How to Restore Lost Power in an Old Car

Last Updated: October 10, 2020

As cars get older, they lose power due to wear and tear. Sometimes this can cause a negative effect on fuel economy and/or emissions. Furthermore, the car will become less exciting to drive. This article may help you to restore your car's performance to the manufacturers' specifications without adding extreme modifications. Get started at step number one below.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Cleaning the Fuel System

1
Add a fuel cleaning additive to your fuel. As cars get older, lots of dirty deposits build up along the fuel lines making it harder for fuel to get to the engine. Adding a fuel cleaning additive to your car (as stated in the instructions on the bottle) will help clean these deposits out.
2
Drive the car for a week in order to make sure the fuel additive has had time to clean all these deposits. It will take a little bit of time for the fuel cleaning additive to mix with the fuel and to reach the engine.
- If the car runs worse than before, change the fuel filter. This is because the deposits that the cleaner has removed from the fuel tank has clogged up the fuel filter.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Cleaning Fuel Injectors

Fuel injectors are normally maintenance free components of the engine. However, carbon (over the years) gradually builds up in them, causing the engine to burn more fuel than it needs to. Cleaning the fuel injectors will, therefore, improve your fuel economy and reduce your carbon footprint. This is how to do it.

1
Purchase a fuel injector cleaning kit and a fuel injector cleaner.
- These can be found at most auto repair shops or online.
2
Make sure the car has its engine switched off and its handbrake engaged before doing anything else.
3
Disconnect the fuel pump from the injectors by removing the fuel pump relay.
- This is because you don't want fuel from the fuel pump entering the engine or else the injectors won't be cleaned.
4
Crank the engine for 5-10 seconds to make sure it does NOT start.
- If the engine starts, there is still fuel being fed to the engine.
5
Disconnect the pressure regulator and open the fuel filler cap.
- This is to prevent excess pressure from building up in the fuel tank.
6
Add the fuel injector cleaner into the canister that comes with the fuel injector cleaner kit.
7
Connect the pipe onto the fuel rail.
- This is so the fuel injector cleaner can supply the supplying fuel to the engine.
8
Connect the air supply to the tool.
- This is what powers the tool.
9
Hang the canister on the bonnet/hood.
10
Start the engine and wait about 5-10 minutes.
- The fuel injector cleaner will now be flowing around the engine. When the engine stalls and there's no fuel injector cleaner left, the cleaner has done its job.
11
Disconnect all the fuel injector cleaner apparatus and place the apparatus back into the package it came in.
- This is so you don't lose any parts to the apparatus or (even worse) trip on any apparatus that might be lying around.
12
Reconnect the fuel pump and close the fuel filler cap.
13
Start the engine and go for a test drive.
- You should notice that the car's engine should feel more responsive and notice better fuel economy.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Doing a Service

1
Park the car on a dry, level surface.
2
Leave for about 10 minutes and check for any leaks.
- If petrol/oil is leaking, this is dangerous as petrol/oil is highly flammable. Furthermore, it is very slippery which could cause loss of control for other vehicles. Not only that, it prevents the fluids from doing their jobs correctly as the leaking fluid cannot reach the engine.
3
Change the air filter. Air filters get clogged up with dirt (or sometimes leaves) over the years which will restrict the amount of air that can flow into the engine resulting in less fuel being burnt in air making the combustion process harder to take place. Changing the air filter will improve air flow into the engine resulting in a better fuel:air ratio.
4
Change the oil and oil filter in your engine. As time goes on, microscopic pieces of metal (from within the engine) end up in the oil which causes extra friction within the engine. This restricts the engine components ability to move. Changing the oil and filter will be less viscous than the oil you took out making the engine much more rev happy.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Ignition system (Gasoline/Petrol Engines Only)

1
Replace the HT leads and the spark plugs. The ignition system is what ignites the fuel in the engine. If the spark plugs do not function properly, it will reduce the engines ability to ignite fuel making it run poorly. Replacing the HT leads and the spark plugs will make sure the engine can ignite fuel.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Ignition System (Diesels Only)

1
Replace the glow plugs. Diesels do not use spark plugs (like gasoline engines) as diesels rely purely on compression to ignite fuel. The more compressed the gas is, the hotter it is and the hotter the engine, the easier it is for diesel to ignite.Glow plugs are used to provide heat for the diesel engine and are powered by the battery. When it's very warm outside, their role isn't very important but when the temperature is cold, they are vital.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I have to buy new pistons for my car to have more power, or should I just clean them with a dump cloth and put new engine oil?

Uglymug18

Community Answer

No. Also, you shouldn't be digging this far into your engine unless you are a skilled mechanic. Rarely do pistons themselves go bad, but rather the piston rings, in which case cleaning them will do no good.

Warnings

If you do not feel confident with any of these steps, let a professional mechanic undertake these steps.

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Most of those fuel cleaners are a scam and do nothing to help clean your fuel system. It is, therefore, worthwhile to do your own research on deciding which fuel cleaner will be best for your engine. Do not trust all the feedback testimonials they place on their sites either.

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When draining the oil from underneath the car, lift the car using a car ramp or a solid jack both on a level surface and fit several axle stands under the car. If you still don't feel safe, take a wheel off the car and place it under the car so if the car were to fall, it most probably won't crush you.

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Use of an inspection pit is NOT recommended. Toxic gas from the car's exhaust can collect in the pit which could cause unconsciousness or even death if not filtered properly. In the event of a fire, an inspection pit could impede your escape which could result in death.

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Used engine oil must be disposed of properly. It is your responsibility to check where the nearest oil recycling centre is.

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If, after all these steps, your engine doesn't return to anywhere near the same performance specs as when it left the factory, there could be engine wear and tear. They can only be fixed by rebuilding the engine completely, such as the loss of compression in the cylinders, etc.

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Used engine oil is carcinogenic. It is therefore advisable to wear rubber gloves or eye protection (if you want even further peace of mind). However, if any engine oil lands on the skin, just wash it off thoroughly with some soap immediately.

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