In operation, every day there are more and more machines equipped with an injector. The effectiveness of use has been proven by many years of experience. The dynamic performance of the car increases, the "appetite" decreases, and the environmental friendliness of vehicles improves. But sometimes even for such systems there come moments when it fills the candles on the injector. It cannot be argued that all drivers are faced with this, but many are aware of the trouble.
Such parts cannot produce a full-fledged ignition spark of the air-fuel mixture.
Carburetor models are susceptible to this phenomenon much more often, since the culprit may be the carburetor in which the adjustments are violated. In injection motors, the processes are controlled by an electronic control unit; it does not require driver intervention during the operation of the machine. The question arises why the injector candles are flooded. There may be several reasons, they do not differ from those that are characteristic of carburetor models of engines.
Drivers and mechanics of auto centers note that problems begin to manifest themselves with the onset of cold weather. When preparing the car, carefully prepare the battery, ignition system, fuel supply system for winter, fill with appropriate engine oil. In many cases, this will save you from such troubles.
When the engine crankshaft is cranked with a starter, the "brains" of the car send control impulses to the fuel system, the ignition system and other blocks receive them. To ignite the air-fuel mixture, it must be compressed in the cylinder, this happens when the piston moves in the engine cylinders. On new engines, there are no problems, the mixture is compressed, it is easily ignited by the spark of the spark plug. After long-term operation, the piston rings and cylinder bore gradually wear out, which reduces the compression ratio in the cylinders.
In cold weather, the electronics during engine start gives an indication of an increase in the volume of fuel in the working mixture. The fuel delivery system and injectors are following commands, which can lead to flooding of the spark plugs.
What other reasons could there be? The culprit may well be a poorly charged battery that does not provide the required crankshaft rotation efficiency. If there is an opportunity to recharge the battery or "light" from another car, the problem will be solved. The rotation of the shaft is impeded by engine oil, the viscosity of which does not correspond to the season. The ignition system gives an impulse to the spark plugs, the starter rotates slowly, so no ignition occurs.
You should pay attention to the quality of the fuel used, not at all car filling stations it meets the required standards. The operating instructions for the car prescribe to fill 95 gasoline into the tank, it is better to do so. Low octane fuel may be acceptable during summer, but volatility is worse during winter. On engines with reduced compression, this can cause flooding of the spark plugs.
To summarize the reasons for filling candles, they will be as follows:
- Weakly charged rechargeable battery;
- Low quality of the used gasoline;
- Wear of the piston group of the motor;
- The condition of the candles;
- Correct operation of the injectors.
How to solve the problem
If the power unit did not start up the first time, the instruction recommends that you make a "purge" of the engine. To do this, with the gas pedal fully pressed, the engine is cranked with the starter for about 10-15 seconds. If this does not help, you will have to unscrew the candles and dry them.
When the candles are turned out, the cylinders should be blown out. On injection engines, it is advisable to exclude the supply of gasoline to the fuel rail; for this, it is enough to remove the fuel pump fuse. You can dry candles in different ways, there can be mechanical, manual or chemical methods for cleaning candles. There is no point in recommending any of them, since if this happened far from the garage, it will not work to warm it up on a gas stove.
Experienced drivers in vehicles with solid mileage have a spare set of spark plugs to replace at the right time. If the problem recurs at a constant frequency, the engine systems should be diagnosed. Candles for the quality of the reproduced spark, the coil for the high voltage value, injectors for the quality of fuel atomization.
What is being done to eliminate this
The most important thing in this case is to ensure the proper technical condition of the motor systems. First of all, pay attention to the condition of the battery. Topping up with distilled water doesn't end there. It should be charged and the state of charge checked regularly. For areas with low temperatures in winter, the use of insulating battery covers is recommended. They can be purchased from auto stores or you can make your own. In very severe frosts, it is best to remove the battery from the car and bring it into a warm room.
The starter must be in perfect condition. If there are problems in it, then even with a fully charged battery, it is impossible to start the engine. The battery energy will be taken by a faulty starter, so it will not be enough to form a high-quality spark.
