Addis college

Department of Automotive Technology

Mechanical problems on the fuel system

i) Some problems with the carburetor

 Dirt in carburetor jets
 Worn or inoperative accelerating pump
 Needle valve not operating
 Damaged or clogged main metering jet
 Defective gasket in carburetor
 Defective idle adjustment screw

ii) Some problems with the fuel pump

 Condition of inlet valve, outlet valve

 Condition of oil seal
 Diaphragm may be punctured
 Insufficient tension of rocker arm spring

iii) Some problems with the fuel line

 Condition of flexible hoses and fuel pipes

 Leakage at the joints and on the fuel line
 Clogged fuel filter
Carburetor troubles
1- Excessive fuel consumption
2- A slow engine
3- Poor idling
4- Failure of the engine to start
5- Hard starting of a warm engine
6- Slow engine warm-up
7- A backfiring engine

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 Addis college
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Fuel System Testing and Correcting
Troubleshooting a carburetor
1. Check whether there is fuel in the primary barrel (venturi )
2. Check whether there is fuel within the float chamber.
3. If there is no fuel within the float chamber, then check the condition needle valve assembly and the float.
4. Check the condition of the carburetor for Idle and low speed circuit, Part load circuit, Power circuit,
Acceleration pump circuit.

Idle mixture and Idle speed adjustment

1. Bring the engine to operation temperature.

(How, if it doesn't run at idle? …………………………………………….. )

2. Stop the engine

3. Identify the idle mixture and the idle speed adjusting screws.

4. Close the idle mixture adjusting screw completely (do not use force!).

5. Re-open the idle mixture adjusting screw 2 ½ - 3 rotations.

6. Close the throttle completely using the idle speed adjusting screw.

7. Re-open the throttle by 2 ½ - 3 rotations.

8. Start the engine.

9. Bring the engine to its operation temperature.

10. Connect the tachometer according to the manual.

11. Close the idle mixture adjusting screw until the engine RPM begins to drop.

12. Re-open the idle mixture control screw until the increment of the engine RPM just stops.

13. By using the idle speed adjusting screw, adjust the idle speed to the given specification (i.e. 800 rpm)

14. Raise the speed again by some RPM above the specification (i.e. to 850 rpm).

15. Close the mixture adjusting screw until the engine RPM reaches again its specification (i.e. 800 rpm)

Most problems with the fuel system are mechanical problems, but some cases of trouble involve problems
caused by the fuel itself.

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 Addis college
Department of Automotive Technology
Fuel Systems Diagnostics

 Visually inspect the fuel system components for bent or kinked hoses and pipes, damaged
electrical connectors, and dented or collapsed fuel tank which may be preventing the fuel pump
module from operating properly.
 One of the easiest ways to determine if the lack of fuel may be the cause of a non-starting engine
is to spray some spray carburetor cleaner directly into the throttle while the engine is being
cranked. If the engine starts, runs a few seconds and dies, it has spark and compression but is
not getting any fuel.

Diesel troubleshooting

Low engine compression will result in insufficient heat being generated to ignite the fuel and
cause hard starting. This is more of a problem with older or high mileage vehicles.
 To find out the compression perform a cold engine compression test. Compression should be
between 20 to 35 bars or 300 to 500 PSI. Anything below this will cause starting problems.
Low fuel pressure it is in this area that most fuel supply problems occur.
 The problem could either be poor fuel supply to the rail/injectors/pump or the rail/injectors are
not holding the fuel within the system.
 The best way to diagnose this is to start from the tank and ensure that sufficient fuel is available
to the pump. Then make sure that the pump is delivering fuel.
 Loosen the supply pipe from the pump to the rail. Check fuel delivery. This is an important part
of the diagnostics.
Glow plugs or relay faulty the engine relies on the glow plugs to generate heat to help with the
combustion cycle. Problems in this area will cause diesel engine starting problems, uneven
running and white smoke when the engine is cold.
Faulty diesel injector(s) probably the biggest result of injector failure is due to the injectors
having excessive return flow or back leakage.
 This is due to worn parts which allow excessive fuel to go through the diesel injector and to
return back to the tank or fuel system. This causes a drop in rail pressure which results in hard
starting or not starting at all.
 Another problem resulting from worn parts is a delay in the start of injection which in turn
results in rough running at low RPM or your diesel not starting.
Faulty high pressure pump if the pump is faulty there will be a "Low fuel pressure" problem.
This problem arises if the pump "breaks up" internally causing sward and iron filings to get into
the fuel system. Normally this causes damage to the diesel injectors and unless the complete
fuel system is attended to the problem will arise again. This is an expensive failure and no short
cuts can be taken.

