Back in the good ol' days, cars used a carburetor to get gas to the engine. But soon the ingenious invention of the fuel injection system was invented. A fuel injection system can precisely "shoot" the right amount of fuel into your engine, which will produce fewer emissions and give you better gas mileage. It's a win-win situation all around!
How Does It All Work?
Well in order to buy all these parts and accessories, you have to know how this system works and understand each component's role.
* First and foremost are the fuel injectors. A fuel injector is an electronically controlled valve and can open and close several times per second.
* Within the injector, a plunger opens the valve and allows fuel to squirt out.
* The injectors are located on the intake manifold and spray fuel into the intake valves. A fuel rail supplies fuel to the injectors.
* The fuel injector gets pressurized fuel from the fuel pump. The fuel pressure is regulated by the pressure regulator.
* The amount of fuel that the injector pumps into the engine is determined by sensors.
** The oxygen sensor monitors how much oxygen is in the exhaust.
** The throttle position sensor watches the position of the throttle valve. The throttle valve determines how much air goes into the engine.
** The coolant temperature sensor tells the engine control unit (ECU) when the engine has reached the right temperature.
** The engine speed sensor simply monitors the speed of the engine.
Other Parts
The section above dealt with some of the main parts of your system and a general overview of how your system works. Let's take a little time to discuss some of the more nitty gritty parts.
* An air flow meter is used to determine how much air goes into the engine.
* After gas is pumped from the fuel tank, it goes through the fuel distributor before reaching the fuel injectors.
** O-rings on the distributor prevent oil from leaking into the engine. If they are damaged, oil will leak everywhere and make quite a mess.
* The idle air control valve allows air to pass through the throttle plate, which regulates the engine's idle speed (this is when your car is on but not moving).
* Fuel filters will prevent your fuel injectors from becoming clogged. These are important for keeping your fuel system working properly.
