Secondary fuel filter - is it worth it?

[BruceandBobbi]

Maybe I'm just lucky in that respect, but perhaps the incidence of water in fuel is a bit exaggerated

Lucky...yes.

Exaggerated...till it happens to you.

https://acapmag.com.au/2016/11/united-fuel-contamination-tribunal-case-sees-drivers-come-forward/

https://www.choice.com.au/transport/cars/maintenance/articles/contaminated-fuel-costing-drivers-thousands-of-dollars-in-repairs

[Pwoffey]

Not saying water in fuel (sufficient to cause a problem) doesn't happen - manifestly it does. Not saying that if it does occur it wouldn't be a real bummer, and perhaps a vey expensive bummer depending on circumstances. But I haven't seen any good statistics on the actual incidence of it occurring. One might, I think, realistically estimate that it is relatively uncommon given the very large number of vehicles travelling a very large number of kilometers using enormous amounts of fuel every year on Australian roads.

So, to get back to Dreamerman's question, and hopefully to reassure him, given the very low prior probability of an individual seeing water in a particular vehicle's filter in over just 10,000km, his seeing none is not surprising in the least. But, do what we obsessives do, and keep checking .

[BruceandBobbi]

I agree the chance is bugger all. Multiply the number of vehicles on our roads by the distance traveled I think we have more chance of winning lotto than having water in our fuel.

Having said that both do happen.

Can't recall the last time I checked the water trap.
'
I am ore concerned about the crap in the fuel. That's why we have a 3 micron post OEM.

[pharb]

I have travelled over 40,000km/yr in work vehicles for probably 25 years and never needed ABS, seatbelts, or airbags.

But still glad I have them, just in case.

[wfc100]

The question remains why can’t we rely on the factory filter? The pre filters all do the same job just in some cases with a finer micron filter.

[BruceandBobbi]

The question remains why can’t we rely on the factory filter? The pre filters all do the same job just in some cases with a finer micron filter.

We have some of the worst diesel in the world here in OZ.

Before common rail you may have got away with a bit of crap passing through the injectors. With the extreme high pressures in common rail and extremely small injector nozzles any crap spells disaster.

A 3 micron pre filter is a waste of money and time. What will be left for the 10 to 12 micron OEM filter with 85 to 90% efficiency catch?

A post 3 micron with 98% will catch almost everything that passes through the OEM.

[Pwoffey]

The question remains why can’t we rely on the factory filter?

In a word: insurance. Just like house or sickness insurance, you probably won't need it, but if you do, you'll really need it and be glad you paid the premium. I like my pre- factory filter as it traps water and larger gunk before it gets to the factory filter. Others like their post- factory filter as it will trap finer particles before they might get to the injectors.

The pre filters all do the same job just in some cases with a finer micron filter.

Just to be clear, a pre-filter is an auxiliary filter sited between the tank and the factory filter. Its rating should always be the same or coarser, never finer, than the factory filter (which I think is rated as 10-12 microns). A commonly used pre-filter would have a 30 micron rating. A post factory filter (that is between the factory filter and the injectors) would have a finer filter, maybe 2-5 microns. The rule is, as you proceed downstream, the filters should get finer.

[rikig]

It was set up as a pre filter on the advise of a diesel expert.

Hi Terry, could you, or any one else that installed a pre filter in a NM/NP provide with brand and ref number of the pre-filter set up?

Thanks