The car does not start the first time, but on the second and third attempts to start it becomes more and more problematic? In cold winter, after a frosty night, this situation is quite common. And, as a rule, the culprit is not a lack of fuel, a dead battery, or a starter.
The culprits – car spark plugs, designed to generate a spark discharge, which for some reason stopped producing a spark. “Perhaps the candles are flooded?” — neighbors in the parking lot who managed to start the car the first time ask sarcastically. So what does it mean to prime the spark plugs?
Let's consider the process of starting an engine theoretically. The starter starts the car engine. This is an electric motor that spins the engine.
It is he who starts the car engine - the starter
The starter drives the intake valves that feed into the combustion chamber. At this time, the spark plug sends a spark from the ignition coil through high-voltage wires, which ignites the fuel assembly. It turns out to be a kind of micro-explosion, from which the engine starts, the valve pistons and all other mechanisms and components of the car along the chain are set in motion. If there is a malfunction somewhere in this area, fuel consumption will increase.
Passport data on fuel consumption of Lifan cars
Who gave the candles a “shower”
To start the system normally, you need a working starter, a powerful battery and adequate ambient temperature. But frosty weather at temperatures below -15 degrees cannot be called adequate even for a person who has just left a warm home. It is also too cold for the fuel-air mixture: gasoline does not mix well with air, which contains a lot of oxygen in cold weather.
At a temperature of -30 degrees the mixture refuses to mix at all. And the more oxygen in the air, the more gasoline is required. AND car electronics gives the injectors a command: more fuel! Gasoline enters the combustion chamber, the battery, “on its last legs,” tries to rotate the starter, create compression in the cylinders, and also provide energy to generate a spark and flash to the ignition coils.
Petrol!
If the compression were sufficient, even the weakest spark would be enough, but, as a rule, it is not enough. And the injectors continue to pour gasoline. With each engine revolution, more and more gasoline enters the combustion chamber, and everything around is filled with it. And candles, once “under a gasoline shower,” are no longer capable of producing a spark.
Provocateurs of flooding
Several factors can provoke flooding of candles. These include an extremely worn-out engine: its pistons are not able to create the necessary pressure.
The pistons of this engine from Lifan Smiley could no longer start the engine in cold weather
That's why the engine won't start in the cold. Spark plugs are also filled in cars that have an old carburetor. Although their injection system is considered simple, it is outdated. If the carburetor is not adjusted correctly, it overflows fuel into the chamber and floods the spark plugs in winter. Moreover, if the car does not start, the carburetor continues to supply fuel as if it had started. The carburetor has no sense of proportion.
Carburetor and injection control system
Therefore, before the onset of cold weather, the carburetor needs to be adjusted. Cars with injection system Fuel supplies are also not very polite when it comes to spark plugs. On-board computer in cold weather it commands the injectors to supply more fuel to the air mixture, but with a weak battery there is also not enough spark to ignite the fuel, as a result the spark plugs are flooded. And although the injector has special sensors monitoring the fuel supply and the engine, the car may still not start. If you can’t start the engine the first time, you need to wait a while and try again.
Poor quality gasoline and oil
Provocateurs of candle flooding are low quality gasoline and oil.
And if the situation with filling spark plugs repeats itself almost every morning, and even in not very cold weather, then you should pay attention to the quality of the spark plugs themselves and the spark plug wires. Experienced motorists, guessing what might happen in winter period time, prepare for it in advance. As a rule, a powerful battery is installed and its charge level needs to be monitored over time.
Weak battery
In winter, a bad (dead) battery will definitely show itself
In cold weather, a weak battery is not able to create the necessary voltage on the engine spark plugs; a weak spark does not ignite the fuel. And if in the summer you can start and drive with a weakly charged battery, then in the winter such a “number” will not work.
Bad fuel
Also, candles are flooded for a reason low quality fuel, therefore it is recommended to refuel at proven gas stations, especially in winter. The candles themselves need to be monitored and, if necessary, new ones purchased.
To prevent the candles from flooding in the cold, it is recommended to adhere to the following sequence: first turn on the low beam headlights for a few seconds. This way the battery will receive a small load. Then you need to turn off the headlights and wait 1 - 2 minutes, try to crank the starter, and then start the engine. If the attempt is unsuccessful, you can repeat it after 5 - 7 minutes. If the battery power is still not enough, then it should be removed and taken to a warm place overnight.
