fuel filters plugged up at 10k miles

vwrobert51

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
Maui Hawaii
TDI
2004 Jetta Wagon
i have been seeing some pd comming in to shop at arouond 10k miles with power loss, no ECL on, and car running bio diesel, what has been found was diesel fuel filter getting plugged up, replacing fuel filter will solve power loss problem, as of now i can recomend that if you running biodiesl, you may want to replace fuel filter at 10k
 

ZipLock

Veteran Member
Joined
May 6, 2004
Location
Washington, DC
TDI
2004 Jetta
No way. I ran B100 and I didn't change my fuel filter until after the first 25k miles. 5000 miles past due. Everything was fine.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
No way. I ran B100 and I didn't change my fuel filter until after the first 25k miles. 5000 miles past due. Everything was fine.
Why am I not surprised? I mean, anytime that someone has proof of one thing, someone else will come out with proof of the opposite.

Not to say that either is wrong, just that there is something to be said about collecting data and that one instance does not a trend make. So, let's be careful out there!
 

SUNRG

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Location
Roanoke, VA
TDI
None currently. Previously owned 04 Golf TDI & 05 Passat GLS Wagon TDI
we've got over 60k biod miles on our PDs, three fuel filter have made it to 20k with like new performance (i.e. when the new filter was installed there was no change at all in performance or fuel economy).

however, the biod goes through three filters as it's pumped into the TDIs:

 

Nicky

Active member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Location
British Columbia
TDI
Jetta Wagon 2004, Beige
I see you are using Goldenrod "water-block" filters--I've used them on a tank I have that suppplies diesel to a generator and vehicles--can't prove it, but they seem to slow delivery at the nozzle in a shorter service life than your averrage Racor. Cheap, though (Princess Auto) Nicky
 

Nicky

Active member
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Location
British Columbia
TDI
Jetta Wagon 2004, Beige
I see you are using Goldenrod "water-block" filters--I've used them on a tank I have that suppplies diesel to a generator and vehicles--can't prove it, but they seem to slow delivery at the nozzle in a shorter service life than your averrage Racor. Cheap, though (Princess Auto) Nicky
 

vwrobert51

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
Maui Hawaii
TDI
2004 Jetta Wagon
guys i was just posting something that i have started to see in the field, and just passing along some info to any body that might experiance the same power loss, with hopes to help solve the problem, nothing more and nothing less, yeh some filters may make it with more milage, but hey i was just trying to help!!!!
 

myke_w

Vendor
Joined
Jan 30, 2003
Location
Cbus, Ohio
TDI
03 TDI Wagon
guys i was just posting something that i have started to see in the field, and just passing along some info to any body that might experiance the same power loss, with hopes to help solve the problem, nothing more and nothing less, yeh some filters may make it with more milage, but hey i was just trying to help!!!!
perhaps you could get us more details, like how many miles the vehicle had, with how many miles had they begun running bio-d, etc.
 

SUNRG

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Location
Roanoke, VA
TDI
None currently. Previously owned 04 Golf TDI & 05 Passat GLS Wagon TDI
guys i was just posting something that i have started to see in the field, and just passing along some info to any body that might experiance the same power loss, with hopes to help solve the problem, nothing more and nothing less, yeh some filters may make it with more milage, but hey i was just trying to help!!!!
robert, we (the TDIclub community) definitely appreciate your help and insights. thank you for all of your contributions and the valuable information you provide.

the only problem i have with your original post is your blanket recommendation that biod users should change their filters at 10k.

personally i feel a recommendation like:<ul type="square">if you're using BioD and experience a loss of power, changing the fuel filter may solve the problem[/list]would be better, because there are many many instances where changing at 10k would not be beneficial, it would just waste money and a materials (and biod users are generally into materials conservation).

i have been seeing some pd comming in to shop at arouond 10k miles with power loss, no ECL on, and car running bio diesel, what has been found was diesel fuel filter getting plugged up, replacing fuel filter will solve power loss problem, <font color="red">as of now i can recomend that if you running biodiesl, you may want to replace fuel filter at 10k</font>
 

vwrobert51

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
Maui Hawaii
TDI
2004 Jetta Wagon
ok sorry as i said i was just passing along something that might help. i will try to be more politicaly correct next time.
 

Fahrfuwerfuelen

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Location
Puget Sound
TDI
Jetta, 2005 (A4), Platinum Gray
Since there is only 1 biodiesel producer in the State of Hawaii, it might have something to do with their production methods and/or their source of waste veggie oil. They collect used frying oil and convert it into bio. Maybe they changed something in the process or got a bad batch of methanol or the waste oil had more particulates. Only guesses thus far.
 

JackG

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2005
Location
Flemington, NJ
TDI
Jetta 2003 Silver
i have been seeing some pd comming in to shop at arouond 10k miles with power loss, no ECL on, and car running bio diesel, what has been found was diesel fuel filter getting plugged up, replacing fuel filter will solve power loss problem, as of now i can recomend that if you running biodiesl, you may want to replace fuel filter at 10k
BioDiesel is of the methyl ester family of organic chemicals. Esters are excellent solvents and will eventually dissolve most crud that they come in contact with and deposit them in a filter – when one is provided. In vehicles with some mileage on them, using regular diesel, more frequent filter changes may be in order in the beginning as the system is switched and gets cleaned by the BioDiesel. This should settle back to normal frequency after cleaning. You say that changing is required on PDs at 10k. If this is on new vehicles with 10k mile on the odometer then I suspect that the BioDiesel dealer has got a dirty system and a non-existent or internal leakage on his filtering system and is pumping the crud into the tanks of your customers.

I see you are from Hawaii. Aloha!
My guess is that you have ONE dealer
that sells BioDiesel and he is probably the problem or rather his filters or non-filters are the problem and the problem is being pumped down stream. He may not even know that he has a filter problem. I run BioDiesel that I make myself from waste veggie oil and I promise you that if it is made correctly it is equal to BD made from virgin oil. It flows like diesel but has a very clear light honey color – and no crud. A blanket statement to change filters at 10k outside of your immediate area is unnecessary and expensive. However, keeping in mind the powerful cleaning action of BD, i.e. methyl esters, one can trouble shoot any filter problems in an economical way.
 

gearhead

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2001
Location
Weirton, WV (close to Pittsburgh)
TDI
2001 Golf
No way. I ran B100 and I didn't change my fuel filter until after the first 25k miles. 5000 miles past due. Everything was fine.
Disagree 100%. It's entirely possible given bio-d's propensity to hold water & accelerate microbe growth, especially if the fuel is aged, not to mention the solvent effect noted in JackG's post. Also, the quality varries widely from producer.
 
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