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All makes diesel filter problem #

Posted by Martin Tribe on December 11, 2010, 5:01 pm

Year of Manufacture *: various

This is just a survey really. This week we have had a number of diesel vehicles in, all suffering from low fuel pressure when put under load.
What we have found is very high vacuum in the low pressure feed line indicating a severe restriction, normally about 1 bar+ of negative pressure.
In all cases this has been rectified by fitting a new filter. So far we have had six vehicles in a week of various makes & the only common link I can find is the source of the fuel. Every car has been using fuel from a certain supermarket chain.
Just wondering if this was just coincidence or local to our area?

Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem

Posted by Tony Ludford User icon on December 12, 2010, 9:56 am, in reply to "All Makes Diesel filter problem"
Tony Ludford

Could it be the diesel beginning to wax/thicken due to such low temperatures, dragging all the muck out of the tank in one go?
Had a few the myself the last few weeks inc frozen water in the bottom of one.

Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem

Posted by Paul Howd on December 12, 2010, 1:45 pm, in reply to "Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem"
Message modified by board administrator December 13, 2010, 3:19 pm

Given the tempertures we have had recently I wouldnt be at all surprised if waxing is becoming an issue. Not enough to block fuel lines but quite possible enough to clog ultra fine filters.

Of course, it is one of those "Ice Bullet" things, by the time you have got the filter off and in pieces all the "Evidence" will have melted...

In the good old days all you had to do was add a certain percentage of Unleaded to the diesel (IIRC On my VW T3 the recomended figure was up to 30% in really cold weather) though I doubt if that would be such a good idea nowadays!

Ahh, the benefits of modern technology...

Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem

Posted by Martin Tribe User icon on December 12, 2010, 2:06 pm, in reply to "Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem"
Martin Tribe

I thought of the above two scenarios but we have not had the extreme temperatures that most of the country has & all vehicles have exhibited these symptoms on the dyno in warm workshop conditions. The only common link seems to be the source of the fuel.

Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem

Posted by stuart whiting User icon on December 12, 2010, 5:06 pm, in reply to "Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem"
Stuart Whiting

Yes i have had this problem also and a volvo main dealership down the road from myself as well.
When cutting open the filters they were found to be waxed up.

Regards Stuart

Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem

Posted by Paul Howd on December 12, 2010, 7:50 pm, in reply to "Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem"
Message modified by board administrator December 13, 2010, 3:20 pm

It is possible that the "Certain retailer" may have obtained a cheap batch of "Summer" diesel on the side!

I would imagine that if this was the case waxing coud be an issue even under only mildly frosty conditions.

Just a guess....

Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem

Posted by kelly clarke User icon on December 15, 2010, 7:20 pm, in reply to "Re: All Makes Diesel filter problem"
Kelly Clarke

We saw this problem at the start of the year when we last had the white stuff, all the ones affected had cheap diesel in them,(supermarket) anyone using brand named stuff was ok.

Kelly

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