Just how critical is changing the fuel filter?

O

Oro_O

Joined
Sep 20, 2014
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I recently got a 2004 Volvo XC70. I'm going through it carefully replacing all worn mounts, bushings, changing fluids, fixing all issues I can find, mechanical or cosmetic.

To my eye, the fuel filter looks original. The car runs great, no reason to suspect a problem. It's not the cost or trouble, It's $15 and a simple job. But is it really necessary? I have changed filters on cars before - running fine after 10 years or more, then no change in performance/behavior and never changed them again. One Lexus we have doesn't even have a fuel filter at all, just a "rock catcher" strainer around the pump in the tank.

Don't get me wrong - I am very "pro" maintenance, and given the attention, time, and money I'm spending, it's nothing (I am installing an auxiliary transmission cooler and filter today, for example). But I like to think analytically and I just don't see how this part can fail/clog/etc. to the point changing it ever really matters.
 
wpod said:
Change it. It is on your mind.
Click to expand...

Not really bugging me, I was just thinking about the physics/mechanics of the situation. I totally agree with your point that if you are worrying about something, change it.
 
Wish all modern cars had a fuel filter. Used to change them every 15 - 20k miles or so. I vote for change!!!
 
I change my filter every 12,000 miles on the 97 F150. The pump in the tank has a lot of miles on it. I was considering a drop and change the pump but read that so many replacement pumps today have been known to fail. Never mind. I will just wait for a fail. Meanwhile I keep the fuel filter changed regularly.
 
On the advice of my trusted Honda / Toyota mechanic, no fuel filter changes and no fuel problems on these vehicles I purchased new:
-> 2000 Odyssey, owned 20 years / 210K miles,
-> 1997 Camry, owned 20 years / 220K miles,
-> 2006 Accord V6, owned 14 years / 96K miles.

This is puzzling since previous vehicles I owned needed a lot of fuel filter changes, e.g. 1979 Chevy Malibu V8 -> Carb-mounted cartridge was very visibly dirty every 2 years / 20K miles.

My mechanic acknowledged this about the Chevy, but says the Japanese vehicles typically do not need fuel filter maintenance. Indeed, I do not find changing the fuel filter listed in the owner’s manual.
 
Several years back I bought a mint condition mid 90's Buick with about 60K miles for a commuter car. At about 75K, all of a sudden, it became extremely critical to change the fuel filter. Fortunately it sputtered along at about 30 mph for a couple miles until I could get it out of traffic.
 
I've heard of fuel filters becoming clogged or restricting flow, but never experienced it and always wondered if it were some old wives tale. I've had more than one "mechanic" try to blame a fuel filter for an issue I was having, that didn't end up being the fuel filter. Each time I refused them replacing the fuel filter (because I was confident it wasn't the problem) and ended up diagnosing the problem myself.

On vehicles with accessible filters, I replace them every 30-50k at least, just because it's usually easy to do and inexpensive.

On the other hand, I've had vehicles that have no user accessible fuel filter (or it's buried in the tank) that I've pretty much left alone for the life of the vehicle. My '04 Honda Odyssey and '07 Pacifica are two such examples and have 210k and 155k respectively and never any hint of fuel system issues out of either.

So real life experience suggests to me that they don't need 30k, 50k or even 100k replacements. That said, I'll continue to replace them when I can (on cars so equipped) on a regular interval, just for the off chance it might help ward off any future trouble and because it certainly isn't going to hurt anything. Makes me feel good to maintain my vehicles and it doesn't hurt to be part of your service records that you can use when selling the vehicle.
 
92saturnsl2 said:
I've heard of fuel filters becoming clogged or restricting flow, but never experienced it and always wondered if it were some old wives tale. I've had more than one "mechanic" try to blame a fuel filter for an issue I was having, that didn't end up being the fuel filter. Each time I refused them replacing the fuel filter (because I was confident it wasn't the problem) and ended up diagnosing the problem myself.

On vehicles with accessible filters, I replace them every 30-50k at least, just because it's usually easy to do and inexpensive.

