replaced fuel filter and opened up the old one

[2003vstrom]

I bought this explorer 5 months agao with 155000 miles and I finally decided to replace the fuel filter, because I wasn`t sure if it had been replaced before, I`m glad I did I opened up the old one and brown slim and sludge so if you have been putting it off this should convince you to get it replaced

 

[410Fortune]

holy crap I have never had one look like that! just some brown color in the media and some sand particles thats about it!

what does the insiade of the tank look like I wonder? yikes

 

[2000StreetRod]

Looks the same as mine

Your filter looks about the same as mine did at 151,000 miles. I put a 1,000 miles on my Sport before I got around to changing the filter. I was lucky I didn't have problems.
Why change fuel filter?

 

[2003vstrom]

yeah after I saw what it looked like inside I thought the same about the inside of the tank yikes, that might be my next thing to do is, replace the pump and strainer

 

[TidePride50]

Where is the fuel filter located and how hard is it to change?

 

[2003vstrom]

yeah there is a stick at the top of this section to show you where and how to replace the filter

 

[jrford]

where in Michigan are ya? i'm down in the metro area and every time i change one they almost look new. . . although thanks for the tip, might be doing it this spring. . . maybe the gas is getting dirtier. . .lol

 

[2003vstrom]

coldwater..... south, southeast of battle creek right off of I-69.

 

[jrford]

coldwater..... south, southeast of battle creek right off of I-69.

I've gotten gas over there, not far off the main drag . . . . i wouldn't think our gas is that much different due to the location. I almost would think your getting gas out of an old, '1950's ish, tank. . .

lol, i'd be tempted to change in right now, except for the fact i'd be outside and there is a little snow on the ground. . .

 

[2003vstrom]

yeah i would be a little chilly, freeze the fingers off

 

[zerodevil]

i replaced mine at 90,000 miles. didnt look QUITE that bad, but it was close lol. I have been outside working on my truck in as low as -3 F lol, my worst idea was doing my exhaust on prom night in the snow.

 

[2Fish]

I doubt that caused by local gas. I live in Coldwater and mine has never looked like that.

 

[2003vstrom]

yeah I bought this explorer down by FORT WAYNE,IN,2fish where you live in coldwater?

 

[BrooklynBay]

What kind of gasoline do you use? It looks like it has a lot of oily sludge (similar to what I find when I clean the filter on an oil tank used for heat).

 

[ranger7ltr]

This is a problem I have seen...

When I bought my X Sport, it had sat for a number of years...I thought I cleaned out the varnish and old fuel and put in a new used pump...The first indication I had a problem was when the engine wouldn't pull past 3k rpm...I pulled the fuel filter and the rust and brown fuel that came out the inlet side was awful...

I replaced the filter and had to replace it every 3000 miles or the engine would start dropping fuel pressure...I installed an electric fuel pressure gauge to monitor the fuel system pressure especially when I would accelerate quickly and I could see the drop in pressure as the filter got plugged from the tank...

After the new used pump seem to be dropping pressure after 30-45 mins of running I installed a new pump in August...I was still getting a dirty fuel buildup on the inlet side of the filter but figured that it was from an unknown gas station...Little did I realize that the tank was causing this problem all along...

My new pump died earlier this month suddenly and I decided to fix this problem once and for all... The strainer on the bottom of the pump is a large particulate filter that lets dirt, rust, and other smaller garbage flow through just fine...The brown crap in my fuel is coming from varnish buildup in the tank that the sloshing of gasoline disolves as you drive and fill the tank...

So I drop the tank and have a radiator shop boil it out...They drained over a gallon of dirt, varnish, and rust out on the first pass...And then they started dropping into the big tank and it was ready the next day....

A new pump, a clean tank, and 200 miles later the new filters inlet is as clear as the 15 gallons of fuel I poured back into the tank after pumping it out before dropping the tank...

 

[2003vstrom]

i use citgo gas and marathon gas but everyone has to realize that I have only put 5,000 miles on since I bought back in august I have a motorcycle, and ranger, I drove all of the time, until about a month ago when I sold the ranger now I drive the X back and forth to work now, its hard to tell what gas that the previous own put in it.