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Quite often the driver can notice that the engine of his car starts to behave oddly when adding gas. He may not even pay attention to this and continue the ride and only after the engine stops he begins to look for the cause of the breakdown. There might be many causes but the common one is a dirty fuel filter. In this case the engine may not start at all.

The purpose of the fuel filter is the separation of dust particles and contaminants, preventing them from entering the fuel system of the engine.Dust and other harmful components clog and disable the fuel system in the absence of a purifying system.

 

The filtration process consists of two or more cleaning steps:

- rough cleaning (the removal of large parts of the dirt that got inside the gas tank with fuel);

- fine cleaning (the filter is located between the fuel tank and the engine of the car).

 

By its design, based on the type of fuel system, filters are divided into:

• carburettor (necessary to prevent contamination of the carburetor);

• injection (required for additional cleaning, since the injection system is very sensitive to pollution, the quality of cleaning such filter is 6 microns);

• diesel (also needed for cleaning. As a rule, there are 2 fuel filters (coarse and fine (detains particles in the size of about 2 microns) of purification).

The type of engine that requires diesel filters is very vulnerable that is why the fuel should be as clean as possible. Fuel of the car passes three stages of cleaning - in a gas tank, followed by a rough and fine cleaning. The fuel filter protects the diesel engine from falling into the combustion chamber. Given these factors, it becomes clear why why a high-quality fuel filter for a diesel car is more expensive than for a gasoline engine.

 

By design, the filters can be of two types:

separable filter;

non-separable filter.

If a non-separable gasoline cleaning component is installed in the car, then in the event of its unsuitability, a complete replacement of the fuel filter is carried out. Separable filter does not require a complete change - just replace the filter element itself.

 

Fuel filters are also divided into:

• main (located in the fuel line);

• submersible (installed in a fuel tank).

 

As with every product fuel filters have certain requirements.

1. Efficiency of filtration

Absolutely clean fuel is required for reliable operation of the engine, in particular the fuel pump and nozzles. The dirt particles accelerate engine wear and degrade its performance.

Fuel filters hold off the pollutants entering the car tank with fuel, as well as rust particles, metal particles that are formed by the interaction of fuel system components and water (in the case of diesel engines).

 

2. Selection of the right filter

Different engines have their own requirements. Fuel filters use filtering materials that are suited to the requirements specified by the engine or vehicle manufacturer. The efficiency and properties of filter materials are tested in modern laboratories.

 

3. Ideal tightness

In addition to thorough filtration of particulate contaminants, especially in the 4-6 micron range which is the most harmful to the injection system, fuel filters should also be completely airtight. After all, the smallest leakage of fuel can lead to a car fire.

 

4. Protection of modern injection systems

The injection systems used in diesel engines require very effective filtration and separation of water.

 

And finally, fuel filters:

- capture the mineral and organic solids, and thus protect the fuel system from damage and improve the performance of the engine;

- are made of a filter material that provides high-quality cleaning (due to the special geometry of the material folds, they have high dirt content with minimal resistance to fuel flow;

- are able to detain particles in the size from 5 to 15 microns (thickness of human hair (70 microns));

- have high mechanical strength thanks to the built-in amplifier tube, which allows them to withstand pressure up to 5 bar;

- resistant to the formation of paraffin crystals; they do not clog and wax film does not form on their surfaces;

- durable due to chemicals resistance.

Remember that a well-chosen fuel filter will save fuel and reduce the frequency of its replacement. In the untimely replacing the consequences for the fuel system can be critical.

You should familiarize yourself with where the fuel filter is located and how often it is replaced. In most diesel and carburettor cars, the fuel filter is located under a hood. The components of gasoline cleaning in injector cars are under the car (if the filter is non-separable), or under the rear seat. In this case, the filter is located directly in the gas pump and to replace it you only need to replace the fuel pump grid.

Injector fuel filters are not subject to corrosion, since they are made out of aluminum or plastic.

 

Based on internet resources