On the other hand, I've had vehicles that have no user accessible fuel filter (or it's buried in the tank) that I've pretty much left alone for the life of the vehicle. My '04 Honda Odyssey and '07 Pacifica are two such examples and have 210k and 155k respectively and never any hint of fuel system issues out of either.

So real life experience suggests to me that they don't need 30k, 50k or even 100k replacements. That said, I'll continue to replace them when I can (on cars so equipped) on a regular interval, just for the off chance it might help ward off any future trouble and because it certainly isn't going to hurt anything. Makes me feel good to maintain my vehicles and it doesn't hurt to be part of your service records that you can use when selling the vehicle.
Click to expand...

Happened to my mom. We were in her 67 Buick back in 1973 when it just stopped and had to get towed. It was the fuel filter.
 
Fuel filters were regular maintenance years ago, and I've certainly heard plenty of stories from people who've had a clogged / restricted filter. I do wonder, however, how common a problem this is today. I can't imagine the filters themselves having gotten much better; I've seen a few of the newer in-tank style and by appearance alone, they seem inferior to the metal-can in-line style filter you'd typically find on older vehicles. Add that to the fact that they're no longer considered a maintenance item (for most newer vehicles), has me wondering if fuel quality or filtering at the pump has improved.
 
I would almost guarantee you'll never have a problem until you are at least a $500 tow bill from anything. Votes for changing it.
 
It is also possible to replace a fuel filter, get a tank of bad gas and it is ruined in 100 miles....
 
Oro_O said:
I recently got a 2004 Volvo XC70. I'm going through it carefully replacing all worn mounts, bushings, changing fluids, fixing all issues I can find, mechanical or cosmetic.

To my eye, the fuel filter looks original. The car runs great, no reason to suspect a problem. It's not the cost or trouble, It's $15 and a simple job. But is it really necessary? I have changed filters on cars before - running fine after 10 years or more, then no change in performance/behavior and never changed them again. One Lexus we have doesn't even have a fuel filter at all, just a "rock catcher" strainer around the pump in the tank.

Don't get me wrong - I am very "pro" maintenance, and given the attention, time, and money I'm spending, it's nothing (I am installing an auxiliary transmission cooler and filter today, for example). But I like to think analytically and I just don't see how this part can fail/clog/etc. to the point changing it ever really matters.
Click to expand...

If you saw some of the filters in the injectors like I do you would not ask the question. Plastic fuel tanks, composite ground tanks at the stations and hence cleaner fuel coming out of the pump have almost eliminated the need to change it on some cars but not all.
If you have an external filter and plastic fuel tank change it every 75K, 50K or less if metal.
 
92saturnsl2 said:
Fuel filters were regular maintenance years ago, and I've certainly heard plenty of stories from people who've had a clogged / restricted filter. I do wonder, however, how common a problem this is today. I can't imagine the filters themselves having gotten much better; I've seen a few of the newer in-tank style and by appearance alone, they seem inferior to the metal-can in-line style filter you'd typically find on older vehicles. Add that to the fact that they're no longer considered a maintenance item (for most newer vehicles), has me wondering if fuel quality or filtering at the pump has improved.
Click to expand...

I propose that it is because of forced upgrades to fuel holding tanks at Gas Stations. For the longest time gas stations had some very old tanks, until the EPA stepped it up and forced "pollution insurance" in '89. The December 22, 1998 EPA deadline for upgrading underground tank systems was also a big player. Many small service station operators used the EPA deadline as a reason to sell or shutter their fueling facilities.

So the only real contaminants you can get in your automobile gas tank is from a red jerry can.... and who uses those for automobiles when fuel stations so handy?
 
Just like you, i questioned the same thing on our three V70Rs. Until my son’s ‘05 started “surging” a bit while climbing a long hill. It had about 250K on it at that point, but we replaced the filter and problem went away. The job was easy, the parts were cheap, so we did the same on the other two Volvos (with over 200K on them). We know they are done and we’ll probably never have to do it again, or until the cars have about 400K miles. Just do it.
 
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