Although fuel injectors are designed to last as long as a vehicle does, it is not impossible for one to fail. If you want to test your fuel injectors yourself, you will need to gather some tools first. Keep reading to find out which ones some readers recommend.
Earplugs, Battery Gauge, and Multimeter
To test for possible damage to the fuel injectors, you'll need a good pair of earplugs, a battery gauge, and a multimeter.
First, plug in your multimeter to the positive battery terminal. Next, turn the engine on and plug in your earplugs. When the meter reads 0 volts, you're all set to begin testing.
Earplugs are necessary because they're capable of blocking out some of the pressure from the earbuds so you can hear the meter's readings more clearly. The gauge is necessary because it can be used to measure voltage.
Finally, the multimeter is essential because it can be used to detect any changes in voltage or current as a result of test results being detected.
If all goes well and your meter detects no changes in voltage or current, you have test results. If any changes occur, you'll need to go back and try again.
Use a Scan Tool
You can use a scan tool and vehicle support for a fuel injector balance test. If the misfire is high on one suspected cylinder and the fuel trim shows funky numbers +/- 10 %, then a bad fuel injector may be your issue.
Another way is to use an oscilloscope. You must connect the oscilloscope to the fuel injector's control wire or terminal. When the injector is energized, it should produce a square wave signal on the oscilloscope.
The frequency of this signal will depend on the pulse width of the injector control signal, which is controlled by the engine's fuel injection system. By measuring the frequency and duty cycle of the signal, you can determine if the injector is functioning properly.
Test Fixture and Clamp
If you’re testing fuel injectors for possible damage, you need to have access to a test fixture with the correct size injectors and the appropriate fittings. You also need to have a clamp that can hold the injector in place while you attach the test fixture to it. If you don’t have all these pieces in place, you won’t be able to test the injectors.
Start by removing the old injectors. Then, connect a test fixture to the matching injection fitting and attach it to the clamp. Turn on your engine and watch as the test fixture forces air into the injector. If it’s not seated correctly, you’ll know that there’s damage inside it.
Once you know that there’s no damage inside an injector, you can install new ones and continue testing them until they all work correctly.
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors' statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.
