You should plan to have your car, truck, or SUV’s fuel filter replaced every 30,000 miles or after two years if you haven’t driven your vehicle 30,000 miles yet. If your automobile is new, you can probably wait a little longer between filter changes. This being said, you do not want to drive with a clogged fuel filter. This will not only affect your vehicle’s performance; it can also damage the engine. Here are three common signs your fuel filter could be clogged and needs to be replaced.
Reduction in Engine Power
All gasoline contains sediment, which is why your vehicle needs a fuel filter. If the sediment clogs the filter, your engine will slowly lose power. Because the fuel cannot pass through the filter, the fuel injectors become fuel-starved. This will reduce your engine’s power because it simply isn’t getting enough gasoline in it. If the filter is clogged so much it isn’t getting any fuel, you won’t be able to start your car, truck, or SUV.
Engine Stalls When Stressed
Another sign of a clogged filter is your engine will stall when it’s stressed out. This is also a sign of trouble with the fuel pump, a sensor problem, or an engine vacuum leak. Engine stress is usually caused when you accelerate hard, such as driving your vehicle up a steep hill. Heavy loads can also cause engine stress because it has to work harder to haul the load. As with lagging engine power, the engine will stall under stress because it’s not getting enough fuel.
Engine Misfires
There are many reasons why your engine will misfire. The misfires could be caused due to bad spark plugs, a failing camshaft, MAP, or mass airflow sensor; problems with the ignition coils; or, you guessed it, a clogged air filter. Anytime your vehicle doesn’t work efficiently, it can misfire. Air and fuel are mixed and then ignited by the spark plugs to get the engine running. If the air or fuel is compromised, the engine will misfire. A clogged fuel filter creates a lean mixture with too much air in it.
J&M Auto Service in Tea, SD, can figure out if your engine trouble is caused by a clogged fuel filter or one of the other issues listed above. Even if it’s something completely different, we can fix it. Contact us today, and we’ll schedule the perfect time for you to come into our shop.