Like a Doctor, But For Your Car

Does Your Vehicle Have A Vacuum Leak? Know What To Look For

Have you ever heard of a vehicle having a vacuum leak? This is a problem when there is unmetered air that somehow gets into your vehicle's engine. Unmetered air is considered any air that is not sensed by the MAF or MAP sensor, which are two sensors that help control the amount of air that enters the engine. You'll end up with too much air in the engine's combustion changes, resulting in multiple problems that can happen.

Problems At Slow Speeds

A vacuum leak is going to cause problems when your vehicle is traveling at a slow speed, which includes while parked and idling. This happens due to the throttle plate being open a small amount at slow speeds, which makes the engine require less fuel. More air going into the engine at this time is going to cause problems at slow speeds as opposed to problems at high speeds.

Engine Error Codes

You'll likely see your service engine light turn on, which indicates that there is some sort of error code that can be identified. Error code P0300 is one of them, which identifies a problem with the engine misfiring. You can also get error codes indicating the air-to-fuel ratio is too lean due to there being too much air in the engine.

Hissing Sounds

A hissing noise can also occur due to an unwanted error entering the engine. The volume of the hissing noise can vary, but you can hear it better if you open the hood while the car is running. It really depends on how big the leak is and how much air is passing through it, which is why it is not consistent.

Engine Stalling

It's possible that your entire vehicle shuts down as a result of a vacuum leak. This is likely to happen as soon as you turn on the vehicle if the leak is big and too much air is entering the vehicle. If you give the engine more gas then the car may stay on for longer because the air-to-fuel ratio is closer to being ideal, but it will eventually stall.

Rough Idling

The vacuum leak may be small enough that it is causing the engine to misfire, but not disrupting it enough to shut down the engine. This can cause rough idling that is notable while you're parked or idling at a red light.

Not sure why your vehicle is behaving oddly? Have it inspected by a mechanic at a local company such as Coronado Shell.


Share