There is always a way out!
Flooded spark plugs, as follows from the above, are one of the most common problems of car owners, especially beginners who have not had to operate the car in winter.
But even inexperienced drivers will find a way out of any situation: the battery can be recharged, the spark plugs can be “blowed out”, cleaned and dried, or bought new ones. Moreover, the cost of candles is low.
Hello, dear car enthusiasts! Maybe not all, but many motorists are faced with this problem: yesterday I arrived, put the car in the garage, everything was fine. This morning I started to start the engine, but it would not start.
There may be reasons for this whole line. But today we will look at the most common one - filling the spark plugs with gasoline, it doesn’t matter whether you have an injector or a carburetor. Fills spark plugs with gasoline regardless of type fuel system auto.
It is characteristic that the spark plugs are filled with gasoline less often in the warm season, and more often at sub-zero temperatures. So let’s try to figure out in order: why the spark plugs in the injector are flooded, what to do to start the engine at the exact moment when they are flooded, and how to prevent them from being flooded with gasoline in the injector.
Reasons why the spark plugs in the injector flood
In principle, the reason why the injector spark plugs flood is simple. And the tones lie in the peculiarities of the “electronic brain” of your car.
At subzero temperatures, mixing the fuel-air mixture requires some effort: more oxygen in cold air requires more gasoline. Accordingly, the ECU gives a command to the injector nozzles to increase the fuel supply, which they do in good faith.
And the following happens in the engine, especially if your car no longer has new battery. The injectors supply fuel to the combustion chamber, the starter tries to create the necessary compression in the cylinders, while at the same time trying to provide a spark to generate a flash. Do not forget about the quality of fuel, which does not have ideal parameters.
As a result, with ideal compression, the injector spark plugs can start even with a minimum impulse, but ideal compression is only found in a new car. Actually, this is why, as a rule, the injector spark plugs of a new car do not fill.
The spark is weak, compression in the cold does not correspond to the parameters, and the injectors continue to supply fuel to the combustion chamber. Which, in turn, floods the candles and they simply stop showing signs of fiery life.
Here is the answer to the question - why they are filled in on the injector.
There are two options for resolving the issue. As a rule, the “smart” operating book says: if the injector spark plugs are filled with gasoline, you need to unscrew them and dry them. With the spark plugs removed, crank the starter for 10-15 seconds. Put it back in and start the engine. These are actions according to the manufacturer.
A proven popular driving method. If your spark plugs are filled with gasoline, before unscrewing and drying them, try to start the engine in the following way: purge mode.
For the injector: the gas pedal is pressed all the way to the floor. Use the starter to crank the engine for 10-12 seconds, release the gas pedal. The engine should start. The fact is that in this way, by cutting off the fuel supply, you blow air through the spark plugs.
The engine did not start. Then try to dry them. Spark plugs for an injector are, in principle, no different from a carburetor engine. Therefore, we again use the “old-fashioned” method: we unscrew them, clean them from carbon deposits with a metal brush, or a toothbrush, and dry them either with a hairdryer, or on a gas stove or in the oven. We check the gap and screw the spark plugs for the injector into place. The engine should start.
If the story of filling the spark plugs with gasoline repeats itself every morning, you need to carry out diagnostics: spark plug quality, injector cleanliness, spark output from the ignition coil, Hall sensor.
Conditions under which the spark plugs will not fill with gasoline
Naturally, these are ideal conditions, but you can control many of them so that you don’t greet the morning in minibus, moving about their business.
So, the main conditions are:
- a well-charged battery and a working starter,
- high-quality oil with appropriate parameters for the cold season,
- spark plugs and high voltage wires are of high quality and in good condition,
- the injector nozzles were promptly cleaned and adjusted. Preferably not with the help of various additives to the tank, but with the use of equipment for cleaning injectors,
- high quality gasoline
People's advice: if you want the engine to start normally in cold weather and the spark plugs not to be filled with gasoline, the engine needs to be “twisted” periodically, once a month. Distance 50-100 km. at a car speed of 100-120 km/h and on good fuel.
Or once every two days, while driving, give the engine a load of up to 4500-5000 rpm for 10 seconds so that self-cleaning of carbon deposits and deposits in the chamber occurs.
As you can see, these conditions are easy to control yourself, without the help of car service specialists.
