Fuel Filters for Our vehicles.

[zDragonz]

Why are our Fuel Filters made of rusting metal?

Why are our Fuel Filters not made of stainless steal?

Is there a reason why they are made of steal that rusts compared to being made of Stainless steal in the first place?

Or am I wrong and they are made of SS all along and gasoline rusts them?

Why: Every time we get our oil changed at an Oil Change Company/ location for our vehicles that we drive into, the polite person changing our oil always shows us a rusty fuel filter! "You need to change this". "It is Rusty".

Shenanigans!

[Bekki]

The fuel filter by it's very design is designed to be a consumable item.

The rust is cause by the chemical reaction of dissimilar metals and impurities in the fuel that the filter "weeds" out as it keeps your fuel clean. These filters can come in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials depending on your vehicles make, model, and year.

Some may be made of stainless steel but others may also use glass and cardboard or paper as their filtering element, I had one like this on my old 70 Blazer. :)

It's not really the "filter" that is rusting, the "rust" you see is from other ParrGE within the fuel system that are wearing and those particles themselves are what is actually rusting.
If the mechanic is showing you the rust that is coming out of the filter,
The you know the filter is doing its job.

What the mechanic is really saying is to change it because it's reaching a point where it may clog
And cause your vehicle to start to get bad Milage and or possibly stall due to lack of fuel.

Hope this helps. :)

[BOgre]

You should NEVER have rust in your fuel filter. Rust indicates a problem. either in the filler neck, tank, or the filter itself. Also, you may be getting bad fuel, or "bottom of the tank" fuel at one of your usual fill stations. If your oil change tech is showing you a rusty filter at every oil change, I'd consider a fuel system overhaul at your dealer/mechanic.

[Bekki]

You should NEVER have rust in your fuel filter. Rust indicates a problem. either in the filler neck, tank, or the filter itself. Also, you may be getting bad fuel, or "bottom of the tank" fuel at one of your usual fill stations. If your oil change tech is showing you a rusty filter at every oil change, I'd consider a fuel system overhaul at your dealer/mechanic.

*Reads it again...

It's rusty at every oil change...?

Hmmm.... You have Very Good point B. Ogre...

Yeah, that's not good.

I didn't want to get too deep into specifics not knowing what year, make or model of vehicle he had.
I know my friend had an old 75"ish" Chevy pickup that had issues with rust and metal in his fuel filter.
But without knowing his situation I didn't want to alarm him too much.

But This does raise some serious questions.

[BattleCircle]

LOL. Everybody has to be so technical and all tinfoil-hat-IT'S A CONSPIRACY :rolleyes:

The problem is simple condensation. Gasoline has a very low boiling point. Condensation has always been a problem in vehicles,
I am sure your dad, or grandpa always told you to make sure you keep the tank full, especially in winter. That advice wasn't so
you would always have a full tank of gas, it was to help keep water forming from condensation.

Since the EPA/DNR etc. decided that all fuel tanks have to be above ground the condensation problem has gotten exponentially worse.

Sun shines on filling station tanks, night cools tanks, tanks cannot be kept constantly full so there you go, water from evaporation and condensation.

The best thing you can do is take Gramps advice and try to keep the tank full.

[BattleCircle]

OH yeah

Add in that all gasoline is now 10% ethanol alcohol is made with water, AND it is impossible to have 100% alcohol...

CONDENSATION

[blueshift]

at least they don't steel your steal filter

[BOgre]

Condensation or not, There should STILL not be rust in the fuel system, and a recurring rusty filter is STILL a sign of a problem bigger than can be solved by "keep the tank full".

[zDragonz]

2001 Ford F150, 3.8 ltr, v8./......-Modified to take 93 octane from a Hyper Tech installed module.....A 4:10 ratio modified up from stock 3:55......-Thirty-two inch BF Goodrich White wall All terrain tires, Speedometer modified by Hyper Tech to match the large tires.......-Dual Black Magic Electric Fans which eliminates the water pump belt adding less drag to the Engine......Speed limit sensor increased to 128 mph from Hyper Tech.......Thermostat altered to run much cooler, but my gas mileage suffers, I only get 8 miles to the gallon......

This was my toy that I owned for 10 years! No accidents! Nerf Bars on both sides which are Chrome. And last but not least Chrome Wheals inside the Tires. I sold it 2 years ago for 5 grand. I did once or twice take it up to 128 mph for 30 miles on a highway in the Summer! I burned a 1/4 quart of oil doing that. I did it in a part of the Country where there was few Highway patrol and few Traffic. What a Rush That was!

2001 Chevy Impala, v6, this is my current vehicle which I drive to work. Stock, nothing altered.

[Bekki]

2001 Ford F150, 3.8 ltr, v8./......-Modified to take 93 octane from a Hyper Tech installed module.....A 4:10 ratio modified up from stock 3:55......-Thirty-two inch BF Goodrich White wall All terrain tires, Speedometer modified by Hyper Tech to match the large tires.......-Dual Black Magic Electric Fans which eliminates the water pump belt adding less drag to the Engine......Speed limit sensor increased to 128 mph from Hyper Tech.......Thermostat altered to run much cooler, but my gas mileage suffers, I only get 8 miles to the gallon......

This was my toy that I owned for 10 years! No accidents! Nerf Bars on both sides which are Chrome. And last but not least Chrome Wheals inside the Tires. I sold it 2 years ago for 5 grand. I did once or twice take it up to 128 mph for 30 miles on a highway in the Summer! I burned a 1/4 quart of oil doing that. I did it in a part of the Country where there was few Highway patrol and few Traffic. What a Rush That was!

2001 Chevy Impala, v6, this is my current vehicle which I drive to work. Stock, nothing altered.


Nice rides...

I would have to agree with BOgre though.

If this is a recurring issue, (Assuming no shenanagins are going on)
Then I would definitely have a reputable mechanic have a look at it.
It is a sign of much larger issue.

[CheeseMilk]

Stainless steel is more expensive both to buy and to work with.

Surface rust ON the fuel filter is not a big deal, since the Impalas have out-of-tank filters (iirc), assuming it's not rotting through.

Rust IN the filter could be a problem.