What are the effects of not replacing the fuel filter?
3 Answers
The effects of not replacing the fuel filter: 1. Slow or no response when accelerating, making it difficult to start the car; 2. When the engine is running, fuel enters the sediment bowl of the filter under the action of the fuel pump through the inlet pipe. The fuel filter is located on the inlet side of the fuel pump, where the working pressure is lower, and it uses a nylon shell. For fuel-injected engines, the fuel filter is located on the outlet side of the fuel pump, where the working pressure is higher, and it typically uses a metal shell. When the fuel filter is clogged, its capacity increases, and the flow rate decreases, causing heavier water and impurity particles to settle at the bottom of the bowl, while lighter impurities flow with the fuel toward the filter element. Clean fuel then seeps through the micropores of the filter element into its interior and flows out through the fuel pipe.
Last time I went to the auto repair shop for maintenance, the mechanic said my fuel filter was way overdue and almost clogged like a sieve. This thing is like a mask for the engine—over time, impurities build up on the filter paper, making it hard for gasoline to flow through. The most obvious symptom is when you step on the gas and the car jerks like it's gasping for air. Pushing it too long can force the fuel pump to work overtime—my neighbor's car even burned out its fuel pump, costing thousands to fix. Now I change it strictly according to the maintenance manual, since saving on a filter isn’t worth a fraction of a fuel pump replacement. If your car struggles to accelerate or keeps stalling, nine times out of ten, this is the culprit.
Having repaired cars for 15 years, I've seen too many cases where saving small amounts led to big losses. The fuel filter acts like the engine's kidneys—if it can't filter out contaminants, the fuel injectors are the first to suffer. When gum deposits clog the injector nozzles, fuel atomization suffers, and the car's fuel efficiency plummets. Last year, a Lavida owner who hadn't changed the filter in three years ended up stranded when the fuel pump struggled to draw fuel like sipping sesame paste through a straw. An overheated fuel pump burning through fuel lines is no joke. For city driving, check every 20,000 km, and change even more frequently if you often refuel at small gas stations.
