6 Symptoms of Car Engine RPMs Too High
The engine’s combustion chamber needs the right amount of fuel and air mixture before ignition. The Engine Control Unit (ECU) is the vehicle’s main computer that monitors all engine-related operations. It controls the airflow meter, oxygen sensors, oxygen supply, and injectors.
Signs that your car is running too rich
A rich fuel mixture in the combustion chamber is never a good thing. It causes a variety of problems for your engine. Symptoms of these problems are easy to spot if you know what to look for.
Below are the six most common symptoms that occur when your engine has a rich fuel mixture. With today’s fuel prices, fixing this problem should be a top priority for most of us.
1) Strong Fuel Smell
The most obvious sign that your car is running too rich is the smell of gasoline when the engine is running. It may seem like a nuisance, but it can be very dangerous if exhaust fumes get into your car while you’re driving.
2) High Gasoline Consumption
When too much fuel is injected into the combustion chamber, your fuel economy suffers. This means you’re essentially wasting fuel and having to go to the gas station more frequently to fill up your tank.
If you want to increase your fuel economy to the level you want, you need to solve the problem of a rich fuel mixture as soon as possible.
3) Check Engine Light
Probably the easiest symptom to recognize is the “Check Engine Light” on your dashboard. When this light comes on, it means your vehicle has a problem. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a rich fuel mixture, but it’s a possibility.
Scan your car with a good code reader to see if any trouble codes like P0172 show up. On many cars, this code indicates that there is too much unburned fuel in the exhaust gases leaving the combustion chamber.
4) Failing Emissions Tests
A rich fuel mixture will cause your engine to emit a lot of carbon. You may notice this problem if you take your car for an emissions test and it fails.
5) Rough Idling
Rough idling can have a variety of causes, but a rich fuel mixture is one of them. This symptom is noticeable because your car often shakes and vibrates while idling. The engine will also feel quite lumpy while running.
Keep an eye on the tachometer during normal driving to make sure the needle doesn’t jump around while the engine is running.
6) Poor Performance
Fuel and air must be balanced before they can be mixed and ignited. Too much fuel and not enough air will result in poor engine performance.
Spark ignition is still possible and compression is stable, but the overall performance of the vehicle will be reduced. This is most noticeable while driving.
Conclusion
A rich fuel mixture is a problem that you can’t put off for too long. In addition to the health risks and added costs associated with increased gasoline consumption, consider your engine’s components too.
Too much fuel in the combustion chamber makes these components run especially hot, quickly wearing out expensive components like O2 sensors and catalytic converters.
If this condition continues for too long, it can cause permanent damage to your engine and require hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars worth of repairs. It’s much easier to deal with excess fuel issues in the early stages, so don’t put it off.
