Hello St. Thomas drivers, let’s talk fuel filters. The function of the fuel filter is pretty self-explanatory. It filters your fuel. The fuel filter is in the fuel line somewhere in between the fuel tank and the engine. Both fuel and diesel vehicles use fuel filters.
Generally speaking thereās not a lot of dirt in the fuel supply, but there is enough that drivers want to screen it out. The problem actually gets worse the older your vehicle becomes. Thatās because dirt, rust and contaminates will settle out of the fuel and onto the bottom of the fuel tank. After a car is five years or older, it can actually have a fair amount of sediment built up.
That just means that the fuel filter has to work harder as your vehicle ages. Itāll get clogged sooner and need to be replaced more often.
A symptom of a clogged fuel filter is that the engine sputters at highway speeds or under hard acceleration. Thatās because enough fuel is getting through around St. Thomas, but when you need more fuel for speed, enough just canāt get through the filter. Obviously, that could be dangerous if your car or truck canāt get enough power to get you out of harmās way on a busy freeway.
For just that reason, fuel filters have a bypass valve. When the filter is severely clogged, some fuel can bypass the filter all together. Of course that means that dirty, unfiltered fuel is getting through to be burned in the vehicle engine.
This dirt can then clog and damage your fuel injectors. Now injectors are not cheap to replace, so you donāt want to cause them damage just because you didnāt spend a few bucks to replace a fuel filter.
You know, in a way, the fuel filter can be the poster child for preventive maintenance. Itās a little part, itās simple and itās cheap to take care of at The Auto Guys. But if itās neglected, it could lead to thousands of dollars of repair bills.
Stop by or give us a call.
The Auto Guys
135 South Edgeware Rd.
St. Thomas, ON N5P 4C4
519.631.7117
