What does a fuel-injected engine have that prevents the loss of induction air if the air inlet filter should become covered with ice?

What does a fuel-injected engine have that prevents the loss of induction air if the air inlet filter should become covered with ice?

• A. A larger air inlet.
• B. An alternate air valve that allows warm air from inside the engine cowling to flow into the fuel metering system.
• C. A second induction manifold.
• D. A heated intake boot.

Answer: (B)

When the air filter becomes iced, the normal path for induction air can be restricted or blocked, which risks a loss of air supply to the engine. A fuel-injected engine provides an alternate air path through an alternate air valve. When opened, this valve allows warm air from inside the engine cowling to flow into the fuel metering system, bypassing the iced air filter. This keeps the engine supplied with air for combustion and helps prevent a complete loss of induction, letting the engine keep running until the filter can be cleared. The other ideas don’t solve the problem. Simply making the air inlet larger won’t bypass the iced filter. A second induction manifold would distribute air to cylinders but wouldn’t provide a separate source of air to the metering system. A heated intake boot helps reduce icing but does not address a blocked air filter path, so it wouldn’t ensure continued induction if the filter is iced.

When the air filter becomes iced, the normal path for induction air can be restricted or blocked, which risks a loss of air supply to the engine. A fuel-injected engine provides an alternate air path through an alternate air valve. When opened, this valve allows warm air from inside the engine cowling to flow into the fuel metering system, bypassing the iced air filter. This keeps the engine supplied with air for combustion and helps prevent a complete loss of induction, letting the engine keep running until the filter can be cleared.

The other ideas don’t solve the problem. Simply making the air inlet larger won’t bypass the iced filter. A second induction manifold would distribute air to cylinders but wouldn’t provide a separate source of air to the metering system. A heated intake boot helps reduce icing but does not address a blocked air filter path, so it wouldn’t ensure continued induction if the filter is iced.