You’d be surprised how much a vacuum leak can make operating your vehicle difficult. First of all, some of the automobile’s components use vacuum pressure for power. For example, the power steering pump is one of those components, and a vacuum leak can make steering your automobile a problem. The vacuum leak is usually found in one of the vacuum hoses. Stringer Auto Repair can replace the leaking vacuum hose and stop the following problems.
Check Engine Light Warning
Oftentimes, alongside the issues listed below, your vehicle’s main computer chip will turn on the check engine light when the car, truck, or utility vehicle has a vacuum leak. The check engine light will remain lit until the vacuum leak is fixed because the problems that the vacuum leak is causing will not go away until that time. The check engine light is a catch-all dashboard warning light, and one of the problems it reports is an engine vacuum leak.
Engine Hesitation or Stalls
The reason why a vacuum leak creates hesitation and stalling conditions in the engine is that the engine is filling with air. The air begins to starve the engine of fuel, and, consequently, you will end up with engine performance issues as a result. You may notice that your engine hesitates when you press down on the accelerator and when you are driving at high speeds. The engine may stall when you are sitting at an idle. These issues will continue until you get the vacuum leak fixed.
High or Sporadic Idling
In addition to the engine stalling, you may also notice that your idle is high or sporadic. The way you can tell this is by looking at your tachometer needle. If the needle is dancing up and down, the revolutions-per-minute are going too high and then sinking too low because of the engine vacuum leak. As the vacuum leak introduces air into the engine in spurts, the RPMs increase. They drop after the initial increase until the next air spurt.
Hissing or Sucking Noises
Finally, you can hear an engine vacuum leak even if it is a minor one. Usually, when the leak isn’t too bad, you will hear hissing noises coming from the engine. This may also sound like whining sounds or whimpering sounds. For more severe vacuum leaks, the noise is sucking or suction, much like a vacuum cleaner.
Call Stringer Auto Repair in Johnstown, OH, today if you believe your automobile has a vacuum leak. We can find the leak and fix it.
