How Often Should I Change My Fuel Filter? | Replacing Your Fuel Filter | DIY Car Service Parts | Middlewich

17

January, 2020

How Often Should I Change My Fuel Filter?

Most manufacturers recommend changing your fuel filter between every 20,000 and 150,000 miles. The older the vehicle, the more frequent your filter changes should be. This is because after around seven years of driving, rust, dirt and debris build up faster, clogging the filter.

But how often, exactly, should you be replacing your fuel filter?

Self-Servicing Your Fuel Filter | When to Replace Your Fuel Filter | DIY Car Service Parts | Middlewich

Self-Servicing Your Fuel Filter 

It’s difficult to access your fuel filter under the bonnet to check its condition, and visual inspection doesn’t yield insights into the filter’s internal condition anyway.

Your best bet is to replace your filter when it’s due for a service. However, you might need a replacement sooner if you purchased a car with little/no service history.

Manufacturers’ recommended filter change intervals vary widely between every 20,000 and 150,000 miles. Check the manufacturer recommendation for your model in your owner’s handbook.

A pressure test will indicate how much PSI the fuel pump is generating at the fuel rail. A faulty filter will reduce the pressure produced. Pressure test kits are available here.

Fuel Filter Purpose | DIY Car Service Parts | Middlewich

Filter Purpose

Fuel must pass through a filter (or two, in some models) to catch any impurities before it flows into the engine. The most common fuel contaminant is sediment, which collects at the bottom of fuel tanks over time.

It’s important to self-service your filter. Not only is the filter responsible for collecting contaminants, but it also maintains the condition of your fuel injectors. Let your filter clog up, and your fuel injectors will also become damaged.

Fuel Filter Location | DIY Car Service Parts | Middlewich Spa

Filter Location

Each fuel filter is different, and the location of the filter depends on the make and model. The filter can be found in the fuel tank in many newer models, where it may or may not be part of an integrated fuel pump module assembly.

In other vehicles, it may be located on the vehicle frame, protected by a shield outside the tank. Some vehicles use two fuel filters: one inside the tank and one outside the tank, along the fuel line.

Replace Your Fuel Filter | DIY Car Service Parts | Middlewich

Replace Your Fuel Filter

Find the signs that mean you might need a new filter here.

Enter your number plate into our car lookup tool to see all the filters – at the lowest prices – that will fit your vehicle.

 

All DIY car service parts are manufactured by trusted, high-quality brands. Here are just a few of the brands that we stock.

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