Your fuel injectors are a vital part of your machinery’s engine system. They work by spraying a fine mist of diesel into the engine’s combustion chamber (a process known as atomisation) and this fine mist is combined with air, making the combustion process more efficient. Fuel injectors replace the need for spark plugs in diesel machinery.

It’s important to recognise when fuel injector replacement is necessary as this can extend the longevity of your engine’s system overall and prevent costlier engine failure.

Jaytrac are not only able to order both OEM and high-quality aftermarket fuel injectors, but also a range of remanufactured (REMAN) and rebuilt units for exchange or outright purchase. Please contact us to find out more.

Should I clean my fuel injectors, or is fuel injector replacement necessary?

Sometimes, fuel injector replacement isn’t necessary and instead cleaning your fuel injectors can be enough. Cleaning is also cheaper, but if there is damage to the fuel injectors of they are very old or worn out, you’ll need to replace them completely. Using damaged fuel injectors can lead to bigger problems, such as engine failure which is very costly and will also cost you considerable downtime.

Cleaning and maintenance

As with any part within your machinery, regular maintenance is key. Maintenance and servicing will help you identify issues before they escalate and will involve cleaning your fuel injectors, ideally on an annual basis.

Changing your fuel filters can also help improve the efficiency of your fuel injectors and improve their lifespan, as filters prevent dirt and debris entering and blocking the fuel system. This prevents your fuel injectors from clogging (you can read more about preventing fuel injector malfunction in our article here).

To clean your fuel injectors, you’ll need to:

1. Remove the fuel tank cap
2. Remove the fuel pump fuse to disconnect the fuel pump
3. Connect the fuelling system’s output hose to the cleaning kit (check kit for specific instructions)
4. Start the engine and let it run. This should take approximately 15 minutes.

You can read the full guide to cleaning your fuel injectors here.

If cleaning doesn’t solve the issues you’re experiencing, fuel injector replacement is likely the next step.

What are the signs that fuel injector replacement might be needed?

There are some tell-tale symptoms that often indicate that fuel injector replacement is needed (especially if cleaning them doesn’t resolve the issue):

• A loss of your machinery’s power
• Poor fuel efficiency and higher consumption of fuel per hour of use
• Engine misfire and stalling or hesitating
• Excessive exhaust smoke and fuel smell

The key to keeping your fuel injectors healthy is regular inspection and cleaning annually, as well as ensuring that the diesel you’re using is of a good quality (check out our tips on preventing diesel contamination here). This will greatly reduce the likelihood of clogging within your fuel system and will prolong the life of your fuel injectors, before fuel injector replacement is needed.

Since 1995, we’ve continued to supply high quality replacement parts to diesel machinery at Jaytrac, including fuel injectors for Komatsu, Caterpillar and Cummins machinery.

To find out more, get in touch with us today by calling us on 01604 491 133 or emailing us at sales@jaytrac.co.uk. Alternatively, use our online enquiry form and send us details of which part you’re looking for, and a member of our friendly team will get back to you.