Filters Fuel Filters

Fuel Filters

Dirty fuel is inevitable and an unfortunate fact of life. Fuel filters play a vital role in protecting your engine from a multitude of contaminents present in every litre of fuel. Although cleaner-burning fuels are being developed, pollutants and contaminants remain a key source of concern when it comes to fuel systems... A proper fuel filter and or combination of fuel filters is essential for providing clean fuel to sufficient fuel flow to protect sensitive fuel system components such as injection pumps and injectors from harmful pollutants such as the following:

• Water - removes the lubricative characteristics of your fuel, causing damage to fuel system components and fuel flow stoppage at cold temperatures. Can also help promote the spread and growth of fungus and bacteria or 'Fuel Bug" as more commonly known. Good fuel filtration should incorporate an efficient fuel water separator as part of the overall fuel filtration system.
• Fungus & Bacteria - Every litre of fuel you purchase has dormant fungal spores and bacteria. In the presence of moisture and the right temperature these microbes can feed on hydrocarbons and spread swiftly. This leads to filters plugging and a raft of other fuel system issues. Stopping this at the root casue, which is usually fuel storage tanks with fuel treatments and good filtration when pumping from the tank is the best preventative measure.
• Particulates - these can plug filters prematurely.
• Wax - is added to diesel fuel to add energy. It does however during cold weather thicken and gelate. This can lead to fuel slowing or stopping.

Bearing this in mind it is absolutely critical for the effcient long term running and protection of an engine to have an appropriate fuel filtration system for the particular application installed, quality fuel flow and clean fuel filters that are regularly maintained. FCP Solutions can assist with making improvements to any filtration system to improve the protection to vital engine components which in turn will offer longer service life, less downtime and reduce overall maintenance costs, prevention is better than cure!

When To Change Fuel Filters?

As a general rule, fuel filters should be changed in the following applications:

• Automotive - every 30,000 to 40,000 kilometers or as per the recommended interval in the service or owners manual.
• Trucks - every 15,000 to 25,000 kilometers or as per the recommended interval in the service or owners manual.
• Machinery - every 500 hours or as per the maintenance manual.

The above recommendations are merely a guide and is very dependant on the fuel quality being used and the environment the engine is running in. For example if the fuel is overly contaminated or the engine is running in a high dust environment, fuel filters will need to be changed much more frequently vs if the fuel is extremely clean and high quality. There are some signs that your fuel filter is clogged and dirty and requires replacemnt before it's recommended service interval, these include:

1. Engine has trouble staring
2. Acceleration isn't smooth
3. Sputtering and frequent idling
4. Exhaust emits foul or strong odours
5. Lower performance of misfiring

Fuel filters maintenance and replacement shouldn't be overlooked as they play a major role in preventing your engine from catastrophic failure. When it comes time to replacing your dirty fuel filter FCP Solutions can offer the absolute best protection on the market for your engine and expert advice to improve your fuel filtration.