When the candles are lit injection engine, then, as a rule, problems arise with its starting. For example, in the evening you returned from work, parked your car and calmly went home.
Morning comes, you need to go to work, but the car refuses to start. And the starter turns, but there are no signs of even attempts to ignite the fuel composition.
Therefore, a modern car enthusiast must be prepared for any surprises and be able to react to them correctly.
By the way, this phenomenon is typical for any type of fuel system (carburetor, injection - it doesn’t matter).
In most cases, trouble occurs in winter, when it is frosty outside. In the warm season, fuel filling the spark plugs on the injector occurs much less frequently.
So what to do?
Main reasons
First, let's look at the main reasons for this phenomenon. Surprisingly, the main source of problems in this case is the car’s ECU and the features of its firmware.
When it’s negative outside, the system tries to create fuel mixture certain conditions. It is no secret that in frosty air the volume of oxygen is much higher.
So it turns out that the ECU sends an order to the injectors to supply a larger volume of fuel.
Naturally, “orders are not discussed” and the injectors increase the amount of gasoline injected.
What's next?
The battery is under enormous stress in the cold and may not deliver required level voltage (and there is no guarantee that it is new).
You turn the ignition key, the injectors deliver the required volume of gasoline into the combustion chamber, and the starter does its best to turn the crankshaft and create a sufficient level of compression in the engine.
At the same time, the candle is also trying to work.
Everything is true, but the quality of domestic fuel is far from being at the best level.
At the same time, in cold conditions (and not even in a new car), it is not always possible to achieve ideal compression.
The injectors have done their job, the spark plugs produce a spark “every once in a while”, and the compression level is too low level. The result is flooded candles.
How to proceed?
If the spark plugs on the injector are flooded, you can go in two ways.
The first one is the simplest. Unscrew the candles and dry them thoroughly. To “drive” the engine, you need to crank the starter for at least 8-12 seconds. Upon completion of the work, you can return the spark plugs to their place and try to start the engine.
Second method. Start in the so-called “purge mode”.
What to do in this case?
Press the accelerator pedal all the way and turn the key in the ignition.
Crank the starter for 8-10 seconds. At the end of this time, the pedal can be returned to its original position.
In most cases, the engine starts.
The peculiarity of this method is that when the gas is pressed fully, the fuel supply to the engine is shut off, and the spark plugs themselves are blown exclusively with air.
If the engine still does not start, then you need to dry the spark plugs.
How to do it?
The tools you can use are a regular toothbrush (or a metal brush) and a hair dryer (for more effective drying).
If you have the opportunity to take the candles home, you can “calcinate” them in the oven or directly on the burners. But this method is only temporary.
If the candles have already expired, then it is better to simply change them.
It happens that almost every day the spark plugs on the injector are filled. In such a situation it is necessary to carry out full check elements - for the presence of a spark output, the cleanliness of the injectors, the quality of the spark, and so on.
How to act to avoid trouble
- firstly, you need to monitor the battery charge level and check it periodically (this is especially true in winter);
- secondly, check the serviceability and if any problems arise, do not be lazy to go for diagnostics;
- thirdly, only best quality which is suitable for use in winter;
- Fourth, change and inspect in a timely manner high voltage wires the fact of their probable failure;
- fifthly, regulate and. This is easy to do - add one of the following to the tank. special compounds, which are sold in stores;
- Sixth, use high quality. To do this, refuel at trusted gas stations.
Remember that in the cold season the engine does not like small trips at low speed.
Probably every car enthusiast has encountered such a problem when, after a short period of inactivity, the car suddenly refused to start. And there may be a dozen reasons for this. The most likely one is a dead battery. However, something else can happen - for example, the car stopped starting due to fuel getting on the spark plugs. And not only on carburetor cars, spark plugs are filled. VAZ-2110 (injector), Priora and many other cars are also not immune to this problem.
Even foreign cars are not an exception. That is why in today’s article we will look at why the spark plugs on the injector are flooded and how to fix this problem.
Causes
The most common of these is incorrect operation electronic unit car. What is most interesting is that the spark plugs on the injector are filled more often in winter at subzero temperatures than in summer. And this is not an anomaly. There are objective reasons for this. As the temperature drops, mixing the fuel-air mixture becomes more difficult because a large amount of oxygen requires a large volume of gasoline in cold air. In this regard, the electronic control unit sends a signal to the fuel injectors, thereby increasing the amount of fluid supplied. This is the main reason why the candle floods.
