Fuel filter need replacing?
Up until the early 1980s, when music reached its peak, fuel filters cost about $12 and were fairly easy to replace.
However, fuel filter maintenance has evolved over the years.
The old-school filters were designed for engines with carburettors, which operated low-pressure fuel systems. This meant the filters didn’t need to handle much pressure, so they were usually plastic. They were normally located somewhere along the fuel line and were replaced about every 20,000km.
Anyone who knows their way around a car could do the job in about 10 minutes.
Enter the era of fuel injection, and instead of a simple, lightweight plastic filter, a high-pressure steel cannister (main photo) was needed. These could withstand more than 600kPa to safely deal with fuel system pressure of around 250kPa.
They were still mounted along the fuel line, which also had to handle much higher pressure.
These filters were changed about every 40,000km to 50,000km, or up to 100,000km on some models.
In the last 10 to 15 years, carmakers have changed to filters mounted in the fuel pump module submerged in the fuel tank. These are typically located under the back seat and are much trickier to replace.
This filter style tends to have much longer service intervals – up to 150,000km. In more recent models, some manufacturers don’t schedule a filter replacement at all, if the vehicle’s driven under normal conditions.
These days, fuel filter blockages are rare, however symptoms of a clogged filter include:
- lack of power while accelerating, going uphill, or under load
- needing more pedal to the metal with less result.
Check your vehicle owner’s manual to find out when your car’s fuel filter needs replacement. If you’re worried you might have a blocked filter, contact your auto technician.
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