fuel filter question

Hi, Fuel filter is replaced but very seldom. I don't recall ever replacing one in YEARS.

Hi. Oz spec 99 OBW is pretty much the same as yours except that you sit on the wrong side :)

Fuel filter is a replace item on the std service schedule for interval 3 &

4; so 50 & 100,000 Km.

I was using E blends over here up to 16% in this and maybe 22% in a 91 Liberty (your Legacy) with no probs BUT if there's gunk in the fuel system, ethanol

*will* kindly clean it out for you and the filter is the first thing that comes along to stop it! For mine. I'd let it go until the next scheduled change unless your performance has suffered, in which case you know what the likely cause is. Cheers

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Thanks to all. I'm at 150,000 without ever a thought for the fuel filter. I think I'll change it just to be "pro-active" (a favorite buzz word).

Ben

Hi, I have been driving over 50 years. I don't recall fuel filter giving me a trouble on any of the cars, trucks I owned.

I've been a mechanic for 35 years and have replaced thousands of stopped up fuel filters. Some just stopped up enough so that the car didn't want to climb hills without nosing over, others so bad the car wouldn't start at all. A lot depends on the quality of gas you typically get and the type of car you own. Some just stop up easier than others.

A good reason to replace the filter once in awhile is that a restricted filter puts a strain on electric fuel pumps causing them to fail sooner. It's one of those 'Pay me now, or pay me later' maintenance items. A $10 - $50 fuel filter every 15k to 50k miles, or a $300 to $1200 fuel pump sooner than later. YMMV.

Dave

Hi,

Yup, that's one of the problems that comes w/ time, the memory starts to go!

Ok, just kidding, but fuel filters DO need to be replaced periodically for best performance and reliability. Used to be we'd see the book recommend 10k miles or so, today's intervals are more like 50k and more. Some of the "interval" choice depends on the type of filters in your system in addition to the usual "driving condition" considerations. The fact some owners manuals don't spec a change interval doesn't mean they'll last forever!

"Back in the day" when all we had was a tiny filter inline to feed a carb, they'd get clogged up rather easily. Then we started getting much larger filters w/ injection systems, and filter problems went down, but not away. A few cars today use a smaller "prefilter" plus the larger main filter. W/ some of them, a periodic change of prefilter is usually fairly easy, inexpensive, and will increase the life of the main filter tremendously (which is good, because the main filter is often outrageously expensive for what it is, and "hard to get to" would be understatement.)

Unlike Tony, I've had a few few filter issues over the last 40 plus years. And still remember most of 'em... so I change mine according to the book if there's a recommendation, or, if there's not, at 15k to 30k mile intervals for the old carbed stuff that still lives around here, and 30k to 50k mile intervals for the injected stuff.

If your car's been driven pretty regularly all its life, you'll probably not experience too much "cleansing" action from the E85, but I've also seen some vehicles that weren't driven much for a long period of time suffer problems when all of a sudden they were pressed into regular service and some of the old crud and varnish in the tank got stirred up and caught in the filter.

Still, changing out a filter w/ 150k miles is neither a waste of time nor money...

Rick

Edited to correct: that should read "a few FUEL filter issues..."

The memory's fine, I'm just getting repetitive w/ age, I guess!

Rick

Again, thank you all for your wisdom and eperience.

Well, I did it. It wasn't hard. When both the old and the new filter were out, I tried blowing into the input side to feel the pressure. Both were the same. So I guess I didn't need to change it. But it was only $15.

Uncle Ben

On Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:04:39 -0700 (PDT), against all advice, something compelled Uncle Ben , to say:

Does it run better now?

Can't tell any difference. I guess not.

Methinks you wasted not time, nor money.

If you haven't tossed the old one, cut it open (HAND hacksaw, nothing powered--w/ many filters, there's gonna be gas in there for a LONG time) and inspect it. It would be interesting to see what critters have taken up residence in there over the 150k miles or so this filter's served.

Let the paper dry and check for a shiny surface, too. I've had filters clog up that looked perfectly clean, until dried. Then the varnish coating that blocked the medium became obvious.

Rick

Rick, I'd like to think that you are right, and when time permits, I may carry out your procedure.

I don't think the performance of the car was affected, however, because of the throughput I got when I blew into it by mouth. (That funny taste has gone away, thank goodness.)

Ben