The vacuum hoses in your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine are designed to last for the life of your automobile. This being said, they are subjected to harsh conditions in the engine and they can start to leak. When this happens, you will notice one or more of the following signs listed by Buellton Garage. If you suspect that your vehicle has a vacuum leak, bring it to our shop. We will inspect the vacuum hoses to find the one that is leaking. Once we have located it, we will replace it.
Hesitating or Stalling Engine
One of the primary problems that accompany a vacuum leak is a hesitating or stalling engine. When a vacuum hose springs a leak, it fills the engine with air. Unfortunately, extra air can make its way into the combustion chamber and directly affect your engine’s performance. Too much air will cause the engine to hesitate when you try to accelerate and when you are driving at faster speeds. In severe cases, your engine may also stall frequently because there isn’t enough fuel in the engine to sustain ignition.
High or Sporadic Engine Idle
You will also notice a difference in how your engine idles. Your tachometer needle will register higher than normal while you are driving your automobile. In some cases, it will also balance up and down because the vacuum pressure is leaking out of the hose in spurts. With each influx of air, the tachometer needle will balance upward. If you notice that your tachometer needle is acting funny lately, it’s possible that your engine has a vacuum leak that needs to be fixed.
Strange Noises in the Engine
In most cases, you will also be able to hear the vacuum leak. Listen carefully for hissing, squealing, or suction sounds coming from the engine when it is running. All three noises point to a vacuum leak in one of the vacuum hoses.
Check Engine Warning Light
Finally, the check engine light will turn on when your engine has a vacuum leak. This is most likely being caused by the imbalance of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. As your engine struggles to run, system sensors will send error codes to the main computer chip. Once the chip receives these codes, it will turn on the check engine light.
Call Buellton Garage in Buellton, CA, today if you believe your engine has a vacuum leak. As we mentioned above, we can find the leak and fix it.