On used injection engines, the injectors must be regularly cleaned. Experts do not recommend doing the operation using additives added to gasoline. The proper effect is obtained after using the appropriate equipment, which some craftsmen make on their own.
Finally, I would like to give advice from experienced drivers. Clean spark plugs periodically by moving at high speeds. It is enough to drive a certain distance at a speed of 110-120 km / h for self-cleaning to occur.
Occasionally, a removed spark plug may be damp. This can be caused by gasoline, oil, or coolant (antifreeze). Each of these liquids has its own determination methods.
Gasoline can be easily identified by its high volatility. By unscrewing the candle, gasoline dries quickly. Most often, filling with gasoline occurs when starting a cold engine. It can also happen due to improper ignition adjustment.
Oil on the spark plug electrodes can appear due to significant wear on the valve stem seals. Less often, the cause can be wear of the cylinder-piston group of the engine or breakage of oil scraper rings on the piston. Any of these faults require immediate repair.
The amount of oil on the spark plugs can indicate how serious the problem is. When diagnosing, it is best to use a set of new spark plugs recommended by the car manufacturer, since oil droplets are clearly visible on a clean insulator. The first stage is the appearance of small dark specks from the burnt oil. This will not affect the performance of the spark plug in any way, but it will indicate that there are still problems with the engine. The manifestation of the next stage of oil entering the combustion chamber will be the wetting of the lower thread of the spark plug. This condition of the plug will cause pops in the muffler at idle speed. They disappear as the engine speed increases.
The last stage is the complete wetting of the candle from below. In this situation, a spark does not form at all. Consequently, a cylinder with such a plug does not work. You can find out about this by regularly tapping into the muffler, which does not stop with increasing revs. The engine starts to triple.
If oil enters the combustion chamber with 100% serviceable fuel supply and ignition systems, then its combustion occurs at the spark plug electrodes. As a result, the oil does not have time to wet the candle. This is not to say that this is good, but it is not too bad either. In this case, droplets of combustible oil turn into ash. It accumulates on the electrodes, increasing their thickness. When the engine is running, the ash heats up well. This contributes to the further combustion of the incoming oil. It is easy to clean, but it is best to do this at the same time as replacing the valve seals. If you remove the ash from the candle, the oil may stop burning. Because of this, the spark may stop skipping, the candle will flood, and the cylinder will stop working.
Sometimes "craftsmen" use the following methods of dealing with candle flooding: install candles with a shorter skirt or with a higher glow number, increase the spark voltage by putting on high-voltage tips, leaving a small gap. All these methods are short-lived, ineffective, and are dangerous to the condition of the car.
The reasons for the ingress of coolant can be the following: poorly pressed cylinder head, a crack in it or in the liner body, a leaky carburetor heating system. As for the latter reason, it is typical only for Japanese cars.
In practice, it is difficult to determine whether antifreeze enters the combustion chamber, since when the engine warms up, some holes can be closed as a result of metal expansion. Diagnostics must be carried out on a cold engine. This requires starting the car for about 10 seconds. During this time, the candles will not have time to heat up and the cracks will not disappear. On a twisted plug, the coolant looks like dew droplets.
When buying new spark plugs, beware of fakes, as they can damage the entire engine. They can be identified by a crooked or uneven inscription, poor-quality processing of the candle hexagon, poorly executed packaging.
A situation that is quite familiar to many drivers - left the car in the evening - everything was in order, and in the morning the engine completely refuses to start. If this is your first time encountering such a problem, then, naturally, seek advice from a more experienced motorist. The answer in most cases will be strikingly monotonous - "flooded candles" (only if you do not have a diesel engine).
Also, an experienced motorist, whether he is an amateur or a professional, has a “recipe” ready for this case, which is the answer to the question: “what to do if the candles are flooded?”.
In this article, we, in principle, will only repeat what any experienced driver can tell about, but, in addition, we will consider in detail what it means to fill in the candles, why he floods the spark plugs, how to start the car if he flooded the candles and how to avoid it ...
