The fuel injector in your BMW plays an important role in ensuring that you enjoy the excellent performance. This small component works alongside the other engine components to deliver a good driving experience until something malfunctions. If the fuel injector develops problems, it can impact your BMW in various ways. Let’s dig in deeper to understand how the fuel injector works and the causes and effects of having problems with this component.
Beginner 101: The Fuel Injector
The fuel injector is the component in the engine that is responsible for the delivery of fuel into the intake manifold at a specific angle and in a timely manner for combustion to occur. This powers your car forward.
The fuel injector, along with other engine components, ensures that just the right amount of fuel is delivered into the combustion chamber to mix with the air for proper combustion to happen. This means that the fuel injector needs to be accurate about the amount of fuel it allows into the combustion chamber for the engine to perform as designed by BMW.
Some Common Causes of Fuel Injector Problems
The main culprit with a fuel injector is usually clogged or dirty filters. This happens when debris, including dust or road debris, finds its way into the fuel filter. Over time, this dirt builds up, hampering the smooth flow of fuel into the fuel injector. This is the main reason why you should get your BMW on a regular servicing schedule to ensure that filters remain clean all the time. Regular servicing will also ensure that your constant oil changes. This will help keep at bay the wear and tear that happens when dirty oil is used to lubricate parts.
Another possible reason for failure is using the wrong type of oil. This can also cause fuel injector failure. There are premium, manufacturer-recommended oils for high-performance brands like the BMW. The manufacturer-recommended oils will ensure that your engine parts get sufficient lubrication so they don’t break down and cause surprising issues before normal atrophy.
Recognizable Signs of Fuel Injector Failure
When the fuel injector in your BMW fails, there are some signs that will start to show, pointing to the problem. Among these signs is that your engine will hesitate to start. This is simply because the fuel injector won’t be able to get any fuel into the intake manifold to combine with oxygen for combustion.
Your engine may also have trouble picking up speed. For a car to accelerate, it needs to burn more fuel. If the fuel injector is unable to deliver the extra fuel needed to accelerate into the combustion chamber, then your car won’t pick up speed.
You may also notice your BMW’s engine stumbling after accelerating or even misfiring at times. This is often as a result of the fuel injector being inconsistent in its delivery of fuel to mix with oxygen at the right ratio in the combustion chamber. Your engine may also rev up to high RMPs before changing gears. This will be evident from the movement of the needles on your car’s dashboard.
In addition, you may also notice some rough idling especially when sitting in traffic. This is often characterized by sputtering or shaking and varying RPMs, even if you’re not engaging the gas pedal. Rough idling is often followed by engine stalling, so you should act fast to fix the problem before the worst happens.
Poor fuel efficiency is yet another sign of fuel injector failure. This occurs when the fuel injector directs too much or too little fuel into the combustion chamber. This causes the engine to adjust in an attempt to maintain performance. As a result, you’ll end up using more fuel to cover your usual distances.
Your engine burning too much fuel can also lead to excessive carbon emissions, causing your car to fail carbon emission tests.
Motor Cars International: Your BMW Experts
If you suspect that your BMW is having fuel 
injector problems, your next course of action should be to get it to a BMW specialist with the experience, technology, and equipment to diagnose and fix the problem quickly. Our mechanics at Motor Cars International are your BMW specialists. If you are in and around Easton, Norton, Ragnham, Sharon, or Bridgewater, MA, call or visit us today for BMW repairs you can trust.