What is a fuel filter and why all the buzz? Well, for starters, maintaining the fuel system and filters in your vehicle could save you some major cash down the road. Your fuel filter helps clean fuel and protect fuel injectors. Good preventative maintenance has always recommended replacing fuel filters at regular intervals. Our video https://youtu.be/Ypr_4FdhUGk also shows just why this replacement service is so vital. It is a great example of what can happen if you ignore this service and keep the same fuel filter year after year. Be advised – the outcome is quite gross.
In screening out various impurities, the fuel filter can often get so soiled and even clogged that it won’t carry out its functions efficiently. This can directly affect the general performance of the car, causing a variety of unpleasant and often dangerous problems. Some of the most obvious signs of the need for a fuel filter replacement are:
- Difficult vehicle start up. When the fuel filter is partially obstructed with dirt, it will restrict the flow of fuel to the engine and cause problems when you try to start the car. Only a very small amount of fuel is able to pass through which may or may not eventually ignite your engine. Over time, the consequences are very expensive.
- No vehicle start up. If you leave the fuel filter clogged too long, your vehicle may not start at all. If the fuel filter is too clogged, no fuel will make it to the engine and your vehicle will simply not start.
- Hesitating engine. A dirty filter again will not let sufficient inflow of fuel into the engine. The problem is most common when the car is accelerated from a stop. Have you noticed this?
- Erratic low speed performance. A vehicle with fuel filter issues will hesitate at lower speeds. This is due to the fuel pump pressure not being strong enough to feed the necessary amount of fuel into the engine, thus causing disturbances in its performance.
- Stalling. Sometimes, a dirty filter will make the engine stall while the car is still driven. This is often the result of an uneven flow of fuel through the filter.
- Rough idling. This can also stem from obstruction of the fuel filter and too much engine combustion.
If these symptoms are new, a clogged fuel filter is the likely culprit. All fuel filters need occasional changing as a part of regular car maintenance. Our auto repair technicians recommend the service yearly, especially if you drive quite a few miles. The repair is easy and not that expensive… Much less expensive than engine repairs or a fuel pump. The difference is from under $100 to change the fuel filter to over $900 to replace the fuel filter and the pump. Contact our repair shop today. It could end up saving you tomorrow.
