Four Signs of an Engine Vacuum Leak in Your European Automobile

Did you know that your European automobile uses vacuum pressure to power accessories and components? It’s true. Peak Euro explains that the engine vacuum is recycled through a series of hoses to help power things such as your power steering pump. If your engine develops a vacuum leak, you might notice some of these components operating erratically or not at all. Here are four other signs that your European automobile has a vacuum leak in the engine.

1. The Check Engine Light Is On

Your check engine light covers a lot of problems, and a vacuum leak is one of them. When the vacuum pressure starts to leak out of the vacuum hose, your engine fills up with unnecessary air. This unnecessary air can confuse things like the mass airflow sensor and, as a result, cause it to send an error code to the engine control module. When this happens, the check engine light comes on.

2. You’re Having Engine Problems

You will also notice that your engine is having problems. What is normally and efficient engine that has plenty of get-up-and-go will now be a stuttering engine that lags when you try to accelerate. This is because there is too much air in the engine and, as a consequence, this excess air is starving the engine of fuel. This can be caused by the vacuum pressure leaking out of the hoses.

3. Your Engine RPMs Are Wonky

You may also notice that your engine RPMs have become unpredictable. Your engine may rev too high at times and then, at other times, the revolutions may go up and down. You may notice that your tachometer needle is bouncing around because the RPMs are sporadic. The reason why a vacuum leak causes this to happen is that the air temporarily increases the engine’s revolutions when it comes spurting out of the vacuum hose. Unfortunately, you will continue to have wonky RPMs until you get the vacuum leak fixed.

4. You Can Hear the Suction

Finally, you will be able to hear the suction from the vacuum leak. If you listen carefully with your engine idling in the hood open, you should be able to hear the suction sounds coming from the broken vacuum hose. You may also hear whining sounds or hissing sounds depending on the size of the vacuum leak.

Peak Euro in Bend, OR, can fix your engine vacuum leak. Call us today to schedule an appointment for your European automobile.