Fuel filter

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Fuel filter (small cylinder in white) for a tractor engine
Fuel filter (in white) in a 1982 GMC Sierra
Fuel filter for diesel Volkswagen car engines

A fuel filter is a filter used to screens out foreign particles or liquids from the fuel. Most internal combustion engines use a fuel filter, in order to protect the components in the fuel system.

Filters for foreign particles[edit]

Unfiltered fuel may contain several kinds of contamination, for example paint chips and dirt that has entered the fuel tank while filling, or rust caused by moisture in a steel tank.[citation needed] If these substances are not removed before the fuel enters the system, they will cause rapid wear and failure of the fuel pump and injectors.[1]

The filters are normally made into cartridges containing a filter paper.[citation needed] Fuel filters need to be maintained or replaced at regular intervals.

Filters for foreign liquids[edit]

Some diesel engines use a bowl-like design to collect water in the bottom of the filter (as diesel floats on top of water).[citation needed] The water can then be drained off by opening a valve in the bottom of the bowl and letting it run out, until only the fuel remains.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "How long do fuel injectors last?". HowStuffWorks. 14 July 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2022.