Fuel Delivery Systems – How Do They Work?

In this day and age, most adults drive a car. Yet, it is hard to find someone who can tell you much about how their car actually works. Though you do not need to know every little detail of you car’s inner workings, it is a good idea to learn at least a little bit about it so you can keep it in good working order. By learning simple things, you can save money on fuel, costly repairs and general maintenance. Let’s take a look at the fuel delivery system in more detail. Anyone who has filled their car with gas knows that the fuel goes from the pump hose into the little hole that leads to the fuel tank. Different types of vehicles have different size fuel tanks. A truck’s fuel tank is likely to be larger than a car’s fuel tank. When talking about how the fuel system works, size means very little. No matter the size of tank your vehicle has, the fuel will not be sent to the engine until the computer system in your vehicle tells it to go there. Today’s cars, for the most part, feature a fuel pump that is located in the gas tank itself rather than under the hood. This fuel pump is an essential element in the fuel delivery system. It consists of a slightly raised platform (which, in fact, is a fuel filter) on which rests a tube. The fuel is taken up into the fuel tube, through the filter and on to the engine. The freer the fuel is of particulates and debris, the more efficiently the engine will fire. Therefore, the fuel is sent through a secondary filter on its way to the engine. The fuel then goes through a fuel rail which runs along the top of the engine. From there, it travels through lines running from the rail to each of the fuel injectors. These injectors spray the delivered fuel into the combustion chamber. The above references the internal combustion engine which has remained nearly the same for the past 40 years. This is one area of the vehicle that was done correctly the first time. While the filters have been improved and the fuel flow has been altered to allow a computer to increase the overall efficiency, it has generally not changed. Now that you know the basics of the fuel delivery system of your car you should be able to see the value of learning about additional components that make your car function such as gears, tires and engines.