What are the symptoms of a dirty fuel filter?
2 Answers
Gasoline filter dirty performance: mild impact on combustion, severe impact on fuel supply, clogged fuel injectors, affect gasoline pressure, difficult to start or lack of acceleration. If the gasoline filter is very dirty, it is certainly impossible to ensure the cleanliness of the fuel entering the engine cylinder for combustion, after all, the added gasoline is not pure. In order to ensure the effective protective effect of the gasoline filter, it is usually necessary to replace it every 10,000 to 20,000 kilometers of driving. The specific decision should still be made based on the actual situation. When the owner finds that the color of the filter element in the diesel filter has obviously turned black, it means that the filter element is heavily polluted by harmful substances and needs to be replaced in time.
I've been driving for over a decade, and I can always tell when the fuel filter is dirty from how the car feels. The acceleration becomes noticeably sluggish, the power feels weak when speeding up, and even climbing a small hill becomes a real struggle. When idling, the engine shakes like a sieve, sometimes even stalling inexplicably, and restarting becomes difficult, often taking several attempts. That's not the worst part—the fuel consumption suddenly spikes. Last time I checked, it was burning 10% more fuel for no reason. The root cause is the filter being clogged with impurities, blocking the fuel line and preventing the engine from getting enough fuel, which naturally saps its power. Don't take this lightly—delaying can easily damage the fuel pump, leading to more expensive repairs. So whenever these symptoms appear, I immediately head to the shop to replace the filter, and I always pay attention to fuel quality during regular maintenance.