Spark plug diagnostics
Most often, spark plugs are flooded in winter, in severe frosts.
Candles are flooded most often during a cold start, especially in frost. The reason for this is some differences in the mixture formation and ignition of fuel in the cylinders in cold weather, as well as the negative effect of negative temperatures on the general starting conditions.
In order for the combustible mixture to ignite in the cylinder, the following conditions must be met:
- good compression in the cylinder;
- fast compression of the fuel mixture;
- at least the minimum fuel that meets the quality requirements;
- enough .
Why is good compression and fast mixture compression important?
The combustion process of the air-fuel mixture in the cylinders
In order for a flash of the air-fuel mixture to occur, it must be compressed, and this must be done quickly enough - then the mixture will heat up and will be heated steam, only instead of water it will contain gasoline as moisture. Such a mixture does not settle as a conductive film between the electrodes of the candle, and the spark discharge will not "go to ground", but will ignite the mixture, moreover heated by compression.
Good compression in the cylinder ensures rapid compression and heating of the air-fuel mixture.
In the event that the compression stroke is slow, the pressure in the cylinder will not be sufficient - the compressed gas mixture will be vented through the gaps between the parts. In addition, the heat energy acquired by the mixture will be completely inappropriate for heating the metal parts, and gasoline in liquid form will be "delivered" to the electrodes of the candle and will flood it safely.
This can be very clearly imagined by a person who at least once pumped the wheels of a bicycle with a pump without a plastic coating on the cylinder. If you pump it intensively, the pump casing will be very hot, and the proportion of heating it due to the friction of the piston will be only a small part. It is easy to be convinced of this if you run the pump "idle" - without screwing the hose to the spool - the pump casing will hardly get warmer even after fifty cycles.
So, what is dynamic compression of the mixture for, and how it, combined with good compression, favors the burst of fuel, we have found out.
But do not forget that in cold weather:
- battery energy drops;
- the engine oil thickens, making it difficult for the starter to crank the crankshaft. The starter starts to consume more energy, which is also needed for a powerful spark.
All this is happening without proper dynamics. It turns out a "vicious circle" - and fills the candles with gasoline.
All of the above can give an unambiguous answer to the question: - "can the candles on the injector be poured in frost?" Of course it can.
Checking the compression in the cylinder with a compressor
There can be several reasons for low compression in the cylinders. When measuring compression, a compressor is used.
But it happens that the candles are flooded with oil. This is already a separate case - an engine repair is required. For the initial diagnostics of the engine (not its control systems, namely the timing mechanisms and KShM), you can use a compressometer. Measure the compression - the norm for a gasoline engine is 12 kg / cm2. If its value is significantly less than 10 kg / cm2, pour 30-50 grams of oil into the plug holes.
If the compression has risen, repair the piston-cylinder pair, and this is already a "capital". In the event that the compression did not rise after oil filling, there is a violation of the tightness of the combustion chambers - a loose fit of the valves to the seats, their burnout, etc. If the values are the same, it is most likely that the valve stem seals on the valve guides or the oil scraper piston rings are worn out. Rings, however, can "lie" in the grooves of the piston.
What to do if the candles are flooded and how to start the car?
Replacing spark plugs
How to understand what flooded the candles? Having unscrewed them from the block head, the electrodes will be covered with moisture. But if the candles are flooded in winter, including on the injector (injection engine), and there is no desire to “dig” in the engine in the cold, you can “purge” the combustion chambers.
Often, "ventilating" the combustion chambers by starting the engine and pressing the gas pedal is enough to dry out the candles.
If the candles are poured and the car does not start, there is no point in waiting for them to dry out. Excess fuel must be removed from the chambers. The procedure is simple - depress the gas pedal all the way, turn the engine with the starter for 10 seconds, release the pedal and try to start the engine. Scrolling the engine with full throttle valve "ventilates" the combustion chambers and the spark plug insulators dry out.
