Diesel fuel filter - important periodic replacement

Replacing the fuel filter in gasoline engines usually does not cause serious problems: after such an operation, the engine regularly “ignites” and keeps stable speed. The situation may be different when replacing diesel filters in diesel units, both with a mechanical injection system and with a common rail system. Sometimes after operation there are problems with starting a diesel engine or the latter chokes or goes out while driving.

Purity and the right choice

Various types of diesel filters are used in diesel units: the most common are the so-called cans with filter cartridges. Experts recommend replacing them right now, that is, before the onset of the winter season. In the case of so-called can filters, they should be replaced with new ones. On the other hand, in filters equipped with filter cartridges, the latter are replaced after thoroughly cleaning the filter housings and the seats in which they are installed. You should also carefully inspect the fuel lines, including the so-called return line, the task of which is to drain excess fuel into the tank. Attention! Use only new clamps each time you change the filter. When deciding to replace the diesel oil filter with a new one, it is necessary to correctly adjust it - to work only on diesel fuel or also on biodiesel. This must be done in accordance with the recommendations of the car manufacturer and using the spare parts catalog (preferably from well-known manufacturers). Workshops also allow the use of substitutes, provided that their properties are % compatible with the original.

Bleeding in different ways

Thoroughly bleed the vehicle's fuel system every time you change the diesel fuel filter. The procedure is different for different types of diesel engines. On engines with an electric fuel pump, to do this, switch the ignition on and off several times. Deaeration of the fuel system for diesel engines equipped with a hand pump takes much longer. In this case, it should be used to fill the entire system until air is pumped in instead of fuel. Deaeration is still different in older types of diesel units where the diesel filter was placed in front of the mechanical feed pump. Thanks to such a system, the fuel system vents itself ... but in theory. In practice, due to pump wear, it is not able to pump diesel fuel normally. Therefore, before starting the old diesel engine for the first time after replacing the fuel filter, it is recommended to fill it with clean diesel fuel.

I hit it on the gas and it... went out

However, sometimes, despite a carefully selected diesel oil filter and proper deaeration of the fuel system, the engine "lights up" only after a few seconds or does not start at all. In other cases, it goes out while driving or automatically switches to emergency mode. What's going on, is the filter just replaced to blame? The answer is no, and the undesirable causes must be looked for elsewhere. In some cases, the above problems with the engine may be the result of, for example, a jammed high pressure pump (in diesel engines with a common rail system). In many cases, this is facilitated by towing a broken vehicle, and pump damage usually leads to serious (and costly to fix) contamination of the entire fuel system. Another cause of problems with starting a diesel engine can also be the presence of water in the diesel filter. This is because the latter also acts as a water separator, preventing moisture from entering the precision injection system and damaging the injection pump and injectors. Therefore, experts recommend that in cars equipped with a water separator or a filter with a separator, drain the water from the separator-septic tank. How often? In summer, once a week is enough, and in winter, this operation must be carried out at least every day.