Once you start your car, your engine begins to suck fuel in. Your fuel pump is responsible for delivering fuel from your fuel tank to your engine. The fuel is filtered along this route by your fuel filter.
As with other filters, fuel filters could also clog due to effectively performing their function for a lengthy period. The more a filter operates, the more particulates it’ll collect until it reaches its capacity limit.
The fuel delivery may be disrupted whenever this happens, and your engine might starve and stall. To avoid your ride from randomly failing and leaving you stuck somewhere waiting for road assistance.
It’s critical to know the early warning signs that anything might be amiss. In this article, we’ve gathered all the details about bad fuel filter symptoms and other necessary information associated with your fuel filter to assist you. Read on to learn more!
Symptoms of a Bad Fuel Filter
- Poor Engine Performance
- Engine Stalling
- Engine Misfire and Hesitation
- Engine Won’t Start
- Poor Acceleration
- Reduced Fuel Economy
- Damaged Fuel Filter and Fuel Injectors
- Fuel Odor
- Check Engine Light
Table of Contents
What Is A Fuel Filter And How It Works?
Before delving into the specifics of a faulty fuel filter, it’s critical to learn what a fuel filter is and its function. Once you know how the fuel filter works, you can identify the telltale indicators of a bad fuel filter on your own.
Your engine would need a specified quantity of fuel to be combined with air to generate a regulated detonation in your engine’s combustion chamber. To guarantee a precise air/fuel ratio delivered to your engine, your fuel should be filtered to eliminate contaminants and tiny particulates that might impact the air/fuel mixture and the entire combustion process.
A tiny component is the fuel filter between your fuel injector and fuel tank. For older automobiles, its fuel filter is installed in the fuel line. Still, car manufacturers could install the fuel filter within the fuel tank, directly next to the outgoing port connection, in newer automobiles.
When your fuel pump extracts fuel from your fuel tank, it drives thru your fuel filter, trapping any microscopic particles or impurities. Therefore, the released fuel is sufficiently pure and suitable to enter the combustion system.
Throughout time, your fuel filter might get blocked due to the various particulates and sludge that wear away from your gas tank sidewalls. Based on the sort of petrol you’re running, you might reach a phase when your fuel filter needs to be replaced.
Symptoms of a Bad Fuel Filter
Suppose ever you’ve missed count of your mileage and the period after your previous fuel filter replacement. In that case, you must keep a good observation out for any typical indications that suggest your fuel filter is in demand of relief and replacement.
The below bad and clogged fuel filter symptoms can assist you in promptly identifying the issue, thereby sparing you from having a compromised fuel tank.
Poor Engine Performance
Whether you’re going uphill and discover that your car lacks power, this might indicate a clogged fuel filter. Suppose your automobile is stressed, such as traveling up the slope or pulling a heavy load.
In that case, it’ll require significantly more fuel to provide more power that can withstand and operate against momentum. Once your fuel filter becomes clogged, the fuel cannot travel through and reach the combustion system adequately.
As a consequence, you’ll experience a noticeable change in the power output of your automobile in reaction to these pressures or loads.
Engine Stalling
Akin to any power fluctuation concern, a faulty fuel filter might result in your engine stalling. Although your fuel filter is blocked, you could start your car; nevertheless, as your automobile proceeds to drive and consumes more fuel, it might abruptly stall owing to not enough fuel supply.
Whenever you hit the accelerator pedal, you’re requesting your fuel pump to deliver more fuel into your combustion system, which gives your engine much extra power to accelerate.
But, when your fuel filter is congested, pushing the gas pedal could result in your engine stalling due to the inability of the fuel to flow past your clogged, dirty fuel filter.
Engine Misfire and Hesitation
If your engine suddenly hesitates when you push on your accelerator pedal, you must consider inspecting your fuel filter, considering it could be clogged with a significant quantity of dirt.
Any amount of restriction would inhibit the regular passage of fuel into your engine, resulting in abnormal combustion and eventual loss of power and response.
Along with hesitation, a bad fuel filter could induce your car to exhibit engine misfires intermittently, particularly while accelerating. This is because your fuel isn’t flowing continuously due to a partially clogged filter.
Engine Won’t Start
The engine barely starting issues could be caused by various problems, including a defective starter, a damaged alternator, a malfunctioning spark plug, or a drained battery. Surprisingly, your engine can also fail to restart if your fuel filter is entirely clogged.
You can verify this by examining your fuel gauge and visually inspecting your fuel tank for fuel. Whenever your engine fails to restart, the first component to inspect is your fuel pump assembly since it’s accountable for carrying fuel from your tank and delivering it to the engine’s combustion system.
Once your fuel pump fails, your engine won’t start. When your fuel pump is working well and all surrounding parts are in good condition, but your engine still refuses to start, it’s almost certainly a total fuel filter failure.
Poor Acceleration
While there are several possible causes of a substantial reduction in your typical acceleration, a bad fuel filter is undoubtedly among them. If insufficient fuel reaches your combustion chamber, your car’s computer reduces power output to avoid engine harm caused by operating too lean.
This is especially apparent while accelerating while carrying a large load, including approaching an uphill. In some instances, the fuel filter might be severe enough to enable your vehicle to enter limp mode.
Reduced Fuel Economy
A blocked or restricted fuel filter could seem like a good thing since it improves fuel efficiency by allowing less fuel to get through to your combustion system. Regrettably, this isn’t true.
