# How good is the OEM fuel filter?



## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

No, it would not be.


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## sleepyzzz (Nov 2, 2018)

how often is that changed out?


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

sleepyzzz said:


> how often is that changed out?


Following the DIC it’ll come out to a fuel filter change about every 30-35K miles (depending on several variables).


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

I can’t recall very many folks having fuel related issues, a few with gelling issues, but other than that I don’t recall any. I am like why add something that isn’t necessary? If it ain’t broke why fix it?


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

IndyDiesel said:


> I can’t recall very many folks having fuel related issues, a few with gelling issues, but other than that I don’t recall any. I am like why add something that isn’t necessary? If it ain’t broke why fix it?


Was thinking about being proactive. The Duramax trucks don't have the most robust fuel filters and that's the same as used on our cars. CAT makes very good fuel filters given that their engines cost multiples the purchase price of ours, and people want their fuel injectors to last a long service life on heavy duty equipment.

A couple generations of VW TDI vehicles have had owners who put aftermarket CAT fuel filters on their cars for this very reason: fuel contamination.


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## Snipesy (Dec 7, 2015)

Barry Allen said:


> Was thinking about being proactive. The Duramax trucks don't have the most robust fuel filters and that's the same as used on our cars. CAT makes very good fuel filters given that their engines cost multiples the purchase price of ours, and people want their fuel injectors to last a long service life on heavy duty equipment.
> 
> A couple generations of VW TDI vehicles have had owners who put aftermarket CAT fuel filters on their cars for this very reason: fuel contamination.


Cars are disposable. A 400,000 CAT is a different story. There are different tolerances.

I'm sure they would change the filters on the F-35 in mid air if they could.


Point is don't worry about it. Don't treat your car like an F-35. The one percent less chance of failure from adding a second filter is just not worth it.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Barry Allen said:


> Was thinking about being proactive. The Duramax trucks don't have the most robust fuel filters and that's the same as used on our cars. CAT makes very good fuel filters given that their engines cost multiples the purchase price of ours, and people want their fuel injectors to last a long service life on heavy duty equipment.
> 
> A couple generations of VW TDI vehicles have had owners who put aftermarket CAT fuel filters on their cars for this very reason: fuel contamination.


crapload of tdis had hpfps grinding away into the fuel system

strange that it was only vw tdis and not anything else, all using the same fuel

so was it fuel caused, or hpfp were faulty?

if the hpfp were faulty how come the failure rate wasnt the same in canada?


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Snipesy said:


> Cars are disposable.


It depends on how far you get with them. It's a sample size of one ("The plural of anecdote is not data") but I know of one Duramax owner who spent a lot of money replacing fuel injectors that were prematurely worn out from fuel contamination that the stock filter system did not catch.

I'm aiming for 250,000 miles or more with this car purchase. I don't think a $15 fuel filter every 15,000 miles is too much to invest, but that all depends on how easy it is to add to the vehicle. Pickup trucks have a lot of space on the frame rails to mount hardware like that.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

boraz said:


> crapload of tdis had hpfps grinding away into the fuel system
> 
> strange that it was only vw tdis and not anything else, all using the same fuel
> 
> ...


Probably a difference between fuel contamination and fuel lubricity, or maybe a combination of both. 

Doesn't Canada have better quality diesel fuel? Or at least they did, until the USA had to play catch-up after the transition to ULSD.


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## sailurman (Sep 29, 2016)

My second Fuel Filter change was skipped because the Service Dept reset the counter when it was at about 20% by mistake. I said screw it and ran it another 30K miles until it was down to close to 5%. Not a hiccup from the car nor a comment from the service dept when I did have it replaced. I believe diesel fuel is highly processed these days with minimal chance of contamination. IMHO


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Barry Allen said:


> Probably a difference between fuel contamination and fuel lubricity, or maybe a combination of both.
> 
> Doesn't Canada have better quality diesel fuel? Or at least they did, until the USA had to play catch-up after the transition to ULSD.


yeah in the era of the hpfps grinding themselves to death, canadas fuel standards were better


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

sailurman said:


> I believe diesel fuel is highly processed these days with minimal chance of contamination.


