dirty fuel system... help | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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dirty fuel system... help

jrseykid686

Active Member
Joined
June 10, 2005
Messages
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City, State
Rochester Hills, MI
Year, Model & Trim Level
'02 Eddie Bauer
Ok, my car has been feeling like it misses under moderate and heavy acceleration. I'm a firefighter and i do drive my truck hard occasionally. I had the fuel system serviced and it ran great... for a tank of gas. Now its back to the old "missing" sensation during acceleration. When i put a cleaner in the gas tank, it runs fine.... any suggestions? or do i just have to run midgrade from now on? Its an 02 Eddie Bauer V8 with 92000 miles.
 



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It might be more than the fuel you use. The vehicle might have other issues. But for the fuel:

You only need 87 octane, I recommend Chevron because it has Techron which is recommended by Ford in the owners manual. What brand do you use, and are you consistent in using the same brand of gas? Thanks.
 






When you had it serviced was the fuel filter changed?
 






No, i had it in and they told me my fuel filter is non accessible becuase its in the gas tank. I use Shell Gasoline, why does it run smooth when higher octane fuel is in the system? It's got a new MAF about 6K miles ago, new IAC motor around the same time as well
 






Fuel filter...


Not 100%, but I do not believe it is in the tank. That would be a first since it is typically a every 15-30k replacement part.
 






Thats what i thought, but according to the shop, its an unaccessible part, they told me it was inside the gas tank. So a bad filter would run OK with higher octane fuel? I know it has never been changed and i do want it done, seeing as how im at 92K miles with the original filter
 






Ok, i just looked it up, apparently the guys are stupid at the shop....
This is from WikiAnswers.com

Where is the filter?

The fuel filter is on the passenger side under the door near the front wheel well. It is behind a curved shield and a flat plate covering the fuel filter that is marked "fuel filter replace".

How do you access it?

There is an aluminum plate held on with 3 13mm bolts. Remove it. Behind it there is a black plastic shield, held on with 2 10mm nuts. Remove that and you will see the fuel filter, and the bracket that holds it on.

I guess i'll give this a shot next week, any other suggestions besides the filter if thats a no go?
 






Read the thread stickied at the top of this forum for detailed instructions on how to change the fuel filter.

It took me about 20 minutes to do mine yesterday. The filter was 10 bucks from Carquest. Like was mentioned, it's behind a metal heat shield and a plastic plate on the front upper part of the fuel tank. Looking at it from underneath, it's about a foot directly behind the passenger's side catalytic convertor. Once you get the lines disconnected, it's easy to change, though you need a special fuel line disconnect tool (available at most decent parts stores) for the one side, and a small screwdriver and lots of patience on the other side. Getting that plastic clip on the tank side popped loose is tricky, but once you figure it out, it's not too bad. It took me a few attempts to get it, but finally figured it out. You need to get a small screwdriver in between the clip to release it, then push it up away from the line, and the filter will pull out. On the engine side, the filter just snaps out once the disconnect tool is inserted into the fitting.

Another thing that will cause misfires under load is worn ignition parts. You may have one or more coils failing, or plugs that need to be changed. Doing both of these is real easy.

BTW, my roommate is a volunteer firefighter/first responder, and looking to land a job on a carreer department. I give him lots of credit for the hard work he's been putting in to get all his credentials. He's Firefighter II certified and EMT Basic. :thumbsup:
 






Thanks for the advice... im a paid on call fire II certified and EMT basic as well as a paramedic student, i work full time for an EMS company too... its alot of hard work, and unfortunately my truck sees alot of the hard work as well with the lights and sirens... and we're a busy city, about 5500 calls a year. I guess i'll start with the fuel filter and go from there... its running fine now that i have octane booster in the tank....
 






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