How To Tell If Your Fuel Filter Is Bad

Your fuel filter is exactly what it sounds like. It's a filter that sits on your fuel line that prevents things similar clay and rust from getting into your engine.

If these contaminates exercise get into your engine, they tin can crusade all kinds of issues. They can quickly wear your fuel pump and fuel injectors, and severely diminish your machine's performance due to fuel not being burned correctly.

Your fuel filter needs to be replaced regularly. If you have an older car, you'll probably need to supersede information technology every 40,000 miles or so.

This doesn't take into consideration the conditions you're driving in. For example, if you alive in a dusty expanse, you'll need to replace your fuel filter more ofttimes on account of all the dust.

Today's newer cars typically include the fuel filter every bit part of the fuel pump associates – and you'll demand to replace it every 5 years or around 30-50k miles.

I recommend y'all cheque your owner'due south manual for the specific service interval, as it does vary between makes.

This is especially important if you have a diesel-powered vehicle – every bit there's fungus that can grow in diesel and so clog your filter, resulting in your fuel pump assembly blowing out.

That'due south non what y'all want. The bill is certainly non pretty, coming in at somewhere between $400-$700.

And so information technology pays to pay attention. Hither are some signs that y'all may need to change your fuel filter.

So, How Practise You Know If Your Fuel Filter Is Bad?

1: Difficulty Starting Your Machine

If you had no idea your automobile even had a fuel filter until now, and you're reasonably sure that you've never had it changed, then pay attention to how your machine is starting. One of the first signs of a bad fuel filter is difficulty starting your car. A clogged fuel filter restricts the flow of fuel to your engine which can make your engine run lean because of lack of fuel.

ii: Car Jerks When Going Uphill

When your fuel filter is clogged, gasoline won't flow through the filter every bit efficiently which can cause your automobile to jerk when additional fuel is needed, such besides you're driving uphill. A clogged fuel filter will make your fuel pump work harder nether load, which tin as well pb to fuel pump harm. Nosotros'll become to that in only a minute.

3: Burning More Fuel Than Usual

If your Toyota Corolla'due south fuel consumption is starting to feel uncomfortably similar a Hummer, then you may want to take a look at your fuel filter.

When your fuel filter is chock-full, your engine can run lean, which will result in it wasting fuel every bit it works harder to keep your motorcar moving. Irresolute your fuel filter can lessen the load and increase the mileage you lot're getting.

4: Reduced Engine Power

If you find a loss of power when your engine is under increased load, such every bit when you're driving fast, your fuel filter may be to blame.

When your fuel filter is clogged, your engine's demand for fuel can't be adequately met by the supply coming from the tank considering the fuel filter is clogged.

5: Engine Stalls While Idling

If your dirty fuel filter goes unaddressed for likewise long, it can cause your engine to stall. This could occur when the engine is placed nether additional stress, such as when going uphill or when accelerating.

However, if you've ignored the clogged fuel filter, your engine could stall correct after starting because of inadequate fuel making it to the engine.

half-dozen: Fuel Pump Failure

Every bit I mentioned earlier, a bad fuel filter causes your fuel pump to piece of work harder than it should.

And at the end of the mean solar day, I've got no problem with working hard.

However, if your fuel pump works too hard, information technology might determine that information technology needs a permanent vacation.

If your fuel pump decides to blow upwards, changing your fuel filter isn't going to set up the problem. But hey, sometimes it's good to know. Besides sending your fuel pump to the Bahama islands, a clogged fuel filter can accept other consequences.

A Bad Fuel Filter Tin can Cause a Motorcar Not to Showtime

We get asked a lot if a bad fuel filter tin crusade a car not to offset. The answer is yes – it absolutely can keep your motorcar from starting. However, you need to actually let your fuel filter get clogged for that to happen.

Again, your fuel filter is quite literally a screen. Enough gunk has to build upon it over fourth dimension to completely restrict the flow of fuel to the engine. To get to that point, it has to be BAD

And when I mean bad, I hateful worse than Walt on Breaking Bad.

That'due south probably too controversial for this article – so I'll exit it there.

If you lot accept a diesel engine, sometimes your fuel filter can become completely clogged does on business relationship of diesel fuel fuel microbes and the black stinky gunk they produce.

What Does A Bad Fuel Filter Sound Similar?