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 Addis college
Department of Automotive Technology
INJECTOR SERVICE
 Injector service varies, depending on the particular make and model. All removal, disassembly,
inspection, overhaul, reassembly, testing, adjusting, and installation procedures for any given
make and model should be followed as recommended in the appropriate manufacturer's shop
service manual.
 It is critical to good engine performance that injectors for any engine are of the same type and
size. Never mix mated and lapped injector parts.
 Some injectors are not repairable and .must be replaced if defective. Others can be overhauled
and adjusted. While many service shops are equipped to provide injector rebuilding, other shops
rely on replacing injectors with rebuilt or new injectors.
 The following service procedures apply in general to most injector~ for automotive applications.
 In addition, the appropriate service manual must be used for all special procedures and all service
data.

General Procedure for Injector Service:

1. Clean the area around the injectors before removal to prevent dirt and other foreign matter
from entering the fuel system.
2. Disconnect all fuel lines from injectors. Cap all openings.
3. Remove the injector. Follow service manual procedures.
4. If the problem diagnosis procedure has established that an engine compression test is
required, this should be done when the injectors are removed. Record the results of the
compression test. If an engine compression problem is indicated, repair the engine as necessary.
5. Disassemble and clean the injectors according to the appropriate manufacturer's service
manual. Do not mix parts from one injector with those of another injector. .
6. Clean and inspect carefully all injector parts and compare wear and damage to service limits
indicated in the appropriate manufacturer's service manual.
INJECTION NOZZLE
Injection nozzles should not be removed unless there-is evidence that they require servicing or
replacement. Usual indications of trouble include:
 One or more cylinders knocking
 Loss of power
 Smoky black exhaust
 Engine overheating
 Excessive fuel consumption

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 Addis college
Department of Automotive Technology
Testing Injector Nozzle
Before disassembling an injector an important step is to test it. The injector is connected to the pressure
line of the injector tester, figure and tightened after the air is removed.

Figure Injector nozzle tester.

Perform the testes in the Following order:-

a. Opening pressure test

b. Leakage or valve-seat test
c. Back leakage test
d. Spray pattern test

Adjusting injection nozzle Opening Pressure

Testing Procedure:

Figure: Opening pressure test.

a. Open the pressure gauge isolator after bleeding the system,

b. Operate the lever of the tester slowly until injection occurs.

c. Observe the pressure gauge and note highest reading just before injection pressure begins to drop.

d. Compare the recorded opening pressure reading with manufacturer's specification. If the actual
pressure varies from the standard, the pre-tension of the pressure spring has to be adjusted. This is

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Department of Automotive Technology
done by the adjustment screw provided, or by adjusting shims of various sizes. Adjusting Shims are
usually available in sizes from 1.0 - 3.0mm thickness and in steps of 0.05mm.

Note

If New Injection Nozzles has to be installed, adjust the opening pressure 5.0 to 10.0 bar above the
specified pressure in order to compensate a pressure drop caused by the short break-in period of the
needle valve.

Checking injection nozzle Leakage or Valve-Seat

Testing Procedure:

a. Open the pressure gauge isolator and wipe injector tip dry, figure

b. Depress the operating level of the tester slowly until the gauge indicates a pressure of about 10 to
20 bar below the before- measured opening pressure.

c. Maintain this pressure for 10 seconds and observe the injector tip.

Figure: Leakage or valve-seat test

Results

If no fuel drop occurs during this time, the needle-valve seat is in good condition. If there is any evidence
of fuel at the tip, the needle-valve seat is defective. The nozzle assembly should be replaced or
overhauled.

Checking injection nozzle back Leakage Test

After the leakage or valve-seat test, some manufacturers recommend to perform a back leakage test.

Testing Procedure:

a. Open the pressure gauge isolator on the tester.

b. Slowly depress the operating lever until stated pressure is shown on gauge.

c. Release the operating lever and note the time taken for pressure to fall.

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 Addis college
Department of Automotive Technology
The time for the pressure drop can be influenced by: -

1. The fuel temperature

2. The viscosity of the test fluid used
3. The length of the pressure line used.
Results

Generally, a pressure drop from 150 to 100 bar (P  50 bar) within a time not less than 6 seconds (T6
second), using shelf fluid “C” and maintaining a test temperature approximately 10 0 up to 200c indicates a
satisfactory injector.

A higher pressure drops than specified can be caused by: -

a. Loose fuel pipe connections

b. High temperatures, causing thinning of the test oil
c. Loose nozzle cap or nozzle holder retaining nut.
d. Dirty or damaged sealing surfaces of nozzle and/or nozzle holder, which allows fuel to escape.

Checking injection nozzle Spray Pattern

Testing Procedure:

a. Close the pressure gauge isolator on the tester.

b. Move the opening lever at about 1 strokes/second and observe the spray jet. A nozzle in
good condition shows a thin and even cone-shaped jet of spray without distortion and fine
atomized fuel.
c. After this, gradually increase the lever movement to about 2 strokes per second.

Figure: Spray Pattern Test Results

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