TBI –throttle body injection systems

• History of fuel injection

• Principles of operation of fuel injection systems
• Functions of major components
• Purpose of various sensors
• Pressure regulator
• Idle air control

Why fuel injection

• Remember what was wrong with the old Rochester carburetor?

• Not dynamic – cant change for changing conditions – rich lean
• Higher emissions
• Lower fuel economy
• Fuel injection is adaptive to conditions and demands = lower emissions and
improved fuel economy

History of fuel injection

• When was it invented - 1906 oroville & Wilber wright used a simple fuel
injector on their historic first flight
• Bosch created & used diesel injectors in the 1920’s
• 1949 – Hillborn used injection system in the Indianapolis 500
• 1957 rochester ram – jet on the 1957 chevrolet
• But they were all mechanical injectors

Who had the first electronic injection system

• 1958 – Desoto adventurer – one year only

• 1975 – GM – Cadillac Seville – digital port fuel injection (DFI)
• 1992 – GM – (TBI) throttle body injection

Computer controlled carburetors

• An early attempt to use computer control of fuel mix without injectors
• Quadra jet feedback
• Mixture control solenoid
• Modern computer controls
• Computer controlled but still a carb
• Choke
• Accelerator pump
• Jets and metering
• Power valves
• Diaphragms and linkage
• Still has wet intake

Types of fuel injection

• Fuel injection can identified into three different categories

• How – mechanical or electrical
• When – continuously or pulsed
• Where – throttle body or port

Electronic pulsed TBI

• Throttle body injection

○ System delivers fuel from a nozzle’s into the air above the throttle
plate
○ Has a base or throttle body just like a carburetor , but with injectors
○ Injection point is at the throttle not port
○ Eliminates float, needle & seat, choke, accelerator pump, and metering
valve

Components

• Injector
• Throttle body
• Throttle valves
• Pressure regulator
• Idle speed / air control

Injectors
 • Injectors are solenoids
• On/off
• Richer – longer on
• 12 volt
• Fuel pressure with ignition or cranking
• 12 volts at all times
• Computer supplies ground
• Solenoid energizes
• Pintle opens
• Pulse width

Pulse width

• Pulse width is the duration of on – time

• Pulse time is variable
• Could be 1 ms to 1 hour (theoretically)
• Not percent of time, but length of time “Clock time”

Throttle body injection

• The computer controls injector pulsing in one of two ways

○ Synchronized
○ Non-synchronized
• If the system uses a synchronized mode, the insider pulses once for each
distributor or crankshaft reference pulse.
• If a non-synchronized system, the injectors are pulsed once during a given
period (which varies according to calibration)
• A long pulse width delivers more fuel

Throttle bodies

• Throttle bodies are the casting that holds the throttle plates, injectors, idle
control, & pressure regulator.
• Single or dual throttle plates
• Single is one injector & throttle plate (4 cylinder)
• Dual two injector / plate ( 6 & 8 cylinder )

Tbi diagnostic

Objectives
• System check
• No start
• Drivability

Visual inspection

• Check the air filter and replace as needed

• Check the air induction system for holes/obstructions
• Check the conditions of all vacuum hoses. Replace any hose that is split, soft
(mushy),or brittle
• Check the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve for proper operation or
replacement as needed
• Check all fuel injection electrical connections for corrosion or damage
• Check EGR for operation and leaks
• Check EGO O2’s sensors
• Always check the fuel pressure

No start diagnostics

• Low / high or No fuel pressure

• Excessive “flooded” or not enough fuel
• Bad gas
• Vapor lock
• Bad injectors
• No fuel
• No signal
• Fuse “Fuel pump”

Too much fuel – flooded

• Flooded – with no problems – clear flood mode – to duplicate how you cleared
out a carburetor – hold pedal to the flood – shuts off fuel to injections
• High fuel pressure – check specs/fuel pump/return restriction/fuel pressure
regulator
• Is there fuel in the oil (smells fuel, overfull) change oil

Pressure regulator diagnostics

• The regulator should hold vacuum, if the vacuum drops, replace the fuel
pressure regulator

To much fuel still

• Leaking injectors – visually look at the injectors
• Ignition off is it dripping fuel
• Pressure on gauge will drop if leaking
• Replace injectors

No start no fuel

• Check pump for power

• Fuse
• Pump making noise
• Voltage at the pump
• Ground at pump
• Pump is ok – running but no start
• Check-replace fuel filter
• Check for fuel line problems or damage
• Check for fuel through injectors

• With fuel pressure gauge attached

• Hook up tester to battery and injector plug
• Cycle ignition key on and off once to build fuel pressure
• Fuel injector and note pressure loss
• All injectors should pass fuel and should lose the same amount of pressure

• What if you have pressure at the rail – but the injectors didn’t pass fuel
• Test for injector power and ground
• 2 wires at the injectors
• 12 volt power with ignition
• Ground pulse through PCM

Test injector for pulse

• A noid light is designed to electrically replace the injector in the circuit and to
flash if the injector circuit is working correctly
• Like a test light
• Check for both power and ground
• Comes in kit
• Disconnect injector and plug noid light into harness
• Crank engine
• Light should flash with on/off cycle
• No power check fuse and circuit
• No ground check PCM

Check for codes

• ECT-cold , open loop

• O2’s – rich/lean O2’s functioning
• EGR-stuck open
• TPS – glitch, stumble
• Evap, MAP, IAC, ECT….

Fuel injector service

• Check fuel pump operating pressure and volume

• The fuel pressure reg. for operation and leakage
• Flush the entire fuel rail and upper fuel injection screens including the fuel
pressure regulator
• Check the fuel injectors
• Change the RPM often during
• Decarbon the engine assembly
• Clean the throttle plate and idle air control passages
• Relearn the onboard computer