Symptoms and Fuel Filter Replacement Costs
Located between your fuel pump and your injectors, the fuel filter traps contaminants in your fuel. It’s a simple but effective guardian of your fuel injectors, as well as your engine.
The fuel filter is usually out of plain sight, so you wouldn’t know if there’s anything wrong with it. However, there are symptoms to look out for. And as big a job as it does for your car, fixing the problem is pretty simple.
So what are the symptoms of a bad fuel filter, and what are the replacement costs?
Engine Hesitates
When your engine hesitates, it accelerates intermittently when you press the accelerator. This is a sign that fuel is being impeded from getting to your engine. The first place to look for this impedance is your fuel filter.
Different cars behave and react differently. But keep digging until you discover the source of the problem, which is bound to be your fuel filter.
Stalling
A steady flow of fuel is needed to help the vehicle run right. A dirty fuel filter will definitely not allow that to happen. With a fuel filter that is so dirty that fuel cannot get through, your car is going to stall.
Stalling can happen without warning, even at highway speeds. All of a sudden, it will sputter, hesitate or cough. Eventually, the vehicle will quit altogether.
If this continues to go on without fixing it, the problem will get worse. Vehicles have been known to stop running at highway speeds. At some point, you won’t even be able to start the vehicle, which we will now address.
Starting Problems
If you allow your car to get to this point, then you’ve either missed the warning signs or ignored them. The fuel filter is now so dirty that no fuel at all can get through to even get the vehicle started. There’s nothing else to conclude but to say that the filter has had its day. It needs to be replaced.
Of course, we’re assuming that you’ve ruled out a weak or dead battery or ignition problems. These also can contribute to starting problems. If these two items are not factors, then you can reasonably conclude that you probably have a clogged filter that needs replacing.
Hard Starting
Of course, there could be several possibilities behind hard starting. As we’ve discussed, it could be a bad battery or bad sensor. Check every possible culprit in order to narrow it down.
If you’ve ruled out these, then check your fuel filter. Even when your filter is not clogged all the way, it can still give you a hard time starting your vehicle. So just have it checked and replaced if necessary.
Different Performance at Different Speeds
No matter how “good” your fuel is, it still will contain some contaminants. Your fuel filter is the gatekeeper to enter the fuel injector, keeping those contaminants out of your fuel system beyond that point.
If you have good fuel pressure, the problem can be hidden at higher speeds, as the pressure can still push fuel through. The problem comes at lower speeds, where the problem will be much more noticeable. Lower pressure doesn’t force the fuel through with as much force.
The difference in performance should be obvious. If your car seems to perform well at higher speeds and hesitating while idling, then this should signal you to check your fuel filter and replace it.
Summary
So it goes that the fuel filter, like attitude, is a little thing that can make a big difference in the performance of your vehicle. Pay attention to the warning signs, and replace it when needed.
