SparTTan

I can't find it anywhere in the maintenance bulletin.

AxeYrCat

Duh, Rich. When it gets dirty.

AxeYrCat

Note the repeated part in the following quote... this is copied exactly as it originally appeared -- I think he's trying to tell us something (perhaps that he has stock in a fuel filter manufacturer):


I am often asked, "How often should I change my fuel filter?" If you have a high mileage vehicle you should replace the fuel filter once a year. By the time your car is six or seven years old, there can be a lot of dirt and rust inside your fuel tank. Normal condensation and moisture inside the fuel tank can form rust and every time you put in fuel, dirt can enter the fuel tank. All of this can cause a fuel filter to plug up fairly quickly, so replacing the fuel filter annually will prevent many problems

Many newer vehicles do not specify a recommended replacement interval. And many have a so-called; "Lifetime" fuel filter they claim never needs to be replaced. But any fuel filter will clog and need to be replaced so don't fall for that "never needs changing" story.

At my station there are fuel filters in the pumps to give the fuel a final filtering before you buy it. This prevents a lot of junk from getting into your fuel tank. I replace these filters on the first of every month whether they need it or not. However, there are a lot of stations out there who do not have fuel filters on their pumps so the fuel you put in your tank may be contaminated with water from leaky underground storage tanks, improperly mixed alcohol blends, or even watered-down by an unscrupulous operator who's trying to make a fast buck.

Replacing the fuel filter once a year as a preventative maintenance item is insurance that reduces the risk of the fuel filter plugging up. Brand new cars right from the dealer are as susceptible to getting dirty fuel as any other car so even though the car is new, the fuel filter will start to clog fairly quickly.

Replacing the fuel filter once a year as a preventative maintenance item is insurance that reduces the risk of the fuel filter plugging up. Brand new cars right from the dealer are as susceptible to getting dirty fuel as any other car so even though the car is new, the fuel filter will start to clog fairly quickly.

Replacing the fuel filter once a year as a preventative maintenance item is insurance that reduces the risk of the fuel filter plugging up. Brand new cars right from the dealer are as susceptible to getting dirty fuel as any other car so even though the car is new, the fuel filter will start to clog fairly quickly.

Another question I'm often asked is; "How can I tell if my fuel filter needs to be replaced?"

Well, contrary to what a lot of fast oil change places tell you, you can't tell if a fuel filter needs replacing just by looking at it. Well, you could if you have X-Ray vision. And the only guy I know of that has X-Ray vision wears a red cape and a tight suit and I have never seen him working at a fast oil change place.

The only way to tell for sure is to remove the filter and blow through it. If there's little resistance, the filter is still okay and does not need to be replaced. But if there's more than minimal resistance, the filter is dirty and should be replaced.<ul><li><a href="http://autorepair.about.com/cs/doityourself/a/aa082203a.htm">full article</a></li></ul>

MOBlueTT

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SparTTan

so I just ordered a new filter. That article makes sense... how the heck can a filter be "lifetime" (unless it some is self-cleaning)? What happens to all the crap it is supposedly filtering out? Eventually it would get clogged I would think.

bubba j

GMC specifies every 30k for my Yukon.