Keeping Your Vehicle's Fuel Delivery System Clean

Your vehicle's fuel delivery system plays a vital role in delivering fuel to the engine to facilitate combustion. Every component of the fuel delivery system should work efficiently in order to supply the right amount of fuel at the right time. For high pressure diesel engines - supply, precision, and timing of the fuel delivery system are crucial to deliver the required pressure, which in turn is necessary to ensure optimum fuel economy.

However, delivering high system pressures is only possible when each component of the fuel delivery system is healthy and working with optimum efficiency. As contaminants can produce adverse effects on these components, which further affects the overall efficiency, enough care should be taken to ensure efficient fuel system life.

Importance of clean fuel system
Contaminants like dirt, debris, varnish build-up, water, corrosion, carbon deposits and microbes may enter the fuel system in different ways. These contaminants may clog various fuel system components and restrict the flow of fuel and air to the engine. Contamination may also result in wear and corrosion that lead to reduced pressures. The effects of contamination are usually indicated by engine stalling, loss of power, increased emissions, poor fuel economy, etc.

Proper maintenance is the key
Proper and periodic maintenance is the only solution to avoid contamination and to increase the life of the fuel system components to facilitate optimum engine performance. Good maintenance practices include effective filtration, storage and cleaning techniques to ensure the components are clean – free from contaminants. Following tips could also help you to maintain a clean fuel delivery system in your vehicle:

Make sure every component is clean - The fuel delivery system consists of various components such as fuel tank, fuel lines, fuel pumps, fuel injectors, etc. each of which are involved in the fuel delivery process. Contamination to a single component affects the overall functionality. Thus, following preventive measures is important.

Using good quality fuel filters, whose function is to catch the contaminants before they enter the fuel system components, helps in maintaining a clean fuel system. As these filters are prone to blockage and regular wear, periodic checks for blockage and replacement of worn-out filters serves the purpose.

Use clean fuel – The cleanliness of the fuel system starts with clean fuel. Make sure that you are purchasing quality fuel that is free from contaminants to increase the durability of the fuel filters. If you want to check whether or not the fuel is clean, collect some fuel into a clean jar and allow it to settle for few minutes. If you observe dirt and water settled at the bottom of the jar, better to filter and use it or purchase it from good gas station.

Protect the engine from water – As discussed earlier, water is one of the contaminants that can cause problems to the fuel delivery system. Usually water enters into the fuel delivery system through the vented fuel filler cap which allows air into the tank. Air, which naturally contains moisture, when subjected to temperature condenses into water and thus enters the fuel tank. Though engines can take small amounts of water mixed with the fuel, too much of water can blow off the injector's tip due to the sudden steaming of water.

Water separating filters can separate the water from fuel, but only to limited amounts. Regular checks for water in the tank, visually inspecting tank exteriors for rust and signs of corrosion will help identify the presence of water. If there are any signs, it is better to drain and clean the tank.

If you want to improve the performance of your vehicle, make sure to keep your vehicle's fuel delivery system clean.

Airtex Fuel Delivery Systems is the leading aftermarket supplier of mechanical and electric fuel pumps and modular reservoir assemblies (MRA). For over 50 years, the Airtex brand has been the benchmark of fuel delivery and cooling system components for leading companies in the automotive aftermarket. If you are searching either for electric fuel pump or mechanical fuel pump, visit our site.