadst.com

More articles from Tuffy Columbus (West Broad)

Cabin Air Filter and Engine Air Filter: What?s the Difference?

October 12, 2025

You may have heard someone say they just got the air filter replaced in their vehicle. But did you know your vehicle has two different major air filters and they both perform quite differentbut very importantduties? Todays vehicles have a cabin air filter, and an engine air filter. The engine a... More

Power Steering Service in Columbus

October 5, 2025

Most Columbus drivers are too young to remember life before power steering - cranking those great big steering wheels! It was a pretty good workout. Now power steering is standard. Let's look at how it works. The heart of any power steering system is its pump. The pump pressurizes the power steer... More

It's Brake Time (Brake Calipers)

September 28, 2025

Race car drivers have demonstrated the advantages of disc brakes, so most modern vehicles use them. Sometimes just the front wheels have disc brakes, but many vehicles now have them all the way around. A major component of the disc brake is called a caliper. It works by squeezing brake pads ag... More