What is happening in the engine at this moment? The injectors supply gasoline to the combustion chamber of the engine, while the starter tries to create the necessary compression in the cylinders, while at the same time trying to produce a spark to generate a flash. At the same time, we should not forget about the quality of our fuel - many impurities and dirt significantly worsen the operation of the injectors, hence the corresponding troubles.
With ideal compression, the spark plugs can easily start even with a minimal impulse, but this only happens on new cars. Therefore, it fills spark plugs on the injector most often on cars more than 3-5 years old.
What happens?
As a result of this, we get a weak spark, compression in the cold does not correspond to normal parameters. And at this time, the injectors continue to supply gasoline into the combustion chamber, which floods the spark plugs, and they, in turn, stop generating a spark to ignite the mixture. Thus, the car stops starting normally, and when you unscrew the spark plugs, you can clearly see the accumulation of foreign liquid on their surface.
Problem solving
How to fix this problem? In the instruction manual modern cars something like this is written: “If the spark plugs on the injector are flooded, you need to unscrew them and dry them thoroughly.” In this case, the starter must be cranked for 10-15 seconds after removing these elements. Next, the dried spark plugs are inserted back into their original place, and after that the engine starts. This is the way the car manufacturer offers us to fix the problem.
But there is another, popular, way to eliminate this problem. If you fill the spark plugs when they are cold (injector), before unscrewing and drying them, you should start the engine as follows. For injection internal combustion engines the gas pedal is pressed to the floor all the way, the starter cranks the engine for about 10-15 seconds, then the pedal is released. In most cases, this helps to start the car. The essence of these manipulations is to blow air through the “wet” spark plugs (in this case, the fuel supply is completely shut off).
What to do if the engine does not start after this?
In this case, these elements should be dried. In general, the spark plugs that go into injection engines are no different from those that are installed on carburetor engines, so the method described below can be considered universally applicable.
This method consists of the following. After unscrewing, the candles are cleaned with a special metal brush to remove accumulated carbon deposits, and then dried with a regular hairdryer. Alternatively, you can hold them over the burners of your gas stove. Next, the gap is checked, and the dried spark plugs are screwed back into place. In this case, the engine will definitely start at any temperature.
on the injector every day?
It happens that gasoline gets there every morning. Of course, even the most patient car enthusiast will quickly get tired of carrying out such drying work every day, so in this situation we send the car for diagnostics. You can order this service at a service station, or you can do it yourself. In the latter option, you should diagnose the spark plugs for the quality of spark generation, its output, check the cleanliness of the injectors and operation. Perhaps the problem is hidden in one of these parts.
Under what conditions will the spark plugs not be filled with gasoline?
In order to avoid suddenly encountering a similar problem in the garage in the morning, you should always keep your car in good technical condition. Conditions that exclude the occurrence of this problem are:
Finally, we note another popular method of prevention. According to it, you should regularly (3-4 times a week) increase it to the red scale (4.5-5 thousand revolutions) for 10 seconds so that self-cleaning of carbon deposits in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine occurs.
Thus, we examined the factors of fuel formation in candles and learned ways to solve this problem.
Unsuccessful engine starting can upset any car owner. Often the cause of the identified failure is wet spark plug electrodes. gasoline engine. Due to the complexity of diagnostics, searching for an answer to the question of why spark plugs are flooding usually becomes a “blind” search.
A detailed analysis of the processes occurring in the engine cylinder helps to correctly understand the reasons for this phenomenon. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the type of fuel system and ignition, the time of year and the characteristics of the spark formation element.
How do flooded candles behave?
Wet electrodes of spark plugs appear due to the contact of only two liquids on their surface - gasoline or oil. In the first case, we can safely say that the fuel intake system is the “culprit”, and the reasons for oiling the electrodes can be different.
The problem of flooding spark plugs is typical for engines of any system. Both carburetor and engines with fuel injection systems suffer. Regardless of the source of failure, failure in normal spark plug operation is expressed as follows:
- Refusal to start the engine. The malfunction is most often characteristic of a cold engine, but it also occurs with the engine when trying to restart.