If a vehicle’s fuel filter prevents fuel from reaching your combustion system, your engine will require extra fuel. Your car engine will need your fuel pump to deliver far more fuel than is required to provide the needed power. Consequently, your car will consume significantly more gasoline than usual, resulting in poor fuel efficiency.
Damaged Fuel Filter and Fuel Injectors
If your fuel filter becomes completely clogged, it might degrade internally. Fuel pressures in a specific fuel system could reach 120psi, and when the fuel filter becomes impermeable, it can start to disintegrate with the fuel pressure.
Whether this occurs, all fuel that runs your fuel pump and fuel injectors are no longer adequately filtered, which may result in damage. Fuel filters used in diesel-powered engines frequently filter out possibly harmful water vapor present in the fuel.
Water is notably detrimental to the interior of fuel pumps and fuel lines, as it could result in the formation of corrosion and dirt if left unmanaged. When a fuel filter gets entirely clogged in a diesel engine, it can soon destroy the fuel pump.
A fuel pump utilizes diesel as a lubricating element to preserve the fuel pump’s internal components. Leaving a fuel pump to function dry for even a short moment will significantly reduce its effectiveness.
Fuel Odor
As a general rule, when you notice any strange scents emanating from your car, this indicates an underlying issue with one of its systems. A few of these issues might be straightforward to resolve, and some could be pretty complex and lead to total automobile damage.
While various factors could cause these symptoms, a clogged fuel filter could lead to your exhaust generating strong obnoxious fuel odors. Whichever the reason for these problems, it’s strongly suggested that you shouldn’t disregard them and instead bring your car to a mechanic to get the issue repaired.
In this manner, you could avoid coping with severe or sophisticated technical faults that demand a great deal of labor and spend a lot of money to fix.
Check Engine Light
While the Check Engine light might illuminate for various reasons, it can also be triggered by a faulty fuel filter. This is often the situation with cars equipped with a fuel pressure sensor that monitors the fuel quantity.
Once scanned, the diagnostic fault code might suggest sensor malfunction while, in reality, a failing fuel filter is to blame. A qualified technician should assist you in determining the primary reason for your Check Engine light activating.
How To Inspect The Fuel Filter?
To be quite honest, inspecting your fuel filter will be a pain in the arse if you own a modern automobile. Although numerous older vehicles have a fuel filter accessible from their engine bay, the fuel filter on most current models is located directly next to its fuel tank.
Therefore, if you encounter an article that claims it’s simple to inspect the fuel filter on modern cars, you’re getting duped unless you drive an older vehicle. To replace your fuel filter, you’ll gonna need to either lower your gas tank or assume you’re among the fortunate ones that can reach their gas tank from behind their rear seat.
We’re going to presume that you’re not a mechanic by profession if you’re reviewing this article. But if you own an older automobile with the fuel filter located in the engine bay, you’re lucky. But if you possess a modern car, your most superb option is to bring your vehicle to a technician and let them inspect your fuel filter for you. Best of luck!
Cost of Replacing The Fuel Filter
The typical cost of replacing a fuel filter varies depending on your vehicle’s make and model, year, repair shop, and location.
Typically, a fuel filter is a pretty cheap item. In many situations, the fuel filter alone costs around $10 up to $40. However, OEM components sometimes cost $50 or higher. In certain circumstances, a fuel filter is integrated into the fuel pump unit, which may cost between $200 and $500.
Typically, the labor cost would exceed the cost of the component. Most fuel filters could be changed in just an hour, so budget between $60 and $120 for labor. Certain in-tank filters, as well as those that are integrated into the fuel pump assembly, might need extra work time.
Generally, your total cost of replacing a fuel filter is between $70 and $160, including components and labor. As noted before, several causes might cause this price to rise. Additionally, remember to calculate taxes and other fees. If you possess any skill with automobile maintenance and access to a decent owner’s manual, you could save a lot of dollars by performing the replacement job yourself.
Conclusion
We’re sure every one of you can agree that your fuel filter is an integral feature of your vehicle. Its poor condition could cause engine problems. So we compiled a summary of the most visible indicators of a malfunctioning fuel filter. This way, you’ll be ready and equipped with the knowledge to handle the filter issue promptly and prevent more significant complications.
As previously said, when your fuel filter is clogged, you will most likely lose power. Poor acceleration is another problem that happens once your fuel filter fails to do its job. Stalling happens less often; instead, stalling often occurs in the most challenging situations when your fuel filter is not updated for significantly long periods.
Therefore, it’s best to replace your fuel filter regularly along with your change oil schedules or replace it after every 30,000 miles to ensure it never fails. And your automobile will operate flawlessly.
FAQs
Is it safe to drive a car with a clogged fuel filter?
Are you able? Perhaps, but we would not encourage it. Without the required fuel volume, the engine may suffer damage or failure. As quickly as possible, resolve the issue.
How do I clean a clogged fuel filter?
The most popular fuel filters use low-cost substances like paper as the actual filtering layer, and it is thus preferable to replace them instead of attempting to clean them. If you utilize a reusable steel filter, it should be cleaned regularly.
What’s the cost of repairing a clogged fuel filter?
Fuel filters alone may cost between $10 and $150. Added expert labor charges, based on the placement of your filter, might add a hundred or two dollars.
Will a bad fuel filter throw a fault code?
A bad fuel filter might result in low pressure and, if caught by your sensor, would illuminate your Check Engine Light to warn you. Your Check Engine Light could be triggered by a broad range of faults, which is why it’s strongly suggested to have your car computer scanned for fault codes.
