can bad fuel injectors cause a car not to start

[Adriel]

Yes, absolutely. Bad fuel injectors can prevent your car from starting, but it's important to understand how and when this happens. A no-start condition is typically a more severe symptom of injector failure. For the engine to run, it needs a precise mix of fuel, air, and spark. Faulty injectors disrupt the fuel part of this equation by not delivering gasoline to the cylinders.

The most common way this occurs is when injectors become clogged or completely stuck shut. Instead of spraying a fine, atomized mist of fuel into the engine, they may only drip fuel or fail to open at all. This results in a "no-fuel" situation in the combustion chambers. You might crank the engine and hear it turning over, but without fuel to ignite, it will not start. Another, less common, scenario is injectors that are stuck open, which can flood the engine with too much fuel, also preventing combustion.

However, it's crucial to note that a no-start issue is more often caused by problems with the battery, starter, or ignition system. Before assuming the injectors are the culprit, it's wise to check for these more frequent issues first.

Common No-Start Cause	Typical Symptoms	Relative Probability (as Primary Cause)
Dead Battery	Clicking sound, no crank, dim lights	Very High
Faulty Starter Motor	Single click, no engine crank	High
Ignition Switch/System Failure	No crank, no dash lights	High
Bad Fuel Pump	Engine cranks but won't start, no hum from fuel tank	Moderate
Clogged Fuel Filter	Cranks but won't start, may have prior power loss	Moderate
Severely Clogged Fuel Injectors	Cranks but won't start, may have had prior misfires	Low to Moderate
Flooded Engine (e.g., from leaky injectors)	Strong gasoline smell after cranking	Low

If you've ruled out the electrical system and suspect a fuel delivery issue, a mechanic can perform a fuel pressure test and an injector flow test to diagnose the injectors definitively. Addressing clogged injectors early, often with a professional fuel system cleaning, can prevent them from progressing to a point where they cause a no-start.

[WalkerAnn]

From my experience, it's usually not the first thing I check. If the car was running rough, sputtering, or losing power for a while before it finally quit, then yeah, bad injectors could be the reason it won't start now. But nine times out of ten, a no-start is something simpler like a dead battery or a bad starter. Listen when you turn the key: if it's cranking strong but just not firing, then you can start thinking about fuel issues, including the injectors.

[VanRichard]

Think of it like a blocked garden hose. If your fuel injectors are too clogged with dirt and deposits, they can't spray fuel into the engine properly. Without that fuel mist, there's nothing to ignite, so the engine will just crank and crank without ever starting. This doesn't usually happen suddenly; you'll often notice signs first, like the engine shaking at stoplights or worse gas mileage. Using a good quality fuel injector cleaner periodically can help prevent this.

[DeMason]

It can, but it's a specific kind of failure. If an injector gets stuck wide open, it can dump raw gasoline into the cylinder, flooding the engine. A flooded engine won't start because the excess fuel soaks the spark plugs. You'd probably smell a strong gas odor. The fix is sometimes as simple as holding the gas pedal to the floor while cranking, which tells the computer to cut fuel and clear the flood. But the leaky injector itself would still need to be replaced.