Almost all internal combustion engines are equipped with filters to clean the fuel before entering the cylinders. They trap foreign particles whose size exceeds the pore diameter. Fuel contaminants include clay fragments, sand, paint chips, rust particles of various sizes, or random debris.
Manufacturers cannot be blamed for their getting into the fuel, since at refineries, before sending to the distribution network, any fuel is carefully filtered. The source of contamination most often is tanks, containers and canisters, into which it is repeatedly pumped before the liquid is poured into the tank.
Whenever the container is filled with fuel, sediment rises from its bottom, which previously lay below the outlet neck. The same shaking occurs when transporting the tank to a gas station or discharge point. Thus, unsettled contaminants end up in car tanks.
Purpose of fuel filters
All internal combustion engines are equipped with filters to clean the fuel before entering the cylinders.
They hold particles larger than the pore diameter.
- Fuel contaminants can be clay particles, paint components, rust elements or trapped debris.
- The fact that they end up in the fuel cannot be blamed on the manufacturers, because at the refinery, before the fuel is sent for sale, it is carefully filtered.
- Sources of dirt often turn out to be tanks, containers, canisters into which fuel is often poured and pumped before refueling the tank of a car.
Each time fuel is poured into a container, sediment rises from its bottom, which was previously lying at the bottom of the container.
A similar mixing occurs when transporting a tank to a gas station or dump point. In this way, unsettled pollutant particles are poured into vehicle tanks.
Work order
To successfully replace the fuel filter yourself, you will need to have a set of keys. Specifically, you need wrenches for nuts 10, 17, 19. Before starting work, you need to disconnect the ground from the car so that a short circuit does not occur. Next, use a 17 or 19 wrench to clamp the working filter and unscrew the fitting with a 10 wrench. It is important that fuel does not get into the organ of vision. All remaining fuel is poured into a plastic container. 10, use a key to unscrew the fitting that is located at the fuel pump on the other side. To do this, loosen the clamp a little, after which you can begin to unscrew it. You need to know which way to unscrew it, which is written in the instructions for the part. Most often, the direction of fuel movement is indicated by an indicator printed on the body. When dismantling is completed, you can begin installing a new gasoline fuel filter. Installation is carried out in the same order, only in reverse. It will be better for the filter to install a new fixing clamp. This will increase the service life of the part.
Disassembling the fuel filter
To avoid dousing yourself in fuel, it would be better to release the pressure. To do this, press the ramp spool. Another option is to remove the fuse when the car starts and leave the engine running until it stops.
After completing the installation, you need to check how the new device behaves when starting the engine. Make sure there are no gasoline leaks. If any are found, then the problem is probably in the rubber rings and they need to be replaced. It’s better to do this right away, since you’ll still have to come back to it later. At this point, the work of replacing the filter can be considered complete.
Why do you need to replace the fuel filter?
The need for filtration is caused by the negative effects of pollutants on the injection system and the engine piston system. Over time, the filter becomes clogged and the amount of fuel driven through it by the fuel pump over a certain period of time decreases.
When accelerating or driving uphill, there may not be enough fuel, and the car significantly reduces power.
- If nothing is done in the future, it will move jerkily and stall, then it will not start at all due to lack of fuel.
- Motorists with extensive experience know when it is time to change the fuel filter - at the initial signs of blockages.
- It is better, without waiting for these signs to appear, to change the filter in accordance with the instructions of the car manufacturer.
Any service book states the mileage, upon reaching which the filter must be replaced. When it is known that low-quality fuel is being used, changing the fuel filter will be needed in a shorter time.
What happens if the filter is clogged?
Dirt from fuel clogs filters and renders them inoperable. There is no need to blame oil refineries. Fuel becomes contaminated during pumping.
As soon as a blockage occurs, the driver immediately understands it. During rapid acceleration and driving at high speed, you feel the unstable behavior of your car. First, the thrust decreases, then the engine begins to function intermittently. By the way, in quiet mode and at idle, everything functions as before, without changes. Drivers are wondering when to change the fuel filter in this case.
