To avoid the fuel filter in your SUV from getting clogged, let us change it every 30,000 miles. If you are a low-mileage driver, you should plan to have the fuel filter changed in your SUV every two years. If the fuel filter gets clogged, you will start to have one or more of the problems listed below.
Difficult Starts
For example, if it is getting difficult to get the SUV started, you may not have enough fuel in the combustion chamber. If the fuel filter is clogged, a limited supply of fuel may be the only amount of fuel that can make its way through the clog. If the fuel filter is severely clogged, you may not have any fuel in the engine and, as such, the engine in the SUV will not start.
Misfiring/Rough Idling
Another sign that the fuel filter needs to be replaced is misfiring and rough idling. This is an indication that the engine is fuel-starved. The engine will cut out because when the firing sequence reaches cylinders that do not have enough fuel in them, the cylinder will not ignite. Consequently, your SUV will not be firing on all cylinders literally.
Stalling
This can also make the engine in the SUV stall frequently. It may stall right after you get the engine started or it may stall while you are sitting at an idle. In severe cases, the engine may cut and shut off while you are driving the SUV. You may not be able to get the engine restarted if there is a serious lack of fuel supply to the combustion chamber.
Whining
In addition to the above engine problems, you may also start to hear whining noises in the SUV’s fuel tank. This is a sign that the fuel pump is struggling to push the fuel through the filter and into the engine. Any clogs in the fuel filter will offer resistance to the fuel as it tries to flow through. Consequently, the fuel pump motor will work too hard.
Pump Failure
Unfortunately, the whining noise is not the only problem you will have. The clogged fuel filter can actually damage the fuel pump motor and cause premature failure of the fuel pump. If this happens, your SUV will need a new fuel pump alongside a new fuel filter.
Give us a call today if it has been more than 30,000 miles since you have had the fuel filter in your SUV changed.