But this method is good in cold weather and if the battery is in perfect condition. It would be most reasonable to turn out the candles, wipe and dry them with an open flame - you can on a gas stove. In such a case, of course, it is not bad at all to have a spare kit, even if not new, but workable.
The combustion chambers can also be cleaned by rotating the motor. With the plugs turned out, the load on the battery is significantly less. Unscrewing the candles is also good because you will not rack your brains trying to understand what is wrong with the engine - it is flooding the candles with gasoline or something else has happened - for example, the gas pump has failed.
How to avoid such situations in the future?
Checking the electrolyte level in the battery
Now that you know why it floods candles in the cold, you can take some preventive measures in advance.
If the engine of your car is still "alive", then it is not difficult to provide it. You just need:
- monitor the condition of the battery - top up, if necessary, electrolyte or distilled water, avoid unnecessary load on it, including all electrical equipment unnecessarily. Let's say there is absolutely no need to drive all the time with the heated rear window on. Use low-power running lights instead of dipped beam during daylight hours. Heated seats, besides the fact that "sits" the battery, also can cause illness - use it sparingly. City driving does not allow the generator to recover 100% of the battery;
- sometimes drive onto high-speed sections of the road so that the engine can run at high speeds - a thick layer of carbon deposits formed on the candles when operating at low speeds or in idle mode will burn out and the candles will self-clean;
- fill in engine oil according to the season;
- before the onset of the cold season, carry out a kind of prophylaxis - high-voltage wires, maintenance of the battery. Taking care of the cleanliness of the fuel tank and replacing the fuel filter will not be superfluous.
It is timely preventive measures that avoid the problems associated with flooding spark plugs.
It is necessary to explain separately about the fuel tank - even if there is no dirt in it as such, no one is insured against condensate. To get rid of it, buy a special fuel additive. The fact is that excessive moisture in the fuel mixture can also contribute to flooding the candles with gasoline.
These fairly simple activities are quite capable of protecting you from unnecessary morning "rush jobs".
In frosts or cold weather, many are faced with the fact that flooded the candles... This phenomenon is especially common. on cars with high mileage... As a result, the spark plug cannot provide the proper spark to start the car.
Reasons why it floods candles
- The candles have served their time. Old candles fail to produce a powerful spark and thus are unable to ignite the fuel in the desired way. In this case, you need to replace the candles.
- Ignition module. Although it is a reliable element, it does not last forever. The price bites him and in order not to waste money and time in vain, replace it with a known good one... If the car starts, then feel free to go to the store for a new part.
- Injectors are the most vulnerable element of the fuel system. For high mileage nozzle nozzles clogged and the fuel from them begins not to spray, but simply to pour, thereby flooding the candles. There is only one way out. Remove injectors and carry them to diagnostics.
- Coolant sensor. Perhaps the most incomprehensible reason at first glance. Let's figure it out: when the engine is started, this sensor sends a signal to the ECU, the electronic engine control unit. The sensor transmits the coolant temperature to the ECU and he already, based on this reading, determines how much fuel to supply. If the coolant sensor is defective, then it will give incorrect values, and the ecu, in turn, will either not top up or supply an excessive amount of fuel. In either case the car will be difficult to start, and in cold weather when the oil frozen in the crankcase is added to this. This makes starting the engine very difficult.
How to start a car
First of all, do as experienced car owners advise. Press the gas pedal to the floor and turn the starter for 10-15 seconds, then release the gas... The car should start.
If this method does not help, then you need to unscrew the candles and dry them. It is better to ignite on a gas burner or gas stove. Ignite only the part of the candle on which the electrode is located... Then sand the candle as shown in the photo.
Now we go to the car. Do not screw in dry candles right away... To get started, do this: turn the starter for 10-15 seconds, thereby you dry a couple of cylinders. Then try to start the engine.
On my own I can say that the method with calcining helped me.
Of course, these actions must be carried out if you are sure that the battery has the correct voltage e. If the battery is weak, then these methods will hardly help.
