If your car’s engine is making a strange hissing sound, it’s possible that one of the vacuum hoses is leaking. The vacuum pressure that is produced in the combustion chamber is routed through the hoses to power engine components such as the power steering pump. HCS Auto Repair can replace the leaking vacuum hose if you are having any of the following problems with your automobile.
Hissing or Suction Engine Noises
Aside from hissing noises, you may also hear suction sounds coming from the engine. These suction sounds mimic the noise that the hose from a shop vac makes. Either noise is an indication that you have a vacuum leak in your vehicle’s engine. It’s important to have the vacuum leak fixed as soon as possible to avoid the problems we are going to discuss next.
An Erratic Tachometer Needle
One thing that will happen with a vacuum leak is your engine’s RPMs will become erratic. When the vacuum hose releases the vacuum pressure into the engine, the RPMs surge. Consequently, you will see your tachometer needle moving up and down erratically. This is a sign that the engine is getting spurts of vacuum pressure from the leaking vacuum hose.
Engine Performance Problems
Unfortunately, the leaking vacuum hose will also cause engine performance problems because of the excess vacuum pressure being released into the engine. You will notice that it is harder to get your automobile to accelerate when you press down on the accelerator. The engine will also sputter and struggle to run, and you will feel the engine idle roughly when you are sitting at an idle.
A Reduction in Fuel Economy
All of these things can reduce your vehicle’s fuel economy. If the engine is struggling to run, it will burn through the gasoline or diesel fuel more quickly. Consequently, you will need to fill the tank more often even though you won’t want to because of the gas prices. Repairing the leaking vacuum hose can help restore your engine’s performance, and, therefore, the fuel economy.
Illuminated Check Engine Light
Finally, the sensors in your engine will send error codes to the main computer chip because the engine is not running efficiently. When this happens, the computer chip will turn on the check engine light to let you know that there is a problem in the engine.
HCS Auto Repair in Springdale, AR, would be happy to help if you suspect your engine has a leaking vacuum hose. Call us today to set up an appointment.
