Pulsation Damper

Fuel System
Diagnosis
Fuel System Requirements
 The fuel system must be able to
maintain a consistent supply of fuel to
the engine
 If the engine is receiving either more or
less fuel than required, engine
performance will suffer
Air/Fuel Ratio
 The stoichiometric air/fuel ratio is
14.7:1
 A higher ratio (meaning more air or less
fuel) is considered a lean condition
 A lower ratio (meaning less air or more
fuel) is considered a rich condition
Possible Causes of a Lean
Condition (Carbureted)
 Low fuel pressure/volume
 Weak fuel pump
 Blocked fuel filter
 Pinched fuel line
 Faulty fuel pressure regulator (if used)

 Improper jets
 Improper float level
 Dirty fuel circuits within the carburetor
Possible Causes of a Lean
Condition (Fuel Injection)
 Low fuel pressure/volume
 Weak fuel pump
 Blocked fuel filter
 Pinched fuel line
 Faulty fuel pressure regulator
 ECM improperly controlling fuel due to:
 Faulty oxygen sensor (O2)
 Faulty mass airflow sensor (MAF)
 Faulty manifold absolute pressure sensor (MAP)
 Faulty throttle position sensor (TPS)
 Faulty engine temperature sensor (ECT, CTS)
 Faulty intake air temperature sensor (IAT)
 Faulty fuel injector
 Dirty
 Electrically faulty
Possible Causes of a Rich
Condition (Carbureted)
 High fuel pressure/volume
 Faulty fuel pressure regulator (if used)
 Improper pump
 Blocked air bleeds
 High float level
 Improper jets
 Faulty or misadjusted choke
 Leaking gasket
 Leaking main well plugs (Quadrajet)
Possible Causes of a Rich
Condition (Fuel Injection)
 High fuel pressure/volume
 Pinched return fuel line
 Faulty fuel pressure regulator
 ECM improperly controlling fuel due to:
 Faulty oxygen sensor (O2)
 Faulty mass airflow sensor (MAF)
 Faulty manifold absolute pressure sensor (MAP)
 Faulty throttle position sensor (TPS)
 Faulty engine temperature sensor (ECT, CTS)
 Faulty intake air temperature sensor (IAT)
 Faulty fuel injector
 Pintle leaking
 Mechanically faulty
Testing
 Fuel pressure test
 Checks fuel pump for proper pressure
 Checks fuel pressure regulator for proper operation
 Fuel volume test
 Checks fuel pump, lines, filter ,etc. For proper flow
rate
 Even if there is proper pressure at idle, at WOT
there may be enough restriction due to a clogged
filter etc. To cause a drop in pressure
 Injector balance test
Fuel Pressure Test
 Relieve fuel pressure
 Pull fuel pump fuse and crank
 Replace fuse
 Hook the fuel pressure gauge up to the pressure
line of the fuel system (use a rag to catch any fuel
spillage)
 Tee into the line
 Attach gauge to the Schrader valve
 Look up testing procedures for particular vehicle
 Key on test
 Regulator test
Fuel Pressure Test (General
Specs)
Injection System Pressure Spec
GM TBI 9-13 PSI
GM PFI 40-47 PSI
GM SFI 60-66 PSI
Ford EFI 35-45 PSI
Chrysler EFI 43-53 PSI
Jeep MFI 39-41 PSI
Jeep SFI 45-55 PSI
BMW 49-58 PSI
Honda/Acura 38-48 PSI
Fuel Volume Test
 Using the fuel pressure gauge, open the
bleed valve while the engine is idling
 Measure the amount of fuel that is
pumped through, and the amount of
time it took to flow
 Compare to manufacturer’s specs
 1 pint in 30 seconds (rule of thumb)
Injector Balance Test
 Used to compare the flow rates of each injector
 Hook fuel pressure gauge and cycle the ignition key
to energize fuel pump
 Record the pressure
 Cycle one injector and record the amount of
pressure drop
 Cycle the key to restore full pressure to the system
 Repeat for each injector
 Injectors should not deviate more than 1.5 PSI from
the average drop
ECM Controls
 On fuel injected and feedback
carbureted systems, the ECM (engine
control module) controls fuel delivery
 The ECM uses various inputs to
determine the amount of fuel that
should be delivered
Engine Performance ECM
Inputs (Sensors)
 Crankshaft position sensor (RPM)
 Oxygen sensor (O2)
 MAP sensor
 MAF sensor
 CTS
 IAT sensor
 TPS
Crankshaft Position Sensor
(CKP)
 Lets the ECM know how many rpm’s the engine is
running at
 Lets the ECM know when a piston is at TDC (SEFI)
 May be located
 In the block
 Reluctor on crankshaft
 In the distributor
 On the rear of the block
 Flywheel/flexplate is the reluctor (Dodge)
 On the front of the block
 Reluctor on the harmonic balancer
 Separate reluctor
CKP
MAP sensor (Manifold
Absolute Pressure)
 Lets the ECM know what current
manifold pressure (vacuum) is
 Uses a strain gauge to produce a
signal which the ECM can interpret as
manifold vacuum
Oxygen Sensor (O2)
 Compares the amount of oxygen in the
exhaust to the amount of oxygen in the
atmosphere
 Produces its own voltage
 The greater the difference in oxygen between
the two, the more voltage is produced (0
volts – 1 volt)
 ECM uses this signal as a rich/lean indicator
Oxygen Sensor (O2)
Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)
 Lets the ECM know how much the
throttle is being depressed
 Generally located on throttle body
 May be located on the accelerator pedal
and the throttle indirectly operated by
the ECM (Corvette and 6.5L turbo
diesel)
 Potentiometer
Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)
Coolant Temperature Sensor
(CTS, ECT)
 Lets the ECM know the current engine
coolant temperature
 Located in the head, intake, or
thermostat housing
Coolant Temperature Sensor
(CTS, ECT)
Intake Air Temperature
Sensor (IAT)
 Lets the ECM know what temperature
the incoming air is
 Located in the throttle body, air cleaner,
or intake manifold
Intake Air Temperature
Sensor (IAT)
Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF)
 Used to tell the computer the mass of the air entering the
engine per revolution.
 A heated wire is suspended in the incoming airstream,
and the sensor monitors how much amperage is needed
to maintain the temperature of the wire.
 The more airflow (mass), the faster the wire is cooled,
which requires more amperage to be passes through the
wire to maintain the temperature.
 The circuitry of the sensor calculates the airflow from this
required amperage and sends a signal to the ECM telling
it how much air is entering the engine.
 Various styles of mass airflow sensors are used.
Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF)
ECM Controls
 To determine the amount of fuel
required, the ECM needs to know how
much air is entering the engine
 Two methods for measuring airflow
 Speed-Density
 Mass Airflow
Speed-Density
 The ECM receives input from
 MAP (engine vacuum)
 TPS (throttle position)

 CTS (coolant temperature)

 IAT (air temperature)

 O2 (rich/lean indicator)

 CKP (engine RPM)

IAT

Injectors
Mass Airflow
 Based on the airflow data received from
the MAF engine operating temperature,
throttle position, and rich/lean
indications from the O2 are used to
calculate/adjust the required amount of
fuel
 O2 CTS TPS
Mass Airflow
CKP

ECM Airflow ECM

Injectors