When I bought my first car, I didn't care about maintenance at all. Instead of carefully checking the oil and watching the wear on my tires, I drove it mindlessly into the ground. However, after junking my first car after only five years, I learned how painful it was to start the entire process from square one. The fact of the matter is that car repair is important. In addition to keeping you safe, car repair can also save you money. As you look through the articles on my website, I hope that you can find tips to help you along the way, so that you can hang onto your investment.
The cold winter brings about a number of unique challenges for your vehicle, especially if it relies on diesel fuel. Many of these challenges can easily result in your vehicle suffering from a clogged fuel filter, making it increasingly difficult to reliably run your diesel-powered vehicles under extremely cold conditions. The following explains how cold weather can cause fuel filter clogs, as well as ways you can prevent those clogs from happening in the future.
What Leads to Fuel Filter Clogs During the Winter
The winter cold is an adversary in many ways, but it poses the greatest challenge to your diesel vehicle's fuel supply in a rather unique way. For starters, exposure to cold temperatures can steadily drop diesel fuel below its cloud point, at which the paraffin wax normally contained within drops out of solution and solidifies.
Paraffin is an essential component of #2 diesel fuel thanks to its lubrication properties. Once it turns solid, it goes from a lubricant to an impediment that makes your fuel filter's job that much harder. With solid paraffin out of suspension, it becomes much harder for the fuel filter to strain out various impurities and debris. Eventually, you'll need a new diesel fuel filter as well as a thorough cleaning of your vehicle's fuel rails and injectors.
Algae contamination is another problem that pops up time and again, especially as colder temperatures thicken microbial deposits that could be accidentally picked up by the fuel pump. This usually occurs when bio-films are either introduced into the fuel supply upon fill-up or naturally form within the fuel tank.
Steps to Prevent Wintertime Fuel Problems
A proactive approach is always the key when it comes to tackling wintertime fuel filtration issues. The following offers a few steps that can help prevent clogs and other fuel delivery problems:
When it comes to dealing with microbial growth, it's tempting to throw a bottle of biocide treatment at the problem. Unfortunately, it usually converts the bio-film into solids that clog the fuel filter that much faster.
Removing the bacterial sludge and biomass from your fuel usually means going through several diesel fuel filter replacements in a short period of time. As an alternative, you could have a professional drop and clean the fuel tank – a thorough but expensive measure that requires more downtime for your vehicle.
Couldn't You Just Clean Your Fuel Filter?
It's a question that's on many drivers' minds as they shell out money for a new diesel fuel filter. Unfortunately, the vast majority of fuel filters aren't meant to be taken apart. They're permanently sealed deals that would likely be destroyed in short order if they were pried open. Also, any attempts to actually clean the filtration media within would likely end up destroying the filter itself.
In short, you're better off buying a brand-new fuel filter. That way, you'll know that it's working as intended right from the start, plus you won't have to worry about any sudden malfunctions later on.
Share13 January 2015
