Repair Instead of Exchange | 1

Repair Instead of Exchange

Bosch is now ready to launch repair stage 3 for Common Rail injectors, making it possible for workshops
to apply tolerances of 1 m. Being able to fully repair injectors opens up whole new avenues for car repair
garages when it comes to saving money on diesel repairs.

The repair of Common Rail injectors

requires maximum cleanliness.
Repair stage 1 only involves
replacement of the nozzle.
Photo: Linzing

Car repair garages have to prepare to

job is carried out improperly. Thats

washers of the injector control area

handle increasing numbers of diesel

why maximum sanitary conditions

as well signs of wear around the sole-

vehicles in their everyday workshop

are the No. 1 Rule in repairing

noid valve group. The Bosch customer

lives. There are already lots of older

components.

service field repair concept (FIS) now

vehicles with long service lives out

Market situations at the time first

offers with three repair stages solu-

there using Common Rail systems.

called for the Bosch customer service

tions for all existing problem areas.

Once they lose a high-pressure com-

engineers to develop a repair method

ponent, not even Exchange, the parts

for Common Rail high-pressure

Stage 1:

replacement programme offered by

pumps. Following numerous tests

Nozzle Replacement

Bosch for several years now, doesnt

and close coordination with Boschs

The first repair stage concerns the

always allow economically feasible re-

diesel engineers, they then gradu-

replacement of nozzles. In this

pairs. Therefore, the situation called

ally readied three repair stages for

procedure, the injectors undergo a

for the development of repair meth-

Common Rail injectors of the first

visual inspection and ultrasound bath

ods for high-pressure components

and second generation (with solenoid

followed by an entry test on a pump

to enable workshops to serve this

valve control) for market production.

test bench. If an injector only needs a

customer group as well.

For end consumers, repairing Com-

nozzle replacement, it is placed in a

mon Rail injectors is about 50 percent

special holding device. Diesel special-

Narrow Tolerances

more cost-efficient than using a

ists can then take out the nozzle-re-

The problem is that the repair of

replacement part.

taining nut and remove the defective

Common Rail components can be

Common Rail injectors are long-last-

nozzle.

rather tricky. Factories assemble the

ing components. However, extreme

Then the partially disassembled injec-

components under pollutant-free con-

conditions of use coupled with poor

tor is again thoroughly cleaned in the

ditions with tolerances in the neigh-

fuel quality are factors leading to

ultrasound bath. The final step is to

bourhood of 1 m. Even the tiniest

their early wear. The most common

mount a new nozzle and reassemble

of dirt particles can entail downtime

type of damage occurs to injection

the injector using a special assembly

and result in costly damage if a repair

nozzles, leaking high-pressure sealing

device. In the process, screwing the

Reference: amz Diesel spezial 9/2009

2 | Reparatur statt Tausch

ment of the high-pressure sealing

washer and, where necessary, the in-

Repair stage 2 involves

disassembling the whole
injector and replacing only the
high-pressure sealing washer.
Photo: Linzing

jection nozzle. All other components

such as the solenoid valve group and
the valve set will be reused. In terms
of cleanliness at the workplace and
careful adherence to the individual
work steps, this stage is subject to
the same guidelines as those of repair
stage 1. Bosch has developed special
holding devices and tools for this
repair stage too.
Stage 3:

nozzle-retaining nut to the injector

five load impacts and analysing the

Complete Repair

is one of the determining factors in

injected quantities. If necessary, an

For Bosch customer service engi-

making the repair a success. Even the

injector receives a new code, which

neers, repair stage 3 presents a genu-

tiniest inaccuracies can result in leaks

then has to be programmed into the

ine quantum leap in workshop serv-

between the injector components. To

vehicles ECU.

ice. Ready to launch even now, it will

this end, Boschs customer serv-

be available starting in late 2009. The

ice and research engineers worked

Stage 2:

idea was for workshops to be able to

together to develop a special screw-

High-pressure Sealing

recondition solenoid-valve-controlled

fitting process specifically for work-

Washer Replacement

injectors for motor and commercial

shop applications, which, if precisely

The second repair stage developed

vehicles into a ready-made state.

adhered to, yields the same stability

by Bosch concerns the high-pressure

Stage 3 now enables diesel special-

as that of screw-fitting processes

sealing washer. This repair method

ists to repair valve sets and magnet

used for mass production on costly

is employed whenever one or more in-

assemblies as well or, if necessary, to

machinery.

jectors are diagnosed with excessive

replace injector bodies. One particu-

Once repaired, the injectors have

return quantities.

lar challenge involves calibrating the

to pass another inspection on the

In this repair stage, injectors are dis-

function parameters such as valve

test bench. An automatic test run is

assembled completely. Their reassem-

spring strength, residual air gap,

applied to examining a minimum of

bly, however, only involves replace-

nozzle spring strength, needle lift,

excess lift and armature stroke. All
of these require tolerances around 1
m. In order to make this possible in

After the injectors have been

repaired, they have to pass
thorough testing before they
can be reinstalled.
Photo: Linzing

workshops, the specialists at Bosch

looked to mass production processes
for their tool design. These tools
include a special, pneumatically supported dial gauge, diverse measuring
adapters, shims, a software-supported torque wrench, controls for armature stroke and measurement pneumatics, plus a specially developed

Reference: amz Diesel spezial 9/2009

Repair Instead of Exchange | 3

mounting plate. At the core of repair

stage 3, however, is a special type of

Repair Stage 3 Factory-made Precision

software that provides diesel mechan-

Repair stage 3 for Common Rail injectors requires the kind of precision

ics with the organisational set-up of

usually found only in factories. To bring that kind of precision to the

all the tools and adapters to be used

workshops as well, Bosch has designed tools and test equipment

and with all the necessary set-points.

based on those used for mass production.

The full set makes it possible to work

on injectors with the same degree of
precision as in the factory.

Test set-up

Injector Repair Is for Specialists

The repair of Common Rail injectors
is exclusively reserved for specialised
workshops with the corresponding
technical equipment. These are usu-

Shims

ally Bosch Diesel Centers, which list

pump test bench EPS 815 and measuring equipment for testing Common
Rail injectors as well as the necessary tools among their inventories.
Workshops lacking the equipment

Software

or trained personnel for it, should

never attempt to repair Common Rail
injectors for reuse themselves. Thats
because untested injectors can cause
heavy damage to engines. The three
repair stages not only offer diesel
services fascinating opportunities to

Controls for armature stroke

and pneumatics

expand their workshops. By working

together with specialists within their
vicinities, general service garages can
offer motorists cutting-edge diesel
repair service as well.

Software-aided rotational/
torque wrench

Digital dial gauge

for tolerances of 1 m

Mounting plate

Measuring adapters

Reference: amz Diesel spezial 9/2009