Fuel and air filter change today - dirtier than expected

[24Megacab]

Changed the water separator filter, fuel filter, and the air filter today. I was surprised how dirty the rear filter and air filter were for fairly low mileage. 12,327 miles on the filters (same on truck). The boxes are the new filters that went back in.

 

[AH64ID]

Looks pretty normal. The rear fuel filter is catching the asphaltenes and the air filter is pretty clean, the black is mostly road grime like you get on your truck after driving on wet roads.

 

[24Megacab]

Looks pretty normal. The rear fuel filter is catching the asphaltenes and the air filter is pretty clean, the black is mostly road grime like you get on your truck after driving on wet roads.

Thanks for the info, glad to know that rear filter looks normal for the mileage on it. I thought it looked much worse than it should.

 

[GNR10]

Looks pretty normal. The rear fuel filter is catching the asphaltenes and the air filter is pretty clean, the black is mostly road grime like you get on your truck after driving on wet roads.

There are some pretty interesting reads regarding asphaltenes, and why SOME fuel additives may be good. The solubility or insolubility, and the temperature of the burn etc may or may not have an effect on overall performance (ymmv). I happen to be using a fuel born catalyst that contains benzene and toluene amongst other toxic things but aspahtlenes are soluble in both of those and I hope to see a difference next filter change and over the course of the next year.

 

[sstoner911]

Wait til you do an oil change - don't be shocked because it will be black as midnight.

I suspect the rear filter gets to looking like that pretty quickly.

 

[24Megacab]

Wait til you do an oil change - don't be shocked because it will be black as midnight.

I suspect the rear filter gets to looking like that pretty quickly.

Just did my third oil change on this truck and knew the oil would be black immediately. However, this was my first time changing diesel fuel filters. I was just surprised that the rear filter looked so dirty/dark. But now I know for future reference that this is to be expected.

 

[AH64ID]

Just did my third oil change on this truck and knew the oil would be black immediately. However, this was my first time changing diesel fuel filters. I was just surprised that the rear filter looked so dirty/dark. But now I know for future reference that this is to be expected.

3 oil changes and only 1 fuel filter change? I’m all about a break in oil change, but 2?

 

[24Megacab]

3 oil changes and only 1 fuel filter change? I’m all about a break in oil change, but 2?

I changed it around 3k, 9k, and 16k.

 

[Trash Panda]

3 oil changes and only 1 fuel filter change? I’m all about a break in oil change, but 2?

For guys like me who change their oil annually because they don’t reach mileage, it’s completely normal to hit 2-3 oil changes before dealing with fuel filters.

I average 2:1

 

[AH64ID]

For guys like me who change their oil annually because they don’t reach mileage, it’s completely normal to hit 2-3 oil changes before dealing with fuel filters.

I average 2:1

Fuel filters are supposed to be changed annually as well, so I would not call that normal.

Aside from any break in oil changes the fuel filters and oil/filter should be on the same change interval.

 

[Trash Panda]

Fuel filters are supposed to be changed annually as well, so I would not call that normal.

Aside from any break in oil changes the fuel filters and oil/filter should be on the same change interval.

Yeah, the mileage I put on my truck annually is definitely not normal, but I’m not chucking a hundred dollars of fuel filters at a truck that’s been driven 5k miles in the year and sat in a climate controlled garage otherwise. Hardly severe service.

The only thing that would be doing is lining the pockets of filter manufacturers and genos.

The work truck gets fuel & oil filters at the same time, but it also sees a ton of miles, so the interval lines up great. Averaging 9mpg hauling a loaded 30’ gooseneck it’s whole life means those filters are working on a whole lot of fuel.

 

[Deleted member 47449]

Doing the fuel filters today on my 2024 3500 4x4 at 9K miles. Out of the box from Geno's some slight imperfections on the rear new filter. It looks like it was in the manufacturing. Not enough imperfection to keep from using it.

 

[AH64ID]

Yeah, the mileage I put on my truck annually is definitely not normal, but I’m not chucking a hundred dollars of fuel filters at a truck that’s been driven 5k miles in the year and sat in a climate controlled garage otherwise. Hardly severe service.

The only thing that would be doing is lining the pockets of filter manufacturers and genos.

The work truck gets fuel & oil filters at the same time, but it also sees a ton of miles, so the interval lines up great. Averaging 9mpg hauling a loaded 30’ gooseneck it’s whole life means those filters are working on a whole lot of fuel.

Fuel filters still deteriorate and age out, even with low miles. I did a bunch or research and correspondence with multiple filter manufacturers years ago when I added some additional filters to my 05 trying to maximize service life. You’re probably good to extend the filters to 18 months, but I wouldn’t go past that. Filters are cheap relative to the system they are protecting.

Unlike a gas engine, which doesn't use a return line, the same amount of fuel is pumped thru the filters every hour regardless of your fuel mileage.

 

[Great White North Eh]

That air filter looks pretty good……… you should see what they look like on my trucks! Miles of gravel, snow and Alberta bugs and hoppers would turn your stomach. When I had plastics off on the ram dam air dealie I covered the intake with bug screen. Should keep the big chunks out.

 

[sstoner911]

I just changed mine, the entire bottom was black with 18K miles....so a little over.

I had to shop vac all bees, butterflies, and other bug remnants from the bottom of the air box.