How to Know when Fuel Injectors need Reconditioning
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 2,514
Likes: 1,166
From: Northern Wisconsin
How to Know when Fuel Injectors need Reconditioning
I would like to know if there is some kind of guide that indicates when it is time to recondition the fuel injectors or replace them altogether. If you have symptoms of rough running, that could be caused by several things, like vacuum leaks, failing ignition coil, etc. If the spray pattern of the fuel injectors is getting bad, that could cause rough running as well, but you can't see the spray pattern. So, how do you know that it is time to recondition or replace them?
A few years ago I installed new Bosch fuel injectors in my LS7. As far as I knew the engine still had the original fuel injectors in it. I didn't mind buying new injectors due to time and mileage just to rule that out as I worked to make that engine run as well as possible, but there must be some way of knowing that it is time to recondition or replace the fuel injectors without removing them and having them flow tested.
A few years ago I installed new Bosch fuel injectors in my LS7. As far as I knew the engine still had the original fuel injectors in it. I didn't mind buying new injectors due to time and mileage just to rule that out as I worked to make that engine run as well as possible, but there must be some way of knowing that it is time to recondition or replace the fuel injectors without removing them and having them flow tested.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 723
Likes: 398
From: WI
Typically you would never need to replace or recondition injectors. I would only start looking at them if I was having problems. For peace of mind you can occasionally put some injector cleaner in your fuel tank, but no need to pull injectors if the engine runs well.
Moderator, Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 15,613
Likes: 4,061
From: Cape Coral, Florida
I would like to know if there is some kind of guide that indicates when it is time to recondition the fuel injectors or replace them altogether. If you have symptoms of rough running, that could be caused by several things, like vacuum leaks, failing ignition coil, etc. If the spray pattern of the fuel injectors is getting bad, that could cause rough running as well, but you can't see the spray pattern. So, how do you know that it is time to recondition or replace them?
A few years ago I installed new Bosch fuel injectors in my LS7. As far as I knew the engine still had the original fuel injectors in it. I didn't mind buying new injectors due to time and mileage just to rule that out as I worked to make that engine run as well as possible, but there must be some way of knowing that it is time to recondition or replace the fuel injectors without removing them and having them flow tested.
A few years ago I installed new Bosch fuel injectors in my LS7. As far as I knew the engine still had the original fuel injectors in it. I didn't mind buying new injectors due to time and mileage just to rule that out as I worked to make that engine run as well as possible, but there must be some way of knowing that it is time to recondition or replace the fuel injectors without removing them and having them flow tested.
Doing a "Fuel Injector Balance Test" with a factory level scan tool can tell you if the injector may be clogged but it the spray pattern were also bad that would not be good either...you can still have good flow but a bad spray pattern...if you are guessing it's an injector issue you would need to remove them ...what do your other data PIDS look like ??...O2 sensors, MAP, MAF, ECT, Fuel Trims, IAT...these are the basic PIDS I look at with a rough running engine....WHERE did you buy these Bosch injectors ??...hope not Amazon or EBay !!
Last edited by C5 Diag; Today at 01:47 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 2,514
Likes: 1,166
From: Northern Wisconsin
Doing a "Fuel Injector Balance Test" with a factory level scan tool can tell you if the injector may be clogged but it the spray pattern were also bad that would not be good either...you can still have good flow but a bad spray pattern...if you are guessing it's an injector issue you would need to remove them ...what do your other data PIDS look like ??...O2 sensors, MAP, MAF, ECT, Fuel Trims, IAT...these are the basic PIDS I look at with a rough running engine....WHERE did you buy these Bosch injectors ??...hope not Amazon or EBay !!
Moderator, Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 15,613
Likes: 4,061
From: Cape Coral, Florida
C5 Diag, thanks for the response, but I think you misunderstood me a bit. I am not having any problems with my engine at this time. It runs great. The Bosch fuel injectors that I got from Rock Auto are awesome. I was merely trying to understand how a person would know if his fuel injectors are going bad without removing them and sending them somewhere for analysis.
Oh, OK, an injector balance test and ohm testing would be the only 2 tests that can be done without removal.
