How Optimax Air Injectors Work:
- Optimax air injectors do not “pulse” in the traditional sense like fuel injectors do.
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In the Mercury Optimax direct injection system, air injectors deliver compressed air into the combustion chamber at high pressure, working in tandem with the fuel injectors.
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The fuel injectors spray fuel into the combustion chamber after the piston has passed top dead center (TDC), and the air injector provides a burst of high-pressure air to atomize the fuel.
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This system relies on a constant, timed mechanical solenoid action rather than high-frequency pulsing like in typical port or GDI fuel injectors.
So, do they pulse?
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No — not in the conventional pulsed electrical duty-cycle way fuel injectors do.
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They are actuated (opened) during each combustion cycle, but it’s more like a single timed event per cycle rather than rapid pulsing like you’d see with a fuel injector controlled by varying pulse width.
Additional Notes:
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Air pressure is constant, typically ~80–90 PSI supplied by the onboard air compressor.
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The timing of the air injector is controlled by the ECU to match the engine’s RPM and load, so its actuation is synchronized with the combustion cycle — but not modulated by pulse width.
- The Optimax Air injectors are color coded.