Fuel problems keeping you from having fun on the road? Before you decide to repair any and all of the more common fuel components-a.k.a. problem points-have a mechanic check the fuel pressure regulator first. Too often, owners spend money on useless repairs that don't quite fix fuel-related problems. The safest route to take is to check the regulator first before deciding to buy replacement parts. It's usually a clogged regulator that can act as the root cause of certain drivability issues. To be able to understand the severity of such problems, you'll have to know what a fuel pressure regulator does. It's basically a valve that monitors fuel pressure inside the fuel rail. The regulator also opens and closes to release or build up pressure, respectively. If the valve gets stuck in an open or closed position, fuel pressure can either drop so low as to deprive the engine of fuel, or jump so high as to trigger automatic shutdown of the injectors to protect the engine. Either way, you're going to feel the effects of fuel pressure regulator failure. The performance of your car's engine will suffer; driving your car will seem impossible sometimes. Or it may not even start up at all. Fuel economy is affected as well. Avoid all these problems and replace the regulator when necessary. Visit Car Stuff to order a replacement regulator for your car.