Too many factors to consider once the fuel leaves the refinery.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

We had a former member drive a lot and when he sold his Cruze Diesel with 206k miles, he never had a fuel related issue. I think one fuel filter is more than enough to get the job done. Does the OP wear two condoms too? Wouldn’t that be better as well?:whatdoyouthink:


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

IndyDiesel said:


> I think one fuel filter is more than enough to get the job done.


If I had the option I would replace the stock filter with a CAT filter to use just one.


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

I just had mine replaced at about 49k miles. The DIC said it was at 10% life remaining. I just decided 50k miles was enough and, since it was in for an oil change and transmission fluid exchange, I thought it was a good time. I passed on the dealer-recommended 50k radiator flush. Even the severe service schedule doesn't recommend that until 150k miles.

No fuel-related problems with mine. I did have an injector replaced under warranty, but in the absence of anything else at all going on with the engine, I'm not ready to call that a fuel problem, especially because the injector failure occurred well before the fuel filter life was low.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

boraz said:


> crapload of tdis had hpfps grinding away into the fuel system
> 
> strange that it was only vw tdis and not anything else, all using the same fuel
> 
> ...


The VW HPFP was a big issue, but not isolated to VW. Ford and GM used a 2 piston version on their pick up trucks and some failures there too. It was also fuel quality related where some regions had more failures. So it was a bit of both, a pump very sensitive to low lubricity fuel, and areas that had worse quality of lubricity additives in the fuel. Such additives at the distribution level are now required with ULSD fuel. 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

Barry Allen said:


> Would it be beneficial to add a CAT 2-micron fuel filter prior to the factory filter?


I did add a filter for my Dodge Cummins Truck. I'm not sure where you can fit one on the Cruze, but if you do, make it after the OEM, not before. Tor OEM has a built-in heater to prevent cold weather gelling. On my truck the additional filter is just after an OEM filter/water separator with a fuel heater. It's really not a bad idea if you want long service out of the fuel system.. but I'm pretty sure the OEM filter is not bad, I'd guess it's a 5 micron. 

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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

MRO1791 said:


> I'm not sure where you can fit one on the Cruze, but if you do, make it after the OEM, not before. Tor OEM has a built-in heater to prevent cold weather gelling.


If I had the choice I would have an unheated CAT 2-micron filter and just make sure I had quality fuel with anti-gel additives to prevent clogging.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

Barry Allen said:


> If I had the choice I would have an unheated CAT 2-micron filter and just make sure I had quality fuel with anti-gel additives to prevent clogging.


Easier to say than do when on a long road trip and have to get fuel where you can, then there are the places that now have only B20. Going from Bio to regular diesel can clog a filter. It's just not practical to take a sample at each fuel stop to verify quality. 

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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

MRO1791 said:


> then there are the places that now have only B20


Every place I've seen selling (up to) B-20 has one of those "5-20%" stickers. During winter months the bio content is dropped down to 5%. Even Minnesota has upped their content to 20% biodiesel only during summer months (it drops to 5% in the winter) and that cold weather state has no problems to speak of.


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## JFOXTON (Jul 31, 2016)

Novice here. I just replaced all my fuel injectors (Boush) with AC Delco's because the check engine light came on and the after marker software program showed a bad injector. Not so. The injector was sent to D&W Diesel and tested good and cleaned up and programmed for $35. Just a heads up. Not sure what would have happened at the Chevy dealer.


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## sleepyzzz (Nov 2, 2018)

JFOXTON said:


> Novice here. I just replaced all my fuel injectors (Boush) with AC Delco's because the check engine light came on and the after marker software program showed a bad injector. Not so. The injector was sent to D&W Diesel and tested good and cleaned up and programmed for $35. Just a heads up. Not sure what would have happened at the Chevy dealer.


how old is your Cruze and how many miles?


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## JFOXTON (Jul 31, 2016)

2014 and 160,000 miles when replaced


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