Triangle Auto Service, Inc
4060 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
You would never like to drink a glass of mud, right? Well, your car
feels the same way. It needs a steady supply of clean fuel in order to
run well and deliver good fuel economy. The fuel filter’s job is to
clean dirt and rust out of the fuel before it gets to your engine. A
clogged fuel filter can actually choke off the engine so that it won’t
start or run. Some fuel filters have a bypass valve that allows fuel to
go around the clogged filter so your car will still run. But, then the
contaminated fuel can plug your fuel injectors and allow damaging
particles into your engine.
A car with a partially clogged fuel
filter might run well around town, but sputter and strain on the highway
because it’s starving for gas. There are two things that affect how
often you need to replace the filter. They are: where you drive and the
gas you buy. If you drive a lot on dirt or gravel roads in rural
Illinois, your fuel filter will have a harder time keeping the fuel
clean.
And, we hate to say it, but buying the cheapest gas from
cut-rate Chicago area stations sometimes means dirtier fuel that’ll clog
the filter sooner. Major brands tend to be cleaner and certainly have
higher levels of detergent additives.
Of course, your manufacturer
recommends intervals for changing the fuel filter. But, it’s a little
more complicated than that. Some manufacturers stopped listing
recommended intervals for fuel filter replacement or have very long
intervals like every five years or eighty thousand miles. So you may
need to look to other sources for recommendations. Cars older than six
or seven years are especially at risk because they have had time for
dirt and rust to build up in the fuel tank. A clean fuel filter keeps
the gas flowing. Even a partially clogged filter puts added strain on
the fuel pump. That can shorten its life and result in a costly repair.
As
is often the case, spending a little money now on something as
inexpensive as a fuel filter can save money down the road. At Triangle
Auto Service in Chicago, we can check your fuel filter. It is better
than fixing a burned out fuel pump or ruined fuel injectors. Triangle auto service, 773-539-5858. www.triangleradiator.net. www.triangleradiator.com, www.triangleradiator.net, www.chicagobrakerepair.com