- The appearance of a persistent smell of unburnt fuel. When the gasoline-air mixture enters the cylinder cavity, it does not ignite and is released into the exhaust system.
- When inspecting a unscrewed spark plug, damp electrodes or dark carbon deposits have formed.
It is easy to determine without unscrewing a flooded spark plug by the absence of catches when turning crankshaft engine.
Before deciding what to do about the malfunction of the ignition system, it is necessary to determine the nature of the malfunction and eliminate the source.
Reasons for constantly flooded candles
Wet electrodes are a failure in two main ways. In the first case, the spark plugs will be flooded if the power supply and ignition systems malfunction. In the second situation, the parts of the cylinder-piston group are to blame, when oil particles contaminate the electrodes.
The process of mixture formation in the cylinders, taking into account cold starts, is carried out according to the following algorithm. The engine control unit takes into account the outside temperature and the cold state of the engine. Taking into account the oxygen concentration, a decision is made to increase the supply to the injector. There is a deliberate enrichment of the working mixture. Under normal conditions, the engine starts without hesitation. But under certain circumstances the spark plugs will fire without producing a spark:
- Increased clearances of parts of the cylinder-piston group. When the engine is cold, this leads to a decrease in compression, which does not contribute to the ignition of the mixture. The factor should not be considered if the problem is identified on a separate cylinder.
- Low fuel quality. Timely evaporation of gasoline is possible if its quality is high and there is no dilution with condensation from moist air.
- Uncertain cranking of the crankshaft by the starter due to thickened oil or weak battery . In this case, insufficient spark is generated, which does not provide sufficient impulse to ignite the mixture.
All of these factors constitute the causes of misfires. Sometimes factors act as a whole, but it is better to diagnose them separately.
The reason is the candle
It is possible that the described factors do not affect the spark source in the cylinder. If she continues to fill the candles with gasoline, she herself often becomes the culprit. There are two possible situations here:
- Sparking problem. As a result of the operation of the crank mechanism, pressure may form that cannot be overcome when a spark is formed. This results from a large gap and insufficient current.
- Leakage current. Occurs in worn-out products when the insulating properties of the spark body are violated, and the current directly flows to ground.
If the car owner does not know how to properly test a spark plug, it is worth contacting a specialized service to test the product on a bench.
When replacing spark plugs due to their failure, pay attention to high-quality and durable products. To answer the question of which spark plugs are better, follow these rules:
- compliance with nominal dimensions;
- selection of a spark source according to the degree of engine boost;
- electrode material with high service life.
If you cannot determine all the parameters yourself, do not hesitate to consult with the seller.
Electrodes are covered in oil
Another common reason for electrode flooding is related to the engine lubrication system. Such a malfunction will affect both the injector and the carburetor engine. It is appropriate to exclude from this list only two-stroke engines, where separate system there is no lubrication.
When determining the source of “oiling” of the electrodes, the area of contamination should be considered. The following circumstances are taken into account:
- Bottom spark plug contamination. The cause is wear on the piston system or even damage to the oil ring.
- Grease accumulation at the top. Oil may appear due to damage to the valve cover gasket or valve seals.
The causes of damage to engine components lie in overheating of the engine, operation with an excessive oil level, and clogging of the ventilation duct of the engine crankcase. Detailed diagnostics The reasons for failure should be entrusted to experienced mechanics.
Other engine malfunctions
Other causes of spark plug malfunction include:
- violation of fuel injection pressure and lack of fine spray;
- malfunction of the sensors of the electronic control unit;
- clogging fuel injectors and malfunction of the high pressure pump.
Typically, these reasons are clarified after the first negative results of the primary diagnosis. In this case, doubts like “what to do” are resolved by comprehensive diagnostics of the operation of internal combustion engine systems.
Directions for eliminating the situation
When spark plugs are filled with gasoline, it is usually enough to dry them. It is enough to unscrew them from the seat and crank the engine to blow air through the cylinders for 10-15 seconds, and treat the electrodes with a stream of hot air.
It is also possible to use the closed blowing method. This is where you need to know how to use the controls correctly. With the gas pedal fully depressed, the crankshaft is cranked. Abundant air flows and dry the candle. When the gas is subsequently released, the incoming gasoline ignites.
With regularly unstable spark plugs, further actions We choose based on the causes of the malfunction. It is better to replace damaged spark plugs and repair serious engine malfunctions.
