How A Car's Fuel Delivery System Works

Knowledge about the inner workings of the cars we drive on a daily basis it not typically high on our list of priorities. Of course, while it is not mandatory to know about the nuts and bolts of your car, a little knowledge can help you avoid some future expenses for repairs, maintenance and fuel costs. With an eye towards building that knowledge, let's take a look at how a car's fuel delivery system works.

We are going to move through the fuel delivery system of the car beginning with the fuel tank. Fuel starts at the pump hose where you purchase it and enters the tank where it remains until called into use to be sent to the engine. Fuel tanks vary in size with the type of vehicle but they all function identically.

One of the most important parts of the fuel system is the fuel pump. The fuel pump is actually located in the fuel tank. It looks like a pole sitting on a platform, which is really the filter. The pump's job is to pull the fuel through the filter and into the fuel tube, which takes it through the fuel line into the engine.

The gas is pressed through yet another filter closer to the engine because the cleaner the fuel the better the engine performs. After going through the second filter, the gasoline runs along a fuel rail located across the top of the engine. The rail then has lines leading to the fuel injectors, which then spray the gasoline into the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber is the area in which the energy propelling your vehicle forward as you press the gas pedal occurs.

The above described system has changed very little during the last 40 years of the existence of the internal combustion engine. There have been improvements to the filters and the delivery is now computer controlled to boost performance. This is remarkable considering the many changes made in other areas of auto function and design.

Now that you know the basics of the fuel delivery system of your car you should be able to see the value of learning about additional components that make your car function such as gears, tires and engines.

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