Most vehicles from the 1980s are equipped with advanced electronic injection engines (which replace the carburettor). An integral part of this system is the injection valve. While you may never have a problem with your injectors (especially if you regularly use an injector cleaner), they sometimes foul, clog or fall completely and need to be replaced.

The following are the most common symptoms of a bad injector:


1.
Rough idle or engine stall

Since your vehicle does not have enough fuel
or uneven fuel supply, the idle speed drops below the optimal value, resulting in a rough or even heavy idle. If the RPM is too low, the car will actually stop and you will have to restart.

2.
Engine vibrates

A defective injector causes the corresponding cylinder not to ignite. This means that the engine vibrates or swallows while driving, after trying to complete each cycle without fuel.

3.
Engine misfire

If the engine does not get enough fuel sprayed into due to a clogged injector, then the engine will misfire as you drive. Your vehicle will struggle to accelerate or there will be a pause after you step on the gas pedal.

In any case, you should immediately take care of the problem, otherwise the engine will be overheated or exposed to other problems that occur when the correct air / fuel mixture is disturbed.

4.
Check if the engine light is on

The most obvious sign of a problem is that the Check Engine light on your dashboard is on. Although this could mean a lot of things, a bad fuel injector could be one of them.

Each time an injector delivers less fuel than needed (or more in some cases), the efficiency of the engine is reduced. If you have an OBD2 scanner you can confirm the problem.

5
Fuel leak

If your injector is actually broken or cracked due to damage or aging, gasoline will leak. This means that the fuel can not get into the nozzle, but exits the body.

When you check the fuel injector, you will notice that gas is outside or near the fuel rail. Often the leak comes from the gasket of the fuel injector, which worsens over time.

6.
Smell of fuel

This is associated with a fuel leak, but if you have gasoline that is not burned due to a damaged injector or that remains open, you smell gasoline. Sometimes the problem is with the fuel lines or a faulty sensor that prompts the controller to inject more fuel than necessary.

In any case, you must find the cause of the gas odour and fix it immediately before it becomes a major security risk.

7.
Engine Surge

If the fuel injector injects too much fuel into the engine cylinder, it will cause a motor shock, which will make your acceleration much slower. When you drive, you will notice that the engine speed changes noticeably under constant load instead of staying at a constant speed.

8.
Bad fuel consumption

If the engine does not get the right amount of fuel it needs for combustion, the injector will be more stressed to provide it with extra fuel. However, this results in poor fuel economy due to the fuel surplus that the vehicle's controller considers necessary but not deemed necessary.

9.
Failed emissions test

Since a defective or leaking fuel injector can cause uneven or incomplete fuel combustion, increased emissions are the result. In some cases, a leak at the injector may cause the air / fuel mixture to be so rich that the catalyst eventually burns out.
Source:
http://www.eliancars.com/2019/09/9-typical-signals-of-faulty-fuel.html#more
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