For a fuel filter to go bad it usually takes 5 to 10 years depending on the quality of fuel your vehicle uses.
Some fuel filters may only last a few years or 20,000 miles and some fuel filters can last 5 to 10 years or 80,000 miles to 150,000 miles.
Fuel filters should be changed every 20,000 miles to 80,000 miles although some fuel filters may last as long as 100,000 miles to 150,000 miles if you have used quality fuel.
You can drive for between 80,000 miles to 150,000 miles and sometimes longer without changing a fuel filter.
Some fuel filters may only last 20,000 miles to 50,000 miles depending on the quality of fuel you put into the vehicles gas tank.
The symptoms of a bad fuel filter are engine stalling, engine misfire, rough idling, hard starting, sluggish engine performance, slow acceleration or even the engine not starting at all.
A car will act sluggish or stall, run rough, be slow to accelerate or be hard to start when the fuel filter is going out.
If the fuel filter is going bad or getting clogged it should be changed out as a bad fuel filter can also cause poor fuel mileage as well.
A dirty fuel filter can cause poor gas mileage as the engine won't be running at optimum performance and can become sluggish.
A dirty air filter or clogged fuel injectors and even bad spark plugs as well as low tire pressure can also cause poor gas mileage.
A bad fuel filter can cause slow acceleration as the fuel filter being bad or clogged can prevent the flow of fuel from reaching the engine at the proper pressure.
If the engine does not get enough fuel pressure or fuel then it can cause poor acceleration or slow acceleration and even engine hesitation or stalling.
Slow acceleration can also be caused by bad fuel pump, clogged fuel injectors, clogged air filter or other problems with the fuel system.
A clogged fuel injector will usually sound like a popping noise or rough idling voice.
You will usually have poor acceleration or the engine may try to cut out when you accelerate or it may also idle rough.
A normal working fuel injector normally makes a ticking sound and if you don't hear that ticking sound from the fuel injector then the fuel injector is not working.
A clogged fuel filter is caused by contaminants in the fuel or debris or fragments that can come from fuel storage tanks or fuel lines breaking down on the inside.
Contaminants such as rust in your fuel tank can also cause a clogged fuel filter.
Changing a fuel filter on a car takes on average of 10 to 30 minutes.
If your fuel filter is clogged you will need to replace the fuel filter which you can do yourself pretty easily as long as you have the proper tools.
Some fuel filters require a wrench to change out and some fuel filters require a fuel line removal tool.
The average fuel filter costs between $15.00 to $30.00 although some fuel filters may cost as much as $50.00 depending on the fuel filter and the make and model of the vehicle.
If you need your fuel pump tested a fuel pressure test will need to be performed by an auto repair shop.
The cost to test fuel pump and fuel pressure can range from $50.00 to $150.00 depending on the shop.
If your fuel pump is bad then it will need to be replaced and most fuel pumps are in the fuel tank which requires dropping the tank and that adds to cost.
Replacing an in tank fuel pump can cost between $200.00 to $500.00 depending on the vehicle you have.
Things that burns out a fuel pump are running out of fuel, electrical faults, age and wear and tear, fuel contaminants, high or low voltage.
Inline fuel pumps do have to be gravity fed so they won't burn out.
The inline fuel pump always needs some fuel in it for it to work and prevent failure of the fuel pump.
Mechanical fuel pumps put out around 1 to 4 psi while electric fuel pumps put out between 30 psi to 80 psi of fuel pressure.
Inline electric fuel pumps may only put out around 4 psi to 5 psi depending on the fuel pump.
An electric fuel pump should be no more than 2 feet from the fuel tank.
It's very important that the electric fuel pump is mounted close to the level of the bottom of the fuel tank as mounting them any higher will cause premature failure and poor performance.
The advantages of a mechanical fuel pump are no need for voltage or modules to control the fuel pump, no drop in pressure as the pump speed and fuel flow are tied to the engine speed and no overheating of fuel.
The mechanical fuel pump is mounted to the engine as well so it's easier to access to change out if you need too without having to drop the fuel tank.
Usually, a mechanical pump is preferred over an “aftermarket” electric fuel pump. They tend to be more reliable.
If the mechanical fuel pump is installed wrong then it won't work at all or it will not even supply enough fuel to the engine.
The fuel lines must be hooked up correctly for the fuel pump to work.
If the fuel pump does not work properly then the engine won't be able to start or will run rough, die out or lose power and fuel mileage.
You don't need to use gasket sealer on a mechanical fuel pump as long as you use the gasket to mount it to the engine.
However it is a good idea to add a bit of sealant to the mechanical fuel pump when mounting it to the engine to help hold the gasket in place.
A mechanical fuel pump does need to be primed which means the lines between the tank and the engine have to be filled with fuel before the mechanical fuel pump will pick up the fuel and begin pressurizing.
The mechanical fuel pumps work in the psi range of 1 to 4 psi.
Mechanical fuel pumps last on average of 100,000 miles and sometimes longer.
Although some mechanical fuel pumps may only last 30,000 miles or so before wearing out.
The three causes of mechanical fuel pump failure are contamination, overheating, and the gears in the the fuel pump wearing out over time.
Dirt, debris and rust can also cause mechanical fuel pump failure or even bad gas or other fuel.
Signs that your fuel pump is going out are noises from the fuel tank, low fuel pressure or no fuel pressure.
Common warning signs of a bad fuel pump include.
Engine Sputters at High Speeds. Leaking transmission fluid is one of the easiest way to determine your car attention.
Rising Temperature.
Fuel Pressure Gauge.
Loss of Power When the Vehicle Is Under Stress.
Surging.
Decreased Gas Mileage.
Engine Will Not Start.
If you notice a whining noise coming from the location of your fuel tank, the fuel pump is probably beginning to fail.
If you hear whining, the fuel pump may be bad, you're running low on gas, or there are contaminants in the tank.
A bad fuel pump relay could cause a fuel pump to keep running and not shut off.
The fuel pump relay is a device to switch on and off the fuel pump and when it does not work properly it may either not allow the fuel pump to come on or it may keep the fuel pump on.
A fuel pump that stays on when the ignition is turned off can be caused by a few things.
If you do not believe that the behavior is normal, then it may be possible that the the ignition switch or fuel pump relay have shorted and are feeding power to the pump.
A fuel pump can flow too much and cause too much fuel to get to the engine.
Your engine needs the correct amount of fuel pressure but not too much.
Using the wrong fuel pump that delivers excess pressure can cause problems ranging from poor performance and lower gas mileage to flooding and carburetor damage.
When the pressure is only a little over the required amount, your vehicle may sputter when you first accelerate from a stopped position.
If fuel pressure is too high, your vehicle's engine could be over fueled, leading to many of the symptoms listed below.
Some of these symptoms include your engine running rough, poor fuel economy and black smoke from the exhaust.
The fuel pump is turned on and off through a fuel pump relay.