WHY should you change your fuel filter?

This is the gas that came out of my fuel filter- this is what goes into your engine!!! For $60 +/- it's worth it for sure

Originally Posted by Mcbridges11

Attachment 477935
This is the gas that came out of my fuel filter- this is what goes into your engine!!! For $60 +/- it's worth it for sure

I am definitely doing my filter on Friday...I've been putting it off since I don't want 50 psi gasoline sprayed in my eye.

I use to haul fuel, Some places after youd empty the tank there would be DIRT at the bottom of the empty tank...

I'm with Mango.
Preventative Maintenance is definitely a way of life, its addictive, and a pleasure for me.
I get parts at resale, and the parts house gives me a tab that I settle monthly, If this weren't the case it would be much more difficult.

I realize that, not everyone can afford to go through their cars replacing everything, and there is no rule against diagnosing, isolating, and fixing just the problem, but when you have been around these cars long enough, you realize there are certain PM items that are non-negotiable, or that the only negotiation is to be left stranded, or at best waiting for a tow.

My commute is 1 mile round trip, and yet I put roughly 200 miles a week on my car in remote canyons, where cell reception, and civilization is non-existent. That being said I would be an idiot to roll the dice, and wait for problems to surface before fixing.
Does that make me immune from a breakdown? No, however my chances are greatly reduced, and the reward of getting to work on my own car is just a perk.

You can fix it cheap, but it wont be thorough, or You can fix it thorough, but it wont be cheap.

To relieve fuel pressure, just pull fuel pump fuse, start car and when engine dies, your fuel pressure will be 0.

Originally Posted by ///MPR77

I'm with Mango.
Preventative Maintenance is definitely a way of life, its addictive, and a pleasure for me.

I actually agree with that premise. But the fact that Mango and other like minded individuals are OCD about replacing parts that don't need replacing doesn't make it the right thing to do. Nor does it make it the right advise to give to people on budgets who, more often than not, are looking for a cost effective solution based on a sensible and rational diagnosis rather than a "replace everything" obsession. No auto shop could survive if it conducted its day to day business on that philosophy. The difference between me and Mango is that I own my car. My car doesn't own me.

Fuel filter is a must. It's just like any filter that must be replaced. Put it this way. Does anyone buy a new car and never ever change their cabin filter? You will be breathing in crap and thats what the engine does with a bad fuel filter. I took my filter out and pitch black gas came out.

Originally Posted by E46Mango

I have never recommended to anyone to do exactly the things I do to my car. Otherwise there'd be another car like mine floating around--and there isn't.

Says the guy who just shoved a $700 lighting setup down some guys throat a few threads back because thats what HE used, the man probably had a loose connection therefore had bulb firing problems. You didn't lone star find BMA parts homie, you may have stumbled across it and informed other fanatics.....

Like i said previously, smart guy. Really shitty superiority complex. More and more threads lately have turned into you arguing and trying to demonstrate your dominance. Which clearly has no leverage most of the time...

Would a crapped up fuel filter worsen that slight delay when you put your foot on the accelerator (the drive-by-wire delay)?

Originally Posted by timworx

Would a crapped up fuel filter worsen that slight delay when you put your foot on the accelerator (the drive-by-wire delay)?

Maybe. It definitely will increase the pressure differential across the filter. The higher the fuel demand, the higher this differential will be. Lower pressure on the engine side wouldn't be a good thing.

This would be evidenced by a lean running motor? Acceleration not as good as it should be? Of course, when it comes to acceleration, small decreases over time are hard to notice. I supposed it's good maintenance to do anyways.

It might also be why it occasionally acts just a little funny. The slightest hesitations at lower RPMs.

That delay just annoys the crap out of me. On a 5 speed it really screws with you.

Shitstorm coming in 3...2...1...

It shouldn't make the engine run lean or rich. It will be fine since it knows what is happening based on the MAF and exhaust pre-cat O2 sensors. I think that delay is more the fault of our throttle mapping. You should replace the fuel filter anyway though if it's old.

Originally Posted by timworx

Would a crapped up fuel filter worsen that slight delay when you put your foot on the accelerator (the drive-by-wire delay)?

If you take it to its logical conclusion one might imagine a situation where it got so fouled up that no fuel could get through and the car wouldn't start at all. So its a matter of scale really. Once you have fitted a new one its all downhill from there as it gets progressively sh*ttier.

Originally Posted by RayPooley

If you take it to its logical conclusion one might imagine a situation where it got so fouled up that no fuel could get through and the car wouldn't start at all. So its a matter of scale really. Once you have fitted a new one its all downhill from there as it gets progressively sh*ttier.

I like the way you think. Looking at things in the optimal and least optimal situations often gives us a lot of insight to things in between.

Originally Posted by WDE46

It shouldn't make the engine run lean or rich. It will be fine since it knows what is happening based on the MAF and exhaust pre-cat O2 sensors. I think that delay is more the fault of our throttle mapping. You should replace the fuel filter anyway though if it's old.

Ah, yeah. Durr. Just a hunting expedition over here.

Originally Posted by RayPooley

Once you have fitted a new one its all downhill from there as it gets progressively sh*ttier.

The life of a fuel filter, how depressing. haha.

Originally Posted by jfoj

To relieve fuel pressure, just pull fuel pump fuse, start car and when engine dies, your fuel pressure will be 0.

If I were to do the fuel pump & fuel filter at the same time, does replacing the pump first relieve pressure on the line without having to do this trick with the fuse?

Or is it advised to relieve pressure on the line prior to replacing the pump as well?

-G

Pull fuse for pump or filter as the pump will likely have pressure on the output assuming the pump check valve is not leaking down.

The fuse trick is quick and easy.

Originally Posted by jfoj

To relieve fuel pressure, just pull fuel pump fuse, start car and when engine dies, your fuel pressure will be 0.

Not always jfoj. I did pull the fuse and cranked till it didnt start. Also, I waited for this till I ran almost dry on gas(didnt want to get gas all over the place).
Still there was enough pressure to spray me nasty on the face.

Originally Posted by jfoj

Pull fuse for pump or filter as the pump will likely have pressure on the output assuming the pump check valve is not leaking down.

The fuse trick is quick and easy.

Exactly, the output side of the filter(towards the engine). Thats where the pressure will be, once you shut down the pump. The engine will still hold the pressure.

I should remove the rear hoses first, but I went head first and got my first petrol shampoo shower ever. There was absolutely no pressure on the rear tubes.

Advice: Remove the front vacuum hose, then pull the rear hoses and then go to the front hose.


Safety glasses are Absolute must(thankfully I had mine ON) Petrol in the eyes will burn really bad.

Originally Posted by GSherbs

If I were to do the fuel pump & fuel filter at the same time, does replacing the pump first relieve pressure on the line without having to do this trick with the fuse?

Or is it advised to relieve pressure on the line prior to replacing the pump as well?

-G

Pull the fuse for the fuel pump when replacing either one and crank the engine to relieve pressure. You don't want electricity to be able to reach the pump while you have it over an open tank with gas fumes everywhere anyway. Some would even say you should remove the negative battery terminal.