- In this page you will learn the basics about how a fuel filter works and its location, plus we will provide for you a detailed step by step guide about how to replace it.
What exactly is a fuel filter?
A fuel filter as its name implies, is an element designed to filter the impurities contained in the fuel, weather is gasoline, ethanol, diesel, kerosene etc.
Without a fuel filter, the fuel injectors in a vehicle would get clogged very fast, because even if the fuel was clean when it came out of the refinery, it still needs to be transported, and a lot of the impurities come from fuel being stored and transported in dirty containers, not to mention that the fuel tank in your own car has dirt and many other
particles at the bottom of it.
It is crucial to replace the fuel filter at regular intervals ( no more than 30,000 miles), to keep it from getting clogged.
A clogged fuel filter will make your fuel pump work harder as it is trying to pump fuel to the fuel injectors, plus when a filter gets very clogged, your vehicle will starve for fuel under acceleration, causing you to lose power, and to have a lean fuel mixture.
Where is the fuel filter located at?
The fuel filter is located in the fuel supply line that goes from the fuel tank to the fuel rail, most vehicles have an external fuel filter, meaning that you will be able to locate it if you just follow the fuel supply line, some vehicles like Chrysler, Dodge etc. Have designed some of their vehicles with the fuel filter inside the fuel tank, as part of the fuel pump module assembly, making it non serviceable.
We will start this page showing you how to replace the fuel filter in a later model ford , we performed this job on a 1999 Ford Expedition, but the same steps apply to most ford cars, trucks or SUV's.
- Before you start replacing the fuel filter, don't forget to relieve the pressure in the system, to do so you have two options:
1- Depress the pressure relief valve in the fuel rail ( this is where you check the fuel pressure with a fuel pressure gauge ).
2- Remove the fuel pump fuse, start the vehicle and let it run till it dies ( it will stop running once the fuel in the line runs out ).
For added safety it is recommended to remove the negative battery cable.
Once you've done that, proceed to remove the safety clips on the fuel filter/fuel lines.
- Next, slide a fuel line disconnect tool in between the fuel line and the tip of the fuel filter.
This tool pushes the tabs that hold the fuel line in place out, allowing you to disconnect it from the filter, make sure that the tool goes in all the way before you pull on the line to avoid damaging the metal tabs.
- Holding the fuel line disconnect tool with one hand against the line, use the other hand to pull it out. It shouldn't require a lot of effort if the tool is all the way in.
Once you have both lines disconnected, proceed to remove the fuel filter from the vehicle.
- Lubricate the ends of the new filter with petroleum jelly, this will allow the filter to slide inside the fuel lines without damaging the o-ring seals.
Install the new filter in the car or truck depending on what you are working on and connect the fuel lines.
This is what the job looks like once it is completed.
If you disconnected the negative battery cable , go ahead and install it back, if you haven't placed the fuel pump fuse back in its original location this is the time to do so, start the vehicle and check for fuel leaks , you shouldn't have any if you did the job correctly.
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