Did you know that some of the components in your engine use vacuum pressure for power? For example, your power steering pump is one component that relies on the vacuum produced in the combustion chamber to power it. Auto Service Kingston advises that this vacuum pressure is transported through the engine in hoses. If any of these hoses start to leak, you may begin to have problems with your vehicle’s components. In the case of the power steering pump, it may suddenly feel as if you are driving an automobile that is not equipped with power steering. This is just one sign that the engine has a vacuum leak. Here are four other signs of a vacuum leak.
1. Check Engine Warning
A lot of things will start to happen in your engine that will throw system sensors off. When this happens, they send error codes to the main computer chip, the engine control module. If the module cannot correct the problem itself, which in the case of a vacuum leak, it can’t, it will turn on the check engine light to alert you that there is something wrong with your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine.
2. High or Erratic RPMs
If the check engine light comes on, take a look at the tachometer to see what the needle is doing. If it is registering unusually high or dancing up and down, you probably have a vacuum leak in the engine. As the vacuum pressure escapes from the leaking hose, it increases your engine’s RPMs. Depending on whether the leak is steady or coming out in spurts, the tachometer needle will reflect those increases.
3. Performance Problems
You will also end up with engine performance problems that can get extremely frustrating when you try to drive your automobile. As the vacuum pressure escapes from the leaking hose, it fills your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s engine with air. This causes the engine to sputter, idle roughly, and stall in severe cases. You will also notice that it is harder to get your automobile to accelerate.
4. Strange Engine Noises
Finally, you may hear strange noises coming from the engine if there is a vacuum leak. For example, a minor vacuum leak will make hissing sounds and a major vacuum leak will make suction sounds.
Call Auto Service Kingston in Kingston, ON, today if you suspect that your automobile’s engine has a vacuum leak. We will schedule a service appointment for you.