SPECIAL FOCUS: ENGINES
By Tom Billigen
Electronic Fuel Injection Questions
—Answered
Skepticism about the technology is quickly fading as more professionals experience the benefits of today’s electronic fuel injection engines.
The buzz of fuel savings as high as 25 percent with electronic fuel injection caught people’s attention.
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n the late 1970s, electronic fuel injection (EFI) and power windows were both high-end options in the automotive industry—available only on products that could justify the added cost. Like many high-end options, their price and reliability eventually reached a point where they became standard on most vehicles. By the late ‘90s, nearly every passenger vehicle in the world was powered by an EFI engine and power windows could be found on all but the lowest price-point models. While EFI replaced carburetors as the standard for automobiles, it took off rather slowly for small engines due to the cost of the initial EFI systems and the lack of a proven track record. When something works adequately for decades, as carburetors did, talk of change is often met with skepticism. As cost-effective EFI enters the market, however, skepticism is quickly fading as more professionals experience the benefits of today’s EFI engines.
What Are the Benefits?
In recent years, the buzz of fuel savings as high as 25 percent with EFI caught people’s attention. By creating a nearly perfect air-fuel mixture, and adjusting the ratio based on load, throttle response and air intake, EFI optimizes fuel efficiency and power in ways a carburetor cannot match. And while fuel savings vary by industry, application and engine family, the 25 percent mark makes the reality of a return on investment (ROI) more tangible. On commercial turf, where engines run for hours on end at a relatively steady RPM, the opportunity to reap the benefits of these fuel savings becomes real fast. Another enticing benefit of EFI engines is reliable choke-less starting. While seasoned operators may argue that starting equipment is not a significant problem, contractors tasked with training inexperienced employOn commercial turf, the opportunity to reap the benefits of electronic fuel injection fuel savings becomes real fast.
22 GREEN INDUSTRY PROS
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APRIL 2018
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www.greenindustrypros.com
4/6/18 2:09 PM