Can You Flood a Fuel Injected Car?
by Mark Vallet
Flooding a fuel injected car is more difficult than flooding one with a carburetor but it is possible. There are a few different ways to flood a fuel injected engine. Damaged injectors or a cold engine that won't start can result in a flooded engine.
Definition of a Flooded Engine
When a vehicle is cold, it needs a rich fuel mixture. A rich fuel mixture means that it contains a lot of gas and not much air. When the gas pours into the cylinders, if the car does not start the spark plugs can get wet. If the spark plugs are wet it is impossible for them to spark, which prevents the car from starting. This is referred to as flooding.
Flooding a Fuel Injected Car
There are a few ways to flood a fuel injected car. One is to have a leaking injector. This will flood the engine on a regular basis and will require replacement of the injector. Another common problem is that if the car does not start on the first couple of cranks the injectors will continue to squirt fuel into the cylinders, which can flood the engine.
Method to Fix a Flooded Car
Flooring the gas pedal on a fuel injected car while turning the key can help solve the flooding problem. Flooring the gas pedal sends a message to the vehicle's computer. The computer controls the fuel-to-air mixture. This lets the computer know the vehicle is flooded and it cuts the fuel flowing to the engine in half.
References
Writer Bio
Mark Vallet is a a stay-at-home dad who began freelance writing in 2009. He has produced online content for Demand Studios, Autos.com and CarsDirect.com. He has traveled extensively within the U.S. and internationally. Vallet holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Iowa.
