You’d be surprised how much havoc a vacuum leak can wreak in your engine. Service Masters can locate the leaking vacuum hose and replace it to restore your engine’s performance. We are going to list the signs that your car has a vacuum leak below. Bring your vehicle to our shop at the first indication of trouble.
Check Engine Warning
One of the first things that might happen is your check engine light may come on. This is because the vacuum pressure is being released into the engine and filling the engine with air. This creates problems that cause system sensors to report errors to your automobile’s main computer chip. Because the computer chip cannot fix the vacuum leak, it will turn on the check engine light to let you know there is a problem.
High or Sporadic RPMs
You may also see weird changes in your engine’s RPMs. They may be consistently high or they may be sporadic. Every time the vacuum pressure spurts out of the leaking vacuum hose, the RPMs increase. Consequently, you may be left with the dancing tachometer needle on the dashboard. If the vacuum leak is steady, the RPMs will be consistently high.
Hissing or Squealing Sounds
You might also hear hissing or squealing sounds coming from the engine. Specifically, the sounds are coming from the leaking vacuum hose. In some cases, a vacuum leak can also make a suction sound. This sounds a lot like the accessory hose on your household vacuum.
Malfunctioning Components
The reason why the engine’s vacuum pressure is routed through the engine in hoses is that it is used as a power source. For example, your car’s power steering pump gets its power from the vacuum pressure and accessory belt. Consequently, components like the power steering pump may start to malfunction if your engine has a vacuum leak.
Performance Problems
Even though the RPMs are higher than normal, you will have engine performance problems if you have a vacuum leak. Specifically, the engine will sputter and struggle to run because the vacuum leak is filling it with air.
Reduced Fuel Economy
Unfortunately, the sputtering will reduce your fuel economy because the engine will use more fuel to produce power. The only way to restore your engine’s performance and fuel economy is to replace the leaking vacuum hose.
Call Service Masters in Clearwater, FL, today if you suspect that your engine has a vacuum leak. We will inspect the engine and replace the leaking vacuum hose.