Collapsed rust-filled fuel filter

[Pootle]

Another holiday spoiled by the return of the intermittent misfire when hot. After driving for a couple of hours on Friday the van started to misfire at about 60+mph. We got to Cornwall but the same thing happened on Sunday after driving for another few hours. We limped slowly home at 40mph suffering dangerous stalls on motorway hills.

Today I rechecked the fuel filter. This is what I found (click on the thumbnails for a big pic).



I guess that the paper filled with rust particles then collapsed as the fuel pump continued trying to suck the fuel through. There is rusty sludge in the bottom of the filter. Here is the old fuel filter next to a new one (Halfords HFF201), you can see how much the filter paper has collapsed.



The fuel tank was fitted new last year. Perhaps it had been on the shelf for a while so has some internal rust that is slowly coming out?

Why did the problem show only when the engine is hot? Coincidence? Maybe this problem isn't even related to the intermittent misfire when hot from last October which I thought I'd fixed. The van has been fine on hour-long journeys since then, but this was the first long motorway journey.

[dansimpson]

Heck, if thats from a new tank you must be filling up from somewhere with alot of crap in their storage tanks

[Ian Hulley]

The inline fuel filter should be part of your maintenance regime.#

Ian.

[Pootle]

Heck, if thats from a new tank you must be filling up from somewhere with alot of crap in their storage tanks

That was the first thing my neighbour said! I use a big Tesco in Bristol. I filled up during the Big Panic last week... ?

[Mocki]

Heck, if thats from a new tank you must be filling up from somewhere with alot of crap in their storage tanks

That was the first thing my neighbour said! I use a big Tesco in Bristol. I filled up during the Big Panic last week... ?

there is your answer.....

cheap crap supermarket fuel, and tanks very low selling crap in the fuel.

buy three more filters, and drain the tank, refill with clean fuel ( seive through very fine mesh) and dilute the problem, and keep changing filters till its appears ok.

and complain like mad to tesco, afterall, every little helps.

[Pootle]

... drain the tank, refill with clean fuel ( seive through very fine mesh) ...

Ooo-err I don't think I can drain the tank on the street, nor start faffing with mesh filters at my local petrol station...

buy three more filters... keep changing filters till its appears ok.

That's what I'm going to do. Filters are cheap and I'll check it every tankful.

[Ian Hulley]

and complain like mad to tesco, afterall, every little helps.

[Mocki]

... drain the tank, refill with clean fuel ( seive through very fine mesh) ...

Ooo-err I don't think I can drain the tank on the street, nor start faffing with mesh filters at my local petrol station...

sorry my bad!
i ment seive the fuel you take out of your tank then put it back in.... just came out wrongly!!

[New Kentish Campers]

If you've got a Pierburg carb fitted, might not be a bad idea to check the little filter in that too just in case crap managed to get through that shagged out filter

Doug.

[Pootle]

If you've got a Pierburg carb fitted, might not be a bad idea to check the little filter in that too just in case crap managed to get through that shagged out filter

I've got a Weber 34 DAT (unfortunately) and I have already checked its little filter, thanks. It's clean.

[edoh]

does the weber have a filter built in?

[Pootle]

does the weber have a filter built in?

Yep.

[edoh]

errr...
could you say whereabouts?

if you were facing the carb standing behind the van?

[Pootle]

errr...
could you say whereabouts?

The internal fuel filter is at the rear left hand side of the Weber 34DAT if you were facing the carb standing behind the van. This is a side view of the carb, the fuel filter is underneath the circled brass nut. Be careful unscrewing it because it can drop out! BTW that second unnecessary fuel filter has been removed

Click on the thumbnail for a bigger pic.



This is from the Haynes manual for the Weber 34DAT, the fuel filter is circled in red. The fuel inlet/return pipes are arranged slightly differently to my carb.

[edoh]

thanks so much -
that's really really helpful

would you know which Haynes manual covers this weber model?
i thought they didn't produce one for this model?

thanks again for the info -