What is a fuel filter?
Air filter are used to prevent the dirt entering into the engine. It separates the abrasive particles entering into the combustion system.
A blocked air filter can lower your car’s fuel efficiency. Regular driving on a dirty filter can cause quick clogging in your air filters. Regular cleaning of your air filters in car can improve your car performance.
The fuel filter is situated within the fuel lines that draw gasoline from the fuel tank to the carburetor/fuel injectors. A good clean fuel filter can save you repair time/costs on your carburetor/fuel injectors because it will ensure that no rust, dirt makes it to these systems.
Where is fuel filter located in your vehicle?
- The fuel filter is located inside of the frame rail, away from the gas tank.
- Your car’s fuel filter can be located anywhere along the fuel line, it could be at the gas tank, or under the hood near the engine.
- The fuel filter is a little silver canister, about 3-4 inch long and about 1.5-2 inch in diameter depending on the model/make of vehicle.
- In some vehicles, the fuel filter is a part of the fuel pump inside the gas tank.
In this article, we discuss the symptoms of failure of fuel filter and how to replace the fuel filter
Symptoms of failure of fuel filter
- Vehicle stops
- One of the signs of failure of fuel filter/clogging of fuel filter is the engine shuts down during use.
- When a car starts, it doesn’t need huge amount of fuel to run, but when the vehicle speeds up, the more fuel is required within a short period of time.
- If the flow of fuel to the engine is obstructed by the fuel filter due too clogging.
- The clogging of fuel in the fuel filter can cause a vehicle to shut off while running.
- Shut downs can occur on highways or in any other conditions. Stalling of vehicle can also occur with periodically stopping and starting the car.
- Reduced speed of vehicle in highways
- The engine will begin to miss at high speed because the fuel filter is blocked with abrasive particles and they are not allowing adequate fuel flow to the engine.
- Some times the engine will halt for a few minutes and we can often come across this type of problem when the spark plug is in bad condition.
- Loss of power
- Due to decreased fuel intake as a result of a clogged fuel filter, engine combustion is greatly reduced.
- As a result, you can notice loss of power in your ca/vehicle because the bad condition of the fuel filter is arresting the normal engine performance.
How to replace the fuel filter
- The fuel line connects with fuel filter at the the intake side and the outside of fuel tank.
- Your car’s fuel filter can be located anywhere along the fuel line, it could be at the gas tank, or under the hood near the engine.
- After locating the filter, you should relieve the pressure in the fuel line.
- Otherwise, fuel will spray everywhere.
- Relieve the fuel pressure by removing the fuse from the fuel pump and the engine until it halt.
- Disconnect the negative terminal of battery to eliminate the chance of a spark igniting.
- Inspect the fuel filter. Make sure to pay special attention to any washers on the connection assembly.
- While the replacement fuel filter will typically come with new connecting hardware, you’ll need to know how everything fits together when you install the new filter.
- Take brand new fuel filter and fix it to the fuel lines and the fuel tank.
- After attaching, make sure that all the connections are properly fitted.
- Now reconnect the negative terminal of the car battery and all other required connections.
- Start the car and look for ant fuel leakage from the fuel lines and also check for the fuel supply.