You can count on Dad’s Automotive to help if your fuel system gets clogged. The most common fuel system part to get clogged is the fuel filter. The filter will get clogged by dirt and sediment if it isn’t changed every 30,000 miles. We can do this for you. If you haven’t had your fuel filter changed in 30,000 miles, you may start to have one or more of the following problems.
Hard Starts
You already know that the engine needs fuel to start, but did you know that the fuel filter can actually prevent the fuel delivery? If the fuel filter is clogged, the fuel will not make its way past the filter. Consequently, you may be unable to start your automobile. Before the fuel filter clogs completely, it will become difficult to get your automobile started.
Misfiring
Once the vehicle is running, the engine is going to misfire because it is fuel-starved. The clogged fuel filter may only let a little bit of fuel through, which means there is not enough fuel in each cylinder to sustain smooth engine combustion. As such, one or more of the cylinders may not fire, and this will make the engine misfire or stutter.
Idling Roughly
In addition, the engine will idle roughly because, again, one or more of the cylinders may not be firing due to a lack of fuel. Unfortunately, when the engine performs in this way, it uses whatever fuel it can get to produce power. Consequently, even though the engine is running poorly, you may see a reduction in your fuel economy.
Stalling
As things get worse, there will be less fuel making its way into the engine. As such, your engine will start to stall. It may stall several times after you start it, or it may stall while the vehicle is in motion. Another common time when it will stall is when you are sitting at a red light or stop sign. If the fuel delivery is severely compromised, you may not be able to get your engine started again.
Fuel Pump Failure
Finally, the fuel pump could fail prematurely if the fuel filter or the fuel hoses are clogged. This is because the fuel pump must work harder to push the fuel through the filter. The electric motor can overheat and burn out. A sign that this is happening is whining in the fuel tank.
Dad’s Automotive in New Era, MI, would be happy to help, so give us a call to set up a fuel system inspection if it has been longer than 30,000 miles since you’ve had the system checked.
