Fuel Filter life monitor - 2021, 2500

[Viejo]

First post.

Just did my oil filter at 5700 miles because I am getting ready to do a 3000 miles trip. A few details are below.

1. So far I have only filled up at Costco which has the best prices, high turnover and new tanks
2. Current miles is 6000 miles and the fuel filter life reads 49%
3. I have done a few dusty fire service roads but I applied a thin film of silicone grease on the rubber seal on the fuel door which has done a pretty good job of capturing a good amount of dust and I also use the flimsy red OEM filler cap so dust contamination should be minimal.

Does the fuel life meter calculate % remaining life based on idle time and miles or are there other parameters such as pressure differential across the filter? Is it a linear drop? In other words, am I going to be 1500 miles into this trip only to find out that it has dropped from 49% to 15%? I calculate that I have at least another 7000 miles left which begs the question I thought the intervals were at 15000 miles between fuel filter changes.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

First post.

Just did my oil filter at 5700 miles because I am getting ready to do a 3000 miles trip. A few details are below.

1. So far I have only filled up at Costco which has the best prices, high turnover and new tanks
2. Current miles is 6000 miles and the fuel filter life reads 49%
3. I have done a few dusty fire service roads but I applied a thin film of silicone grease on the rubber seal on the fuel door which has done a pretty good job of capturing a good amount of dust and I also use the flimsy red OEM filler cap so dust contamination should be minimal.

Does the fuel life meter calculate % remaining life based on idle time and miles or are there other parameters such as pressure differential across the filter? Is it a linear drop? In other words, am I going to be 1500 miles into this trip only to find out that it has dropped from 49% to 15%? I calculate that I have at least another 7000 miles left which begs the question I thought the intervals were at 15000 miles between fuel filter changes.

It wont jump down on you it will be around the 15k mile mark when it hits 0

 

[Viejo]

It wont jump down on you it will be around the 15k mile mark when it hits

Thanks for the reply -- much appreciated. Most of the posts regarding this issue agree with you. However, there has been a small minority that seems to disagree. I am going to go with your recommendation.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Thanks for the reply -- much appreciated. Most of the posts regarding this issue agree with you. However, there has been a small minority that seems to disagree. I am going to go with your recommendation.

I am on my 2nd set of filters and the % aligned with the milage almost perfect the first set and this set seems to be the same

 

[Brutal_HO]

Thanks for the reply -- much appreciated. Most of the posts regarding this issue agree with you. However, there has been a small minority that seems to disagree. I am going to go with your recommendation.

As a diesel owner, you should carry a complete set of filters.

 

[Viejo]

As a diesel owner, you should carry a complete set of filters.

Not sure I follow the logic on that one. As you move into the rural areas of this country these trucks become more popular. I could definitely see doing that traveling south of the border. In this country, there is a NAPA or similar in almost any small town so filters are easily acquired. When I get to 20% I'll make sure I am close by those filters. I also try my best to select fuel stations that have high turnover like truck stops and similar. If I know I am going to an area with a high probability of not encountering quality fuel Id carry extra fuel to make sure I didn't have to fill from a questionable source. That is easier than replacing filters in the bush. At the end of the day when you travel there is a PIA situation around every corner. It's part of the fun.

Having said all that it's been 30 years since I owned a diesel and back then it was a Nissan Patrol with an inline 6 Nissan industrial engine. Never had any issues down in central america with poor fuel but then again all the tools required to fix that vehicle could be found at a home depot. Today's vehicles are so sophisticated, I miss the good old days.

 

[Brutal_HO]

Never know when Murphy will strike. At a minimum, I'd carry a spare frame mounted filter for the water separator.

Then again, it's more likely the CP4 will grenade on a 19 or 20 than contaminating a filter enough to require a roadside replacement.

 

[Viejo]

CP3 on a 2021 so I should be good on that score. Is diesel here in the USA really that bad? Actually, I am more worried about my wife putting gas in the tank than anything else.

