Mike’s Auto Service & Repair advises that if you allow your fuel filter to get clogged, you can damage the fuel pump. The fuel pump has an electronic motor that must work harder if the fuel receives resistance from the clogged filter. In other words, the motor works harder to push the fuel through the clogged filter. Unfortunately, this can kill the fuel pump before its time. Aside from a dead fuel pump, here are other signs that your fuel filter is clogged.
Fuel Tank Noise
The fuel pump will start to make noise in the fuel tank if it is struggling to push the fuel through the clogged filter. The most common sound you will hear is whining. If you hear whining coming from your fuel tank, head straight to our shop so we can inspect the fuel system. In addition to a clogged fuel filter, the fuel pump will whine when it is going bad.
Hard/No Starts
A clogged fuel filter also makes it difficult to start your car, SUV, or truck. This makes sense because it is harder for the fuel to make its way into the combustion chamber. Little to no fuel may end up passing through the clogged filter and into the fuel injectors. Consequently, your engine will have a hard time starting or won’t start at all because it is fuel-starved.
Misfiring
The engine also needs a consistent stream of fuel while it is running. If it does not have this consistent stream, it will misfire. This will make your ride jerky as the engine hiccups and tries to prevent itself from stalling. Replacing the fuel filter will restore the engine’s performance.
Rough Idling
In addition to misfiring, the idle will also be rough. As you can imagine, some of the fuel may not ignite in the cylinders because there is enough to ignite when the spark plugs generate sparks. Consequently, this means your engine does not have full combustion. As such, it will idle roughly due to the fuel starvation caused by the clogged fuel filter.
Stalling
In addition, your engine may stall frequently because it is fuel-starved. In fact, the engine may stall immediately after you get it started or while it is idling. This can put you in a precarious position if the engine stalls while you are stuck in traffic.
Call Mike’s Auto Service & Repair in West Springfield, MA, today if it has been 30,000 miles since you have had your fuel filter changed.
