Your vehicle has a fuel filter to ensure that the fuel going to the engine from the tank is free from dirt and other debris. The cleaner this filter, the better your vehicle will run. Everyone gets a clogged fuel filter, and you need to recognize the signs of when this happens.
Engine Starting
Dirt restricting the flow of fuel to the engine’s carburetor will prevent smooth combustion. Starting the engine will take longer, or it will not start at all. If you manage to get your vehicle running, it may mean you are sucking in dirt, through the filter, and into the engine.
Acceleration
A clogged fuel filter will start to affect performance early on, though slight changes are difficult to feel. As you try to speed up, you may notice that the engine is not going any faster — it may even begin to slow.
Idling
You may notice that your vehicle has trouble when coming to a full stop. Bad signs are such things as irregular noises from the engine and stalling. Stalling can mean that the fuel pressure is too low at engine idle speeds, and not enough is getting through.
Smoking
You may even begin to see smoke from the tailpipe as the engine struggles to combust the fuel. If there is a split in your fuel filter, your engine may be sucking in dirt and other residues. As the engine struggles to run, it may smell of fuel and produce large plumes of exhaust smoke.
Fuel Consumption
As more dirt restricts the filter, the engine will try to compensate by opening the valve for more fuel to enter. This leads to irregular fuel flow and poor performance. You may notice that you are filling up your vehicle more often or that you are having trouble reaching top speeds.
You can clean your fuel filter by using fuel additives on a routine basis. This will make the filter last longer, but you will need to change it at some point. It is not difficult to change a fuel filter, and it is worth taking it to a garage to replace it with a new one, rather than trying to clean it out.
Fuel Filter Replacement Schedule
A brand-new car will need to have its filters changed in the first year and then, for example, every five years or every 30,000 miles. It is essential to follow the recommendations in the vehicle’s handbook if you want to keep your warranty valid.
If you have the owner’s handbook, there will be a section telling you when the manufacturer wants you to change each of the filters in the vehicle. In most cases, the fuel filter is one of the consumables a mechanic will replace while doing the full service on your car. All the filter changes should be on the receipt from that garage.
Since the prices of fuel filters are low and the cost of replacing an entire engine is high, it is worth replacing them when the owner’s manual recommends it. A mechanic will also tell you the intervals that you need to change out a filter.