When you pull up to the pump and fill your car with gas, you probably never think about one of the critical parts of your fuel system – the fuel filter. These filters help to protect your car’s engine from debris that could cause damage to its inner-workings. Any small amount of particles and debris over time can result in unwanted wear and tear on your engine. Since the fuel filter is usually tucked away, not many people remember it’s there and is an important part of your vehicle’s health.

Fuel filters, just like any other filter, don’t last forever. Vacuum cleaners, forced air units, fish tanks – they all have filters that need to be cleaned or replaced regularly. It’s no different for the fuel filter in your car. It needs to be replaced in newer vehicles at around 50,000 miles, and every 50,000 thereafter, however, it doesn’t hurt to just replace them annually. (Note that you should always follow your vehicle’s owners manual for the recommended frequency as it could vary) If the vehicle is over seven years old, this is especially important because debris that has built up over time in the fuel tank could plug up the filter faster.

Who needs the cost of repairing or replacing expensive engine parts when you could just replace a fuel filter for the average cost of between $50 – $170 at the auto shop? Sounds like an important maintenance plan, right?

If you haven’t timed out your fuel filter maintenance just yet, do it! But in the meantime, knowing warning signs and symptoms of your filter needing replaced are a great skill to have. They could mean the difference between that high dollar engine repair and a planned out regular maintenance cost. Here are some things to look for that might indicate your filter has gone bad:

Sinais de aviso

• Seu veículo é difícil de ligar.

Você entra em seu carro e vira a chave, e seu carro esbraveja e estala em você em vez de virar. Isso pode acontecer várias vezes antes de realmente iniciar. Este é um dos primeiros sinais que as pessoas experimentam e que podem indicar problemas com o filtro de combustível. Obstruções no filtro bloqueiam o fluxo de combustível pelo sistema e podem dificultar a partida.

• Pouca milhagem de gás

Ever looked at that handy gas mileage indicator on your supposedly efficient car’s display and wondered what the heck happened? If your fuel filter is clogged, it causes the fuel pump to pump faster, therefore using a higher rate of fuel than it would with a clean and clear filter.

• Verifique a luz do motor

Cars these days are so smart, aren’t they? Ding, that little check engine light just came on. Your car’s computer can detect when your engine is in distress and not working properly. One of the most common causes of a check engine light being activated is a bad fuel filter.

• Seu motor continua parando

Sentado no trânsito na interestadual e seu motor para. Você consegue reiniciá-lo, mas isso acontece novamente três vezes no seu trajeto para casa. Fale sobre algo que pode fazer seu nível de estresse subir ao máximo! Se um filtro de combustível estiver extremamente sujo, seu motor terá fome de combustível e, como resultado, ele pode parar.

• Falha de ignição do motor

Embora mais comuns em modelos de veículos mais antigos, as falhas de ignição podem ser resultado de um filtro de combustível sujo. Isso acontece com mais frequência quando o veículo está suportando uma carga pesada ou subindo uma colina, pois o motor é mais estressado nessas situações. Outra coisa que pode ser perceptível durante uma falha de ignição é a hesitação ou agitação do veículo, pois a quantidade de combustível fornecida ao motor varia devido ao entupimento.

• Perda de potência

You should be familiar with the way your vehicle accelerates, or the amount of power it has. If you notice a loss in that acceleration power, it’s possible the fuel filter is the culprit.

• Marcha lenta

Your car’s engine seems to jerk, struggle, and stutter while you’re sitting at a stoplight. Geez, what’s the deal? You’re not even moving! A hard or erratic idle means your engine doesn’t have enough fuel for combustion and as a result, it jerks and shakes.

• Bomba de combustível está danificada

If your fuel pump is damaged, more often than not a clogged fuel filter has contributed to the problem. When a fuel filter isn’t working properly, the pump has to work overtime in order to get enough fuel to the engine. This often can result in damage to the pump. If you’re replacing your fuel pump, it’s a good rule of thumb to always replace the fuel filter as well.

• Cheiro de gás

While it usually accompanies another ailment your car has like a faulty gas tank, fuel line, or broken spark plug, a gas smell could also be an indicator that your fuel filter is bad. However, before you consider this, you’ll want to make sure your gas cap is properly tightened first.

So there you have it. You’ve now got the knowledge needed to be able to know when your fuel filter might need replaced.

Outside of regular maintenance, if you’ve identified there might be a problem, take your car to your favorite mechanic to check for need of replacement. If you’re mechanically inclined, this repair will cost you even less since the part alone should run between $15 and $70 depending on your vehicle. But be warned. Fuel filters are not the easiest part to replace if you’re not a mechanic.

While the repair is fast for a trained professional and is usually included in a classic oil change package, to a not so trained eye, it could turn into a mess. Replacement involves depressurizing the fuel system, and there could be several parts and cables that need to be disconnected and reconnected, then re-pressurizing the fuel system. If that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, just leave it to the pros. They’ll have you in and out in no time.