Flooded, wet spark plugs after starting - this situation is familiar to almost all owners of cars with carburetor engines. At the same time, starting the engine with flooded spark plugs is very problematic. If at this moment the spark plugs are unscrewed, they will be wet, filled with gasoline, which in most cases is a consequence of a very strong enrichment of the fuel mixture in the start mode.
Naturally, there can be no question of any normal spark in such a situation. This situation can arise both when starting a cold engine and a hot one. Consider the reasons for flooding spark plugs using the example of a carburetor engine 21083 of cars VAZ 21083, 21093, 21099.
List of the main reasons leading to flooding of spark plugs
- Start of a hot engine on "suction".
Starting a warmed-up engine with the "suction" handle extended towards itself and a closed air damper will lead to a strong enrichment of the fuel mixture in this mode and, as a consequence, flooding of candles.
air damper open during hot start - The carburetor starter is defective or not adjusted.
To a greater extent, the problem concerns a cold start. It is necessary that the starting clearances "A" and "B" were set exactly, that is, there was a starting device. In addition, the PU diaphragm mechanism must have an intact, non-punctured diaphragm and have a sealed housing. Otherwise, when starting a cold engine, the carburetor air damper will not open slightly to a certain angle (this is the whole point of the PU operation), forcibly depleting the fuel mixture with a portion of additional air. The absence of such a slight opening will lead to excessive enrichment of the fuel mixture in the cold start mode and the candles will flood.
visible elements of the Solex carburetor starting system - Defective spark plugs.
"Punched" ones with black carbon deposits, with an incorrect gap between the electrodes of the spark plugs, will not be able to ignite the rich fuel mixture entering the cylinders in the start mode and will be immediately filled with gasoline. It is advisable to have a spare set of candles in order to quickly change them if necessary. can be filled with fuel, both during cold and hot start.
- Defective needle shut-off valve in the carburetor float chamber.
The needle valve of the float chamber can be leaking (either from wear or from a defect) and allow excess fuel to pass into the float chamber, which in turn again leads to an over-enrichment of the fuel mixture in the start mode. Moreover, due to a faulty needle valve, the candles can be filled both during a cold start and during a hot one. Very often, a leaky valve gives out a constant smell of gasoline in the engine compartment and fuel leaks on the carburetor. It is recommended to use a needle valve and replace with a new one if necessary.
checking the needle stop valve of the Solex carburetor - Pumps the fuel pump.
The gas pump can pump due to an incorrectly adjusted drive. The excess fuel pressure created by it on the needle valve will lead to overflow of fuel and an increase in its level in the float chamber, which in turn will entail excessive enrichment of the fuel mixture. It needs a drive.
protrusion of the pusher required for the correct operation of the fuel pump - GDS air jets clogged.
GDS air jets supply air to the fuel mixture, allowing it to have the correct ratio (gasoline / air) required to start the engine confidently. A decrease in the amount of incoming air or its absence at all due to clogged air nozzles leads to a strong re-enrichment of the fuel mixture and the subsequent flooding of candles. Cm. .
Solex carburetor GDS air jets - Poor volatility of fuel vapors in frost.
In severe frost, the volatility of the fuel (fuel vapors ignite at start-up) is greatly reduced. Fuel settles on the walls of the intake manifold and, getting into the combustion chambers, fills the candles. It is recommended to press the gas pedal several times before starting and wait 15-20 seconds and only then start the engine. Some drivers spill boiling water on the outside of the intake manifold and only then start the car engine.
Notes and additions
- If the spark plugs are filled with fuel, but you still need to start the engine right now, and without troubleshooting, then it is recommended to do the following. We drown the "suction", press the gas pedal all the way down and turn the engine with the starter for a few seconds. In this case, the throttle valves of both chambers of the carburetor will be fully open, the mixing chambers are subjected to strong blowing, and the candles will dry quickly. You can repeat this "purge" a couple of times at intervals of a minute (if the battery allows) and then try to start the engine again.
