Keep Your Car Engine's Fuel Pressure Steady with a Volvo Pre
by EVANDER KLUM
A Volvo car will not be able to run without a reliable pump that transports fuel from its tank to the vehicle��s engine. However, a Volvo fuel pump will also not be able to function without an equally efficient Volvo Pressure Regulator that delivers gasoline, at a steady high pressure, to the rest of the fuel system. A Volvo Fuel Pressure Regulator can be detected by following the fuel rail around a Volvo vehicle��s engine. The fuel rail is made of a pipe that transports fuel to the cold start valve and to all the fuel injectors. It enters the engine compartment on one side and goes out on the other side. The last component that the fuel rail gets to on its way out of the engine compartment is the pressure regulator.
As a key component of a Volvo vehicle��s fuel system, the Volvo Pressure Regulator functions with the fuel pump in maintaining steady pressure between the fuel line side of the intake manifold and of the fuel injectors. The ECU (Engine Control Unit) meters the fuel by making adjustments in the periods when the fuel injectors are maintained open. If there are pressure variations between the intake manifold and the fuel supply under different conditions, therefore, the volume of injected fuel consequently varies. The pressure in the fuel system must be reduced when, such as at high rpm, there is a high-level vacuum in the intake manifold. Inversely, the pressure in the fuel line must be increased when the pressure in the intake manifold is low. This usually applies when a Volvo vehicle runs at low speed or at full throttle operation. Under any condition, it is necessary that the pressure differential is maintained. The amount of fuel injected is dependent on the times when the injector is open. To keep the required fuel pressure constant, a separate line from the Volvo Pressure Regulator returns excess fuel to the tank. During engine shutdown, the Volvo Pressure Regulator also traps fuel so that vapor formation is avoided. Through this function, instant restarts are made possible and troubles caused by locked vapor are avoided.
The rise of pressure when the fuel return line is pinched indicates that a fuel pressure regulator is no longer performing as necessarily required. Although fuel pressure is not affected, problems result due to the fuel that finds its way into the vacuum lines. This usually happens when the diaphragm develops a leak. When a pressure regulator no longer works as expected, it can cause poor engine power, high fuel consumption, excessive emissions, difficulty in starting the engine, and leakage of fuel. Fuel odor is an indicator when this happens. Every time that a vehicle gets under hood service, it is generally advised by engine experts that technicians visually inspect the fuel system for leakage. By ensuring that the fuel system��s pressure setting is still at the right level after every 20,000 to 25,000 miles, Volvo owners are assured of sustained engine performance they need for the miles ahead.
