Fuel Filter C/O: Easy Decision...

[gathermewool]

While trouble shooting an idle vibration issue I decided to replace the fuel filter, since it's been a while. I've had the car for 30kmi, and I have no idea when the previous owner did it. Anyway, I rubbed away the grime no top of the canister and noticed the goes-intas and goes-outas were swapped - the fuel line from the pump attached to the "OUT" filter fitting and the fuel line that feeds the fuel rails attached tot he "IN" filter fitting.

I'm not sure what the inside of the canister looks like, nor how this would adversely affect performance. After the swap I didn't notice any difference. The car started up immediately -maybe 2-3 seconds.

The jack-and-ace also flipped the filter clamp 180 degrees, requiring the removal of the washer fluid bottle to release the clamp.

So, the fuel lines are now how they're supposed to be oriented, and the filter clamp can be removed with out having to unbolt the washer fluid bottle...

Am I missing something? Is there a reason some one might swap the goesintas and goesoutas on a filter?

 

[simple_gifts]

Does your tank fill up as you drive?

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Does your tank fill up as you drive?


Well, one mystery solved!

 

[JustinH]

I just got done wrestling one on my saturn ion. The previous owner must have not had the right disconnect tool, so they tried to use another sharp object to get the filter lock off it. My disconnect tool would no longer work.

I had to use a mechanics pick set and an inspection mirror, and two hours to get the stupid filter off.

The filter lock was mangled beyond belief. I'm just glad I didn't mess up the line.

 

[DieselTech]

It torques me off when people do that. In the end it cost more then the 2.00 plastic tool ot 7.00 alum tool. isses me right off

 

[gathermewool]

In the Subie, it's clamped to a bracket attached right to the driver-side strut tower. Two hose clamps, unclamp and voila!

 

[Herz]

man am I glad my filter is easily accesable from the frame, a couple open end wrenches and 2 minutes later you are done.

 

[L_Sludger]

I have never, ever once seen any difference whatsoever in replacing a fuel filter. This was my experience with four Toyotas, all with over 200,000 on the clock.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
I have never, ever once seen any difference whatsoever in replacing a fuel filter. This was my experience with four Toyotas, all with over 200,000 on the clock.


I'm not expecting to, either. It was $26, and I replaced it because it was backwards.

 

[mechtech2]

Fuel filters are not reversible without consequences.
I don't know the specifics of your filter's internal construction, but this backwards thing was not good.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Fuel filters are not reversible without consequences.
I don't know the specifics of your filter's internal construction, but this backwards thing was not good.


I'm not sure how long it has been like this, but everything ran just fine today. Let's just hope it wasn't taken off for some reason and reinstalled backwards.

 

[andyd]

If you simply normalized the original filter, you just flushed all the crud in the filter towrd the injectors. I ran a fuel filter for 100k miles and I definitely felt an improvement when I replaced it.

 

[El_Schaf]

Horror story - I ran a fuel filter to 120K, roughly 12 years old since it looked like it had never been done when I went at it, because I was averaging roughly 36MPG on the highway with my 96 Monte Carlo, - It started with gradual power issues and within about 20K miles of the issues starting I realized the mileage I was attaining was ridiculously high( I have about 80 HWY miles of commute each way, and can really track MPG over time). Knowing that this was not actually a good thing (although this was the summer of $4 gas) I went to the fuel filter first: It was the cheapest. I could barely blow through it when I (finally) got the thing off. New filter and the car was back to good-ish,-like the 13 year old car it was.

I really miss that car.

 

[AdRock]

I had a few different customers in with Ford pickups and they all came in with the same problems. The people didn't know that they had 2 fuel filters. All of the trucks had over 150k on them.

That's the kind of info that reading the manual can help with.