Here are the symptoms indicating a clogged filter:
Poor performance of the power unit and a sharp decrease in power. A heavily clogged filter is no longer able to clean the incoming fuel. The engine does not receive the required amount of gasoline, normal functioning is out of the question.
Spark plugs, λ-probe with accelerators begin to wear out faster. Unrefined fuel does not burn out completely, and some of it settles on the spark plugs and pistons. Next, the “contaminated” mixture passes through the accelerators and the probe, thereby reducing their resource and service life.
Fuel consumption increases not because of a clogged filter. It “takes away” engine power, forcing the driver to press harder on the gas to accelerate the car. Accordingly, this requires even more gasoline.
The engine does not start. One fine day the engine will simply stop starting. This happens at a time when the filter is so dirty that it can no longer cope with its “responsibilities”. The only way out is to finally replace it with a new one.
There are situations in the life of car owners when the power unit begins to trip. Usually few people pay attention to this symptom. As a result, the engine stalls, and the reason for this is a clogged fuel filter.
Types of fuel filters
Filters differ in their structure. They are installed based on the type of fuel system.
There are three types:
- Carburetor type. The initial stage is a mesh in the tank, then there is a fine filter, and finally a small mesh at the inlet to the carburetor;
- Injection view. There is also a large mesh in the tank, then a pump filter for gasoline is installed, enclosing a fine cleaning part;
- Diesel - here the analogy of injection cleaning is used, but an additional stage is connected in the form of separation.
Diesel filters differ in that the type of such engine is considered very vulnerable, therefore the fuel for such systems must be cleaned in the best possible way. In this case, the fuel of the car undergoes three stages of purification - in the gas tank, then coarse and fine cleaning.
A diesel fuel filter is designed to prevent water from entering the combustion chamber. Therefore, a high-quality cleaning filter for a diesel engine is more expensive than a cleaning unit for a gasoline engine. According to the design, filters are divided into prefabricated and non-dismountable types.
When a non-separable gasoline cleaning unit is installed in a car, then when it becomes unusable, the entire fuel filter must be replaced. Prefabricated types do not require complete replacement - just replace the filter part.
Design features
Three-stage device for filtering diesel fuel.
Fuel filters for diesel cars are different from devices designed to filter gasoline. A diesel engine is very sensitive to the quality of fuel; for its stable operation it is necessary to use the most purified fuel possible. Therefore, cars running on diesel fuel have three degrees of purification of the combustible mixture:
- Cleaning the gas tank. A special mesh prevents the entry of contaminants into the fuel system.
- Rough cleaning. Prevents the entry of large particles.
- Fine cleaning. Designed to trap small dirt particles that can clog injectors.
In addition to preventing the entry of small particles of dust, soot, plants, and insects, the filter must prevent the penetration of water into the combustion chamber. Plus have a special heating to prevent the formation of paraffin crystals at low temperatures.
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What is the replacement period?
In the average version, manufacturers recommend replacing filters after 30,000 km. Many car owners, through experimental observations, also came to this mileage figure.
Symptoms that the filter needs to be changed may include:
- Triple
- And turning off the engine
Of course, not everything can be exactly like that. When you refuel at gas stations known for their high quality fuel, adhere to a leisurely driving style, and rarely drive on rural roads, then you can greatly increase the frequency of filter changes. But in practice this rarely happens.
Replacement times for popular cars
For VAZ-2114, 2107 and other classic models, the replacement frequency is 30 thousand km. The same period applies to Renault Logan. Renault Megane's filter is more durable - it can operate for as much as 120,000 km.
On Duster and Kengo with diesel engines, the period is short - only 10,000 km. On the Toyota Camry, the resource of the element is 80,000 km. Nissan Almera is equipped with a filter designed for its entire service life. And for those who don’t know how long it takes to change the fuel filter when refueling with Russian gasoline, you need to divide these numbers by 2.
Signs of a blockage
Does a car enthusiast need to know when to change the filter? A number of features are known for this purpose. All symptoms are caused by poor fuel supply.
We provide the main signs of a fuel filter failure:
- Severely reduced power;
- Uneven engine operation - often detected by sneezing or jerking of the car;
- Increased fuel consumption. This sign is indirect, it is not always connected with this.
