just wondering how often the fuel filter needs changed?

[SuperTodd]

This is my first diesel, so wondering how often the fuel filter needs changed. and should I be draining water from it at a certain mileage. My old truck(gas) I would change the fuel filter once a yr.

 

[Brady]

I plan on draining the water, if any, at my next oil change, so 20k miles. I will change filter at the 30k mark as per manual.

 

[BoostN]

Fuel filters are cheap insurance. I'm set at doing them around every 20K miles.

 

[seiko]

I check with the dealer and they won't change it until 40k, km, which is about 24k mileage. As for water, using Shell V-power diesel has additives to move the water out. At least that the claim and I have no reason not to believe it, as I haven't had an issue of any sorts. All is well.

 

[ZMan079]

My buddy who has a 14 WJC with am EcoDiesel that went in for SCR replacement. Service Mgr. Said to him that they are now recommending changing fuel filter at 15k miles instead of 30. I just did my first oil change at 7500, so I can line the fuel filter up with every other oil change.q
ZMan079

 

[seiko]

15,000 miles converts to 24,000 kilometres. Personally I prefer to follow the manufacture guidelines, as I find dealers can have exterior motives, increase sales and services. The manager would need to provide technical reasons for me.

I would have question the manager and asked why the change. If he felt that water was an issue, for example, then they should be draining the filter every time you bring in for oil change. Unfortunately, I suspect most don't even do that, forcing the owner to crawl underneath, probably spill diesel on themselves or paved driveway (it illegal in some municipalities) or hoping you come in, so that they can charge you for the service and sell you a new filter, just because there was water in it.

Have you notice, how many trucks are being sold with no mud flaps. Just recently, a dealer was visited by the RCMP, advising them, it is illegal for them to sell without mud flaps. Guess what, the dealer installed mud flaps on all their new trucks in their stock. That must have hurt their parts sales. I don't trust dealers in general, they have the diesel gate mentality. They are quick to exaggerate, just to make more money. Notice how they won't put nothing in writing and if any, it very vague and incomplete. We need to question them, always.

Water can be an issue, older stations may have more water than normal in tanks, not doing proper flushing maintenance. Extreme weather changes can add to the issue, I suspect. During winter, it is my understanding that they use anti-gel, keep from freezing in service stations. It is my hope, and testing, that with Shell V-power which also uses anti-gel but have additional additives to disperse the water.

On my third tank of it, and big difference, I have noticed as mention on this site in several areas.

Time will tell, if the claims are true. So far, all is well and the claims seem to be accurate.

It would be nice to have a detailed dealer report card on this site, so the successes and failure, poor service can be documented by the members.

FYI: My third oil change is coming up to 25,000 kilometres. First one was at 5,000km, then the second 15,000 km. Those changes were dealer stickies indicators.

First one was free, I pay the next two (240.00 each time) and the third one is free, etc.

When dealer/FCA advertises these specs, then after you buy it, they change it, it false advertisement or misleading. Don't you think?

 

[jdn112011]

A fuel Filters life is extended by simply draining it into a bucket. A gallon ice cream pail or the bottom half of a washer fluid or other frequently used gallon size jug sits perfectly on top of the drive shaft to catch any spillage.

The factory drain plug takes a long time to drain. It vapor locks and unless you fidget with the drain hanging in there for 10 min it doesn't drain completely unless you twist open the housing past the fuel filter o ring and then it shotguns out. But with the factory plug that remains in it it vapor locks and does not drain properly. Or well at least. Geno's garage has a solid brass plug for our trucks I replaced mine with when I changed the oil filter and I just used it for a drain and it worked great.

Draining the fuel filter housing prolongs filter life.

And regardless a $30 fuel filter is cheap insurance. (Shop around online before paying 60 at a dealer)

And correct I change my oil at about 7500 miles and my fuel filter at about 15k. So I DRAIN my fuel filter at the first oil change and REPLACE it the next. Though I just drained mine last night and there wasn't a spec of particle or water or anything in the fuel. I fuel 95% of the time at Holiday station stores. 85% of the time from my local store. (I nearly always make it home on a full tank up to 700+ highway miles)

I made sure I had a new fuel filter before winter and changed at at about 15k. it wasn't terrible but it's a fuel filter; they do their job and there are noticeable contaminants on it. I wasn't going to be doing it in the middle of the winter.

Shawn has shown that there's not a lot of difference between the physical appearance of a fuel filter between 10-30k. But that's just with the naked eye.

Again it's cheap insurance and general maintenance. Shouldn't be such a big deal that you wish to do it before the recommended interval.


REGARDLESS EVERYONE MAKE SURE THAT YOU PRIME YOUR FUEL SYSTEM AFTER DOING ANY MAINTENANCE!!!

 

[Buggy-Bumpers]

Personally I would change the filter twice a year at a minimum. At the beginning of fall (when they change over to winter diesel) and at the beginning of spring ( when they change back to regular diesel). I look at it this way, a little extra maintenance will help the engine run better. This also covers the every 10k drain interval of water from the filter. Since you have to get under there just to drain the filter, why not change it also????

 

[AzRamDiesel]

Personally I would change the filter twice a year at a minimum. At the beginning of fall (when they change over to winter diesel) and at the beginning of spring ( when they change back to regular diesel). I look at it this way, a little extra maintenance will help the engine run better. This also covers the every 10k drain interval of water from the filter. Since you have to get under there just to drain the filter, why not change it also????

Right, cheap insurance.

 

[seiko]

Still trying to decide on how often, for now, I have let the dealers set the rate of replacement.

 

[jdn112011]

Agree. Before winter and after winter. $50 annual maintenance to your fuel system. People spend that in a couple of months on additives so what's the big deal

 

[Jerry Nelson]

Is it normal for a fuel filter be black when its changed? Mine are always black. Do I need to find a new place to get fuel.

 

[jdn112011]

At what intervals are you Changing it?

They're always black. Anything over 10k and it's black. Though my winter one was very clean with 10k on it.

 

[Jerry Nelson]

This filter is out of my 2014 Grand cherokee. The owners manual says change it at 20,000 and that's what it looked like. On my Ram 2500 commins I've been changing it every 3 mounts and they are dark but not black. Just wondering if I'm getting bad fuel. I've never had water in it. Just the dark filters. That's the first fuel filter change for the Grand cherokee.

 

[jdn112011]

Nope all is normal. The stuff the filter catches is probably carbon sediment and then saturated with fuel appears particularly dark

 

[Jerry Nelson]

Thanks jdn
That makes me feel better. I was worried I was getting bad fuel.

 

[jdn112011]

Unless you're putting a ton more mileage on your ctd you could probably back off on the filter frequency of that as well

 

[solarvic]

I just had new fuel injectors changed at 12,280 miles under warranty \@ a near $2500.00 warranty claim. service guy recommends a new filter @ each oil change. solarvic

 

[Brokedownbutgood]

There is no factory drain on the fuel filter that is only there to drain the water out. As far as filter change interval I'm doing 15k because I started to notice poor perfmance issues around 18K and light smoke at wot. But I also run a B20 blend most of the time.

 

[jdn112011]

There is no factory drain on the fuel filter that is only there to drain the water out. As far as filter change interval I'm doing 15k because I started to notice poor perfmance issues around 18K and light smoke at wot. But I also run a B20 blend most of the time.

How do you figure that the factory drain can only release water but not fuel? It's a drain. From a single container. There's no separate housing that only holds water