Diesel fuel injectors generally have a shorter lifespan than their predecessors, meaning they need to be replaced more frequently for optimal performance. The life expectancy of a good quality diesel fuel injector is around 150,000 kilometres. They should be checked out by a professional at around this time.
How Often Should Injectors Be Replaced? On average, diesel fuel injectors should be replaced every 95,000 miles. Of course, several factors go into play such as operating conditions, the load being put on the engine, and the quality of fuel used.
It occurs when the injector doesn't seal against the injector seat in the cylinder head. Often, a chuffing sound is heard, or black “tar” can be seen around the injectors. The engine could also experience one or more of the above symptoms.
"Fuel injectors have an atomizing nozzle that distributes fuel evenly for optimal combustion and efficiency." Now, a vehicle will typically have one fuel injector per cylinder, with a lifespan of between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, or about 80,000 and 160,000 kilometers.
Poor fuel quality is a major reason why fuel injectors go bad. According to our experts, “fuel injectors will fail when debris (water, dirt particles, etc.) or rust find their way into the system and, after time, scour valve sets, clog nozzles, or even cause the nozzle needle to stick.”
Some car owners have reported increased power after using their injector cleaner. They have reported that they recovered up to 40% of the horsepower of their engine back by applying top-of-the-range diesel fuel injector cleaner.
Injector Replacement or Injector Cleaning? Fuel injectors should be cleaned at least once every 36 months, or 45,000 miles. Replacing weak or worn-out engine parts without improving performance is not a good idea in general. However, cleaning out dirty injectors may gain a different perspective on engine health.
Replacement Schedule for Fuel Injectors
The Injectors ought to be replaced every 50-100,000 miles, in normal conditions. That is according to some published studies, but the true replacement interval may be very different, based on several factors.
White smoke coming from the exhaust usually points to one point of failure: the injectors. Usually, white smoke indicates that the diesel fuel is not burning correctly. Unburned diesel fuel will make its way through the exhaust completely unused. Be careful of white smoke as it will irritate your eyes and skin.
Contaminated fuel can deteriorate and corrode the metal surfaces in injectors, with a higher likelihood after prolonged use of contaminated fuel.
There have been reports that dirty diesel can have such an adverse effect that it can damage injectors or actually destroy an engine, costing the owner thousands of dollars.
 Your diesel specialist will be able to install your new parts quickly and efficiently all at once, rather than charging you in pieces for single installations. Replacing one does not save effort. Any diesel vehicle professional will not be inconvenienced by having to install a set of injectors.
If your fuel injectors are really clogged, they could use a heavy cleaning. This can be done with an injector cleaning kit. There are a variety of products out there, and you might need to ask your mechanic for some advice. Make sure the kit you use is designed for diesel injectors.
Getting your fuel injectors replaced is part of maintaining your vehicle. The cost of a replacement includes parts and labor. The labor can cost between $200 and $300, while the cost of the parts will vary from $150 to $600.
Common causes of injector failure
While many things can cause breakdowns, the most likely cause of premature failure is fuel contamination. Fuel contamination occurs when debris in the fuel gets past the filtration, destroying the sealing surfaces. Think microns, smaller than a human's hair-sized, clearances.
Multiple injectors are likely affected: In most cases (especially when contamination is involved) when one diesel injector goes out, the remaining injectors usually aren't far behind. If, when diagnosing your injectors, you discover multiple injectors are damaged, it's best to replace the entire set.
Although there are many products such as injection cleaning additives that claim it can clean or unclog a clogged fuel injector while it is in the engine, they cannot. For any of these products to work they actually have to get inside the injector.
Engine knock results from the miss-timing of the combustion process between the injector firing and piston movement, resulting in a knocking sound from the engine. This symptom indicates that more components than just the injector are now involved.
One of the obvious symptoms of a clogged fuel injector is the lighting up of the "Check Engine" light in your dashboard. The fault codes usually associated with a clogged fuel injector can range from misfire codes to lean codes.