There are a few sounds your car might brand that can warning you lot to a bad fuel filter. Because the fuel filter is just that – a filter, it won't make any sounds on its ain.

All the same, a clogged fuel filter can influence other parts of your automobile. By paying attention to these sounds, as well as looking at the other symptoms, you lot'll exist able to identify a bad fuel filter.

1: Straining Fuel Pump

When you lot turn your automobile on, information technology's completely normal for your fuel pump to make a low bustling noise while it runs. If you sit almost the fuel tank and mind, you may exist able to hear it when it's running normally.

However, if the fuel pump is working overtime to compensate for a bad fuel filter, information technology volition start to wear down. That's when you know there's a problem.

If you observe a loud whining or droning, your fuel pump is wearing out equally it overheats from working likewise hard.

While it'southward entirely possible that your fuel pump is just old, it'southward besides possible that a clogged fuel filter is causing the pump to wear out prematurely.

two: Sputtering Or Coughing Engine

If your engine sounds similar it'southward hacking out a lung, then it's possible your fuel system is compromised on account of a bad fuel filter.

This should exist especially noticeable as you lot advance to higher speeds and the need on the engine increases.

On its own, a sputtering engine doesn't necessarily mean your fuel filter is bad, every bit there may be other components in your engine or your fuel system that are causing the issue.

However, if you notice a sputtering sound in conjunction with some of the other issues I've mentioned, it's worth it to have your fuel filter checked before your fuel pump decides to have a vacation.

3: Engine Misfires

If you discover your engine is misfiring when you lot're accelerating, your fuel filter may be acting upwardly.

When your fuel filter is clogged, the fuel supply to the engine volition be macerated, which leads to less than the optimal corporeality of fuel being burned, which in turn causes misfires.

If you desire to test this, try to smoothly accelerate on the highway upwards to 65 mph, and pay attention for the distinctive popular of an engine misfire.

An engine misfire on its own doesn't mean that your fuel filter is bad. Any number of things could be wrong – so pay attention to the other symptoms on this listing!

How to Cheque Your Fuel Filter

I'm going to be honest with you – if you have a newer car, checking your fuel filter is a pain in the ass. While many older cars have a fuel filter you can access from the engine compartment, near newer models take the fuel filter correct next to the gas tank.

Then if you read an article telling y'all information technology's like shooting fish in a barrel to cheque, you're existence conned, unless you accept an older automobile.

To change your fuel filter, y'all'll either have to drib the fuel tank itself or hope yous're one of the lucky ones who can access the fuel tank from under the back seat.

If you're reading this article, I'one thousand going to assume you're not a mechanic by trade.

Your all-time bet is to take your car into the mechanic and have them check your fuel filter for you lot unless you accept an older car that has the fuel filter in the engine compartment.

If that happens to describe you, check out this great ChrisFix video which tin help you change it out.

How Much Does A Clogged Fuel Filter Cost?

The fuel filter itself is cheap. Information technology's quite literally a piece of paper in a metallic or blended housing. Depending on the fuel filter your car takes, a new fuel filter can price you anywhere between $20-$50 dollars.

On average, it'due south about $35 across about $1 billion in claims that we've processed.

Notwithstanding, equally previously mentioned, it's a pain in the ass to supplant your fuel filter yourself on a newer car. And then, if you take your motorcar to the mechanic it shouldn't take more than than xxx minutes to prepare your fuel filter.

That will leave you with somewhere betwixt $40-$lx dollars in labor, assuming it's just the fuel filter y'all're changing out.

Total cost: $85 or so.

Worried A Bad Fuel Filter Volition Destroy Your Fuel Pump?

A fuel pump repair tin toll upwards of $500 dollars, which can be a major hit to your wallet.

If you've had a bad fuel filter in your car for too long, information technology's possible that your fuel pump or fuel pump associates may have been weakened to the signal where it's almost dead.

And that's the concluding matter you want.

Fortunately, if you have a vehicle service contract with Protect My Car, if your fuel pump does decide to quit, we'll stride in and pay for the entire toll of the repair with no out of pocket toll to y'all

All of our policy options encompass your fuel pump, including our Administrator line, which covers older vehicles with up to 300,000 miles.

If you desire to learn more almost how effortless it can be to drive with a vehicle service contract from Protect My Motorcar, request a quote beneath and we'll bear witness you just how swell your driving experience tin be.