All impurities, solid particles, and water in diesel fuel damage these precision injector elements. They damage the injector surface by erosion and corrosion. Paraffin crystallizing in poor quality fuel can also lead to an injection system failure. Simply put, the injectors will clog.
External injector deposits are generally caused by incompletely burned fuel that builds up around the injector holes. These deposits are referred to as coking deposits.
Fuel injectors typically fail due to a buildup of contaminants such as carbon. Carbon build-up can cause a clogged or partially clogged injector, preventing the injector from closing all the way. This results in a drip that creates a misfire.
The main source of failure for injectors is water in the fuel. When water in the fuel displaces the lubricating properties the internal parts wear down quickly and the injector as a whole can fail rather quickly. Injectors are an extremely important engine component.
As mentioned earlier, when the injectors become clogged, they lose their ability to supply the necessary amount of fuel or create a proper spray pattern, but worse yet, the corrosive nature of carbon deposits literally destroys fuel injectors over time.
There have been reports that dirty diesel can have such an adverse effect that it can damage injectors or actually destroy an engine, costing the owner thousands of dollars.
Rust: In contact with iron and steel surfaces water produces iron oxide (rust). Rust particles that get into the fuel, like other hard particulates, will cause abrasive wear to parts. Premature wear can cause part failures. Corrosion: Corrosion is one of the most common causes of injector problems.
It occurs when the injector doesn't seal against the injector seat in the cylinder head. Often, a chuffing sound is heard, or black “tar” can be seen around the injectors. The engine could also experience one or more of the above symptoms.
The life expectancy of a good quality diesel fuel injector is around 150,000 kilometres. They should be checked out by a professional at around this time.
The average lifespan of a diesel fuel injector is around 100,000 miles. A typical fuel injector has two basic parts: the nozzle and the injector body. If either of these components gets clogged or damaged, it will compromise the entire performance of the vehicle.
Common causes of injector failure
While many things can cause breakdowns, the most likely cause of premature failure is fuel contamination. Fuel contamination occurs when debris in the fuel gets past the filtration, destroying the sealing surfaces. Think microns, smaller than a human's hair-sized, clearances.
The failure of a single injector in your diesel fuel injection system is a common cause of engine failure. When your injectors are aged, it is required to replace one injector at a time.
The best way to clean fuel injectors on a regular basis is to use a diesel fuel cleaner additive. This can be added to the fuel tank periodically to cycle through your engine. If done regularly, maybe once or twice a month, it can keep gunk and debris from building up in your fuel injection system.
Getting your fuel injectors replaced is part of maintaining your vehicle. The cost of a replacement includes parts and labor. The labor can cost between $200 and $300, while the cost of the parts will vary from $150 to $600.
How Often Should Injectors Be Replaced? On average, diesel fuel injectors should be replaced every 95,000 miles. Of course, several factors go into play such as operating conditions, the load being put on the engine, and the quality of fuel used.
Better Overall Truck Health
Balanced injectors will increase engine efficiency and MPG. Not only does it help the reliability of the vehicle, but also its longevity. You will decrease truck maintenance costs over the life of the vehicle.
White smoke coming from the exhaust usually points to one point of failure: the injectors. Usually, white smoke indicates that the diesel fuel is not burning correctly. Unburned diesel fuel will make its way through the exhaust completely unused. Be careful of white smoke as it will irritate your eyes and skin.
Engine Stalling
If too little fuel is reaching the combustion chamber, the ECU will stop the engine, causing a stall. Engine stalling as a result of a failed injector normally occurs when the nozzles are badly blocked or when there's a fuel leak where the injector connects with the fuel lines.
It's good for the engine to idle. Diesel engines don't burn much fuel at idle. Diesel engines create more heat by idling. Diesel engines must idle or they won't restart.
Allow Time to Warm Up the Engine
In order to start a diesel engine and keep it running in cold weather, you must make sure you allow plenty of time for your engine to warm up. If you do not let your engine warm up before driving, you will make it work harder than necessary, which will lead to problems later on.
The best thing you can do to warm up your diesel engine—after letting it idle for no longer than two minutes—is to start driving it. Heading off at a steady pace will heat up the engine and get the oil circulating.