In the first stages of blockage, these signs of blockage are not clearly expressed, so drivers do not notice alarm bells.
Only after the fuel supply has completely stopped do the owners begin to think about the reason. There are cases when the car did not start due to the fact that gasoline could not squeeze through the filter.
Shift instructions
For most car brands, this procedure is not too difficult.
Basically, filters are installed in the following places:
- Under the bottom of the car - on the injection system;
- In the engine compartment in front of the high pressure pump - for diesel engines;
- In the engine compartment in front of the injection pump, there is a break in the gasoline line - on the carburetor;
- A coarse mesh is installed in the tank along with a gasoline pump.
To avoid dousing your hands and car parts with fuel, before the procedure it is advised to release the pressure in the lines, which is constantly present on injection models of cars. To do this, you will need to find the spool on the ramp, place a small container and press the valve.
General acquaintance
Fuel filtration device
Filtering devices for fuel systems are designed to clean fuel from harmful impurities and abrasive particles that can harm the elements of the specified system and the engine. Basically, the process of filtering fuel consists of several degrees of purification, the number of which is determined by the design features of the filter device. The classic option is filtration in two stages:
- Rough cleaning. Designed to filter out large particles of dirt from fuel entering the gas tank.
- Fine filter. It is installed between the gas tank and the power unit. The filter device must filter out small particles of dirt. In diesel cars, this filter, in addition to mechanical cleaning, performs two more functions:
- heating the fuel at sub-zero temperatures to prevent the formation of paraffin crystals;
- removing small drops of water from the system.
In modern cars, depending on their design features, more than two degrees of cleaning can be used. For diesel engines, the classic option is one with three levels of fuel purification.
How does the replacement take place?
The fuel filter is replaced in the following order:
- On a car with carburetors, just unscrew the clamps and pull the hoses out of the fittings, then unscrew the consumable body and replace it with a new product.
- On machines with fuel supply from an injector, these actions must be carried out from the inspection hole or lying under the bottom.
- On the diesel version, you need to pull out the tubes, remove the cover and remove the littered paper insert.
The location of the filter and the replacement method may differ depending on the make and model of the vehicle.
For example, on a gasoline car, instead of a round barrel that cannot be disassembled, a housing with a filter paper insert can be installed. In this case, this core changes. When you need to clean or change the screen in the tank, then you need to remove the gasoline pump.
When is it time to change
You can buy yourself a new TF literally as soon as you purchased the car from the showroom or took it from your hands. But after how long can it or should it be changed?
If you change the TF on a used car as soon as you re-register it, nothing bad will happen. It is not known what kind of filter was there before and how many kilometers it has already traveled and how long ago the previous owner changed it.
The frequency of TF replacement can vary significantly depending on a number of factors:
- vehicle condition;
- driving style;
- terms of Use;
- fuel system operation;
- the quality of repairs performed regarding the engine and fuel system;
- the quality of the gas stations where the previous owner of the used car refueled;
- engine's type;
- motor power, etc.
Only the specific instruction manual can answer you. And how often the TF changes depends on you specifically.
In general, I’ll tell you, many people believe that on diesel cars the TF is changed every 30 thousand kilometers, and on gasoline cars - from 60 to 100 thousand kilometers. And some automakers even say that the filter installed from the factory will last as long as the car itself.
Alas, these numbers are far from the truth. Why? It's simple. Ideal operating conditions are taken into account here. That is, smooth roads, high-quality fuel, measured driving style, and so on. Which of these do you have? Personally, I have problems on all counts, since driving on our roads in this way is impossible, even with a strong desire.
Therefore, the reality is that diesel filters are changed every 10-30 thousand kilometers, and gasoline filters - 20-60 thousand. Yes, there are exceptions when the car is rarely used, the driver is extremely careful and refuels at the best gas stations. Here the filter can really last 50-100, or even more than thousands of kilometers.
I will give one piece of advice that is far from bad. Take into account the mileage and compare it with the operating conditions of the vehicle. This way you will understand exactly how often you should change the TF.
A car is such an advanced invention that it itself will show signs indicating the need for replacement.
