It’s that time of year again when hardcore auto enthusiasts start pulling covers off their rides and getting them ready for the upcoming cruising season. Fuel injection specialist, Fitech, offers a variety of fuel injection systems designed to update vintage muscle cars and classics with fuel-efficient, maintenance-free EFI. To help clarify for owners of Fitech EFI systems, and to illustrate how beneficial swapping to EFI systems can be, the folks at Fitech have put together a quick video that goes through the steps of bringing your Fitech fuel-injected car or truck back to life after a long wintery slumber.

Prepping the car for winter usually consisted of putting some fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank (you DO use fuel stabilizer, don’t you), and keeping the battery safe from the freeze. Many enthusiasts remember all too well the possible effort needed to bring a vintage, carb-bearing classic back out of the garage once the salt has cleared the roads.

Of course, the main point of this video, and a major selling point of electronic fuel injection, is the lack of a list of things needed to successfully put your car back on the road. We do have to say, that things can happen. Sensors can go bad, fuel lines age; and critters don’t care how much you love your car or truck’s wiring, hoses, or interior and exterior surfaces. That said, you will want to give the car a once-over, making sure that nothing unexpected has occurred while you were out singing Christmas carols, making snowballs, and searching for something cheap to slide into with your winter ride.

A quick look under the hood can tell you a lot if anything has changed from when you left it. This is also a great time to re-install that battery. If everything looks good, go ahead and turn the key on. This will engage the electric fuel pump so that fuel will start circulating.

EFI systems operate at a much higher fuel pressure than carburetion. An electric fuel pump, whether in-tank, like this universal fuel pump assembly from Fitech or external, will give consistent fuel pressure, even before the engine starts. A bonus for a quick start-up in the springtime.

This is one of the key benefits of an electronic fuel injection system. With a carb, fuel resides in a fuel bowl, until it is drawn through the jets and into the running engine. If the engine isn’t running, the fuel just sits in the bowl. Over the winter, that fuel has plenty of time to evaporate. Over time, that can leave crud behind, in the jets, needle jet, or ports inside the carb. With EFI, the fuel system is not open to the atmosphere like a carb, and by turning on the key, fuel is quickly supplied to the injectors for quick starting.

With the engine up and running, it’s a good idea to check the Fitech controller and make sure there are no codes present, which could indicate a failed sensor or something else. Once everything checks out, you’re now ready to hit the road and start making memories this cruising season.

As the fuel pressure builds, check for any leaks. Then, go ahead and fire up the engine and check there are no codes present. As your car’s engine comes up to operating temperature, both you and your car are now ready to hit the open road. Your Fitech (or any modern, self-tuning EFI system) will continue to adjust your engine’s fuel trim to keep you operating at peak efficiency all through the cruising season!