Fuel Injectors

Fuel Injectors

The fuel injectors on your Duramax engine have a big responsibility in delivering the correct amount of fuel to your engine every time your truck fires. One small clog or damage to your fuel injector can cause poor performance from your truck. While most factory fuel injectors are going to last you well over 100,000 miles, there are several factors that could reduce this number. Merchant Automotive is going to offer direct replacement and upgraded fuel injectors to keep your Duramax running smoothly and efficiently.

A fuel injector mounts on your engine and sprays fuel into your engine for combustion. The fuel injector is the last component in your fuel system that the fuel travels through, and the most important. Fuel injectors are designed to spray a specific amount of fuel in your engine for proper combustion. Depending on your specific Duramax, your spray pattern and injector design may be different. The most common failures of fuel injectors are the spray nozzles becoming clogged, and on certain LB7 models, cracking and corroding of the injector body and components. This injector problem only lasted between the years of 2001-2004 LB7 trucks and has since been remedied by new and improved fuel injectors. Diagnosing fuel injectors is usually a job left for the professionals as they have special flow-measuring tools that can check the function and performance of your fuel injectors.

Symptoms Of Clogged Or Bad Duramax Fuel Injector

One of the most common questions revolving around Duramax fuel injectors is “how do I know if my Duramax fuel injector is bad?”. Like any vehicle, a bad fuel injector can present itself in a few different ways. If you experience the following symptoms, you may want to have your fuel injectors professionally tested:

• Engine Misfiring
• Rough Idling
• Gas Mileage Decreases
• RPM Needle Bounces
• Truck Becomes Hard To Start
• Truck Won’t Start

What Year Duramax Was Notorious For Injector Failure?

During the 2001-2004 years of the LB7 Duramax, owners were noticing that their fuel injectors were failing due to a poor design. There were 2 main areas of concern on these injectors. The first was the injector body cracking on the inside. The second was corrosion-induced failure of the internal ball seat. When these start to fail, it can dump an overload of fuel into the engine. When this fuel isn’t burned, it can seep into the oiling system and fill your engine up with fuel. This is a very common problem for these models and can be remedied or prevented by replacing the fuel injectors with new, redesigned fuel injectors. If you suspect your 01-04 LB7 has factory injectors, it is a good idea to take preventative measures and replace them before it is too late.

How Long Do Duramax Injectors Last?

Duramax injectors have an average lifetime of about 150,000 to 200,000 miles when properly maintained. This can be achieved by ensuring you use high-quality fuel, fuel additives, and change your fuel filter at the proper intervals. We have seen trucks with over 300,000 miles on factory injectors and some that just needed to replace one or two injectors along the way. Every truck is different so the lifespan will vary, but properly maintaining your fuel system can help to extend the life of your injectors.