A vacuum hose leak in the engine is rare, but it can happen. Ashton Automotive & Performance can inspect your high-performance engine if you notice any of the following problems. These are signs that one of the vacuum hoses in the engine is leaking.
The Tachometer Needle Is Dancing
If the tachometer needle on the dashboard is bouncing up and down, a vacuum hose is releasing vacuum pressure in spurts. These spurts because the engine’s RPMs to rev higher. You may also notice that your high-performance engine’s RPMs are consistently high. This is a sign that the vacuum leak is a steady one. Until you have the vacuum hose replaced, you will have problems with the engine’s RPMs.
The Engine Is Struggling to Perform
You will also have problems with your engine performance in general. The leaking vacuum hose increases the amount of air that is found in the engine. Unfortunately, when there is too much air in the engine, the engine struggles to run. The air is overtaking the fuel in the combustion chamber, and, as a consequence, your high-performance engine is being fuel-starved.
Your Gas Mileage Is Horrible
This will also affect the gas mileage you get out of your high-performance engine. Unfortunately, the gas mileage will be reduced significantly. If you keep track of your gas mileage every time you fill your tank, you will notice this problem. If you don’t, you may not realize at first that you are having to fill the tank more often.
You Can Hear Strange Engine Noises
A vacuum leak can also cause your high-performance engine to make strange noises while it is running. Specifically, the vacuum hose may squeal or hiss as the vacuum pressure escapes. Some of our customers have also reported hearing a suction noise coming from the engine. This sound points to a more severe leak in the vacuum hose.
The Check Engine Light Turned On
Finally, as the engine fills with air from the leaking vacuum hose, you may have one or more of the engine’s sensors reporting error codes to the main computer chip. This will cause the chip to turn on the check engine light to let you know that there is a problem with the engine.
Call Ashton Automotive & Performance in Killeen, TX, today if your vehicle is having any of the problems discussed above. We can find the vacuum leak and replace the hose.
