What are the symptoms of a damaged intake manifold?
2 Answers
Symptoms of a damaged intake manifold: Mainly caused by cracks leading to air leakage, resulting in high idle speed, weak acceleration, stalling during acceleration, and failure to start if the cracks are severe. Below is more relevant information: How the intake manifold works: For port fuel injection engines or diesel engines, the intake manifold simply distributes clean air to each cylinder's intake port. The intake manifold must distribute the air-fuel mixture or clean air as evenly as possible to each cylinder. To achieve this, the length of the gas flow channels inside the intake manifold should be as equal as possible. To reduce gas flow resistance and improve intake efficiency, the inner walls of the intake manifold should be smooth. Consequences of a damaged intake manifold: The intake manifold must distribute the air-fuel mixture or clean air as evenly as possible to each cylinder. To achieve this, the length of the gas flow channels inside the intake manifold should be as equal as possible. To reduce gas flow resistance and improve intake efficiency, the inner walls of the intake manifold should be smooth. If the intake manifold is damaged, it will cause air leakage, reduced gas pressure, and weakened intake efficiency. This leads to decreased engine power. Insufficient air intake can also increase carbon buildup.
After driving for so many years, I've noticed that when the intake manifold is damaged, the car shows very obvious symptoms. At idle, the engine shakes violently, even the steering wheel trembles; when accelerating, it feels powerless, like stepping on cotton—soft and unresponsive, especially when going uphill. You can often hear a hissing sound of air leakage, noticeable even when parking. Fuel consumption increases significantly—I once spent an extra hundred or so on gas in a month. The check engine light usually comes on, and an OBD scan shows a problem with the air-fuel mixture imbalance. In severe cases, the car may emit black smoke, and the exhaust fumes smell pungent. If left unrepaired, the engine can easily overheat and stall, even damaging critical components like the spark plugs. So, I recommend checking it out as soon as these signs appear, to avoid wasting money like I did by delaying repairs.