 

[Nick]

Always carry a spare set of filters when traveling and the tools to change them .

 

[Viejo]

Always carry a spare set of filters when traveling and the tools to change them .

I am still missing something here -- if there is water in the filter it hits the sensor and you get the light from the signal sent from the sensor in the on-frame filter. At that point you know there is water in the tank. That being the case, what good does it do you to drain and change the filter if there is a good possibility of drawing more water into the system.

How bad can diesel in this country be? I guess diesel trucks these days are a whole lot more delicate than I thought. Yet another casualty of CAFE standards.

 

[Nick]

I am still missing something here -- if there is water in the filter it hits the sensor and you get the light from the signal sent from the sensor in the on-frame filter. At that point you know there is water in the tank. That being the case, what good does it do you to drain and change the filter if there is a good possibility of drawing more water into the system.

How bad can diesel in this country be? I guess diesel trucks these days are a whole lot more delicate than I thought. Yet another casualty of CAFE standards.

It is not the Diesel that is the problem . It is the gas station storage tanks . You don’t have to drop a filter for water just drain and carry on . You are right about delicat the tolerances are much close sand the injectors pressures much higher .

 

[Viejo]

It is not the Diesel that is the problem . It is the gas station storage tanks . You don’t have to drop a filter for water just drain and carry on . You are right about delicat the tolerances are much close sand the injectors pressures much higher .

I've seen gasoline tanks from the 50s and 60s come out of the ground. The deposits at the bottom looked like sandstone. In some cases, it was several inches thick. That is why I pull from newer gas stations and ones that have high turnover. However, that shouldn't make a difference because each pump has a filter so the fuel has already been through a filter right before it hits your tank.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I am still missing something here -- if there is water in the filter it hits the sensor and you get the light from the signal sent from the sensor in the on-frame filter. At that point you know there is water in the tank. That being the case, what good does it do you to drain and change the filter if there is a good possibility of drawing more water into the system.

How bad can diesel in this country be? I guess diesel trucks these days are a whole lot more delicate than I thought. Yet another casualty of CAFE standards.

You will find some people on forums tend to be ridiculously over cautious… there is no need to carry spare filters with you in the incredibly rare occurrence that one may plug up if you change them regularly and are not filling from jerry cans you wont have an issue as the fuel does get filtered before getting to your tank….

 

[Brutal_HO]

You will find some people on forums tend to be ridiculously over cautious… there is no need to carry spare filters with you in the incredibly rare occurrence that one may plug up if you change them regularly and are not filling from jerry cans you wont have an issue as the fuel does get filtered before getting to your tank….

You do you.

I find some people on the forums tend to be ridiculously overly opiniated and also feel the need to criticize everything other members post.

 

[Brutal_HO]

I am still missing something here -- if there is water in the filter it hits the sensor and you get the light from the signal sent from the sensor in the on-frame filter. At that point you know there is water in the tank. That being the case, what good does it do you to drain and change the filter if there is a good possibility of drawing more water into the system.

How bad can diesel in this country be? I guess diesel trucks these days are a whole lot more delicate than I thought. Yet another casualty of CAFE standards.

It can simply be additive.

You could have WIF that collected over time and just needs to be drained and you're on your merry way.

With a CP4, if I get a WIF, it's getting a new filter. If it happens again, it's getting towed.

 

[Viejo]

It can simply be additive.

You could have WIF that collected over time and just needs to be drained and you're on your merry way.

With a CP4, if I get a WIF, it's getting a new filter. If it happens again, it's getting towed.

WIF???

 

[flan]

Water
In
Fuel

 

[Brutal_HO]

WIF???

Water in Fuel.

The frame mounted filter has the water sensor.

 

[Viejo]

Water in Fuel.

The frame mounted filter has the water sensor.

View attachment 21902

Yeah, I seen that. Makes you wonder why gas stations moved away from fuel filters loaded in the see-through housing which were mounted on the outside of the pump. One more level of protection. I'll bet anything it was for safety.

 

[Viejo]