Way back in 2017 I asked about the 'Fuel Manager 'system as a pre-filter. There was a big discussion about pre-filters and after much thought and research I decided to get on fitted.
The mechanic I chose at the time in Townsville where I was and came recommended. He was a mobile mechanic and convenient for me at the time. He arrived on time at 9.30am and finished around 12.30pm. He said after doing the job he had fitted a few of these but not to a Collie and had some problems but all good in the end. Off he went and I was a happy camper with a system that hopefully would save the collie from dirty fuel etc.
Well, all was good and then in 2022 during a gap in that horrible Covid lock down time, I was driving along minding my own business and keeping an eye out for traffic etc. When I decided a rest stop was needed. As I got out of the car, I could smell something but as a fuel truck had stopped in the same rest stop took no notice. As I walked back to car there was a puddle under front so investigated. A fuel line had burst and fuel everywhere. I called RACV and they arrived at the same time a mate not that far away did. The aluminum tent ended up hooked to the mate's car and the Collie on the back of a tow truck. All was fixed the next day and I was on my way again.
Sorry, you don't get out of this story that easy.
Not long before Xmas just gone, like around October I pulled up and there was sitting under car another puddle. I managed to get the Collie to the mechanic just around the corner and about 5mins away. Next day I pick Collie up all fixed yet again.
Don't go just yet.
Last week After a long time with blocked nose and sinus problems being sorted, I pulled up to turn right and as I went around corner I could smell fuel. I thought from car in front but as looked behind me there was a line of liquid following me. I pulled into a carpark and you guessed it. Fuel everywhere. Tow truck needed and I also had to call the local fire department to send out the HASMAT crew. A local mechanic got me going by bypassing the said Fuel Manager system.
I wasn't too sure about the mechanic so got my local guy to pull the Fuel Manager system out and return to the factory fitted Collie system and make sure all good.
My trusted Mechanic informed me that a lot of Common Rail Diesel Engines are not suitable for the Fuel Manager System as they can't handle the pressure.
So, a warning to anyone thinking about fitting something like that to their car, think about my experience and do heaps of research first. It could cost you heaps if not.
The Collie has 2 fuel filters factory fitted at new so that will have to do from now on.
Keep safe on the roads and out there.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
I remember back when I bought my Isuzu in 2014 I asked the service manager about the need to fit additional filters. He advised me that getting the filter replaced at each service (10,000) was sufficient. He also said that if I was travelling on dirt roads for great distances then to consider getting it done earlier.
I don't drive on dirt roads and have followed his advice and so far (touch wood) all has been okay. He also gave the standard line "If it was needed, we would have fitted another one when it was manufactured."
Recently right in the middle of Canberra, I received a large load of dirty fuel.
It destroyed the Rangers entire fuel system.
2 pumps, fuel rail, injectors and gloplugs.
Plus a complete clean out of the tank and fuel lines.
A tad under 10k worth of damage.
Looking at the sample that came out of it no amount of extra filters would have saved me. The sample was about a third water separated from the fuel, the fuel still had water mixed with it so the quantity of water could have been as high as 50%, plus the amount of bacteria in it was phenomenonal.
The fuel filter was brand new when I left Perth and was absolutely black with bacteria.
A very big shout out to A. Slave Fords service advisor Mohammed who pointed out that my insurance might cover me and B. To Shannon's Insurance who bar for my excess didn't even blink and accepted the claim and got it fixed for me.
New diesels do run at exceedingly high pressures with the Ranger around 18,000psi and some around 22,500psi.
They do require hoses and fittings capable of those pressures.
The fuel rails are equipped with sensors to ensure that the minimum pressure is being maintained otherwise the computer shuts the engine down.
This is because as the pressure drops below the required pressure, the mixture leans with an end result of melted piston crowns.
Many also, like the Ranger, have two pumps, one in tank which is reasonably high pressure like petrol fuel systems and then the diesel pump on the engine.
I'm not doubting your experiance with so much water mixed with your fuel Greg, It is almost impossible to find a servo fuel tank without some water in it, most modern servos now have sensors in the fuel tank that can tell the operator things like how much water is in the tank right down to a few mm's and the sensor system has a alarm if the water exceed a preset maxiumn volume, the volume of water would need to exceed 500ltrs before the fuel pickup would pump it into a vehicle, even the urban myth not to buy fuel from a servo after a fuel delivery lacks any factual evidance, considering if a delivery of 9000 liters of diesel into a 20000litre tank with 20 to 30 mm of water in it would make no difference.
The big question is how did so much water get into you fuel system, even going through a carwash weekly with your fuel cap not tight would take years to put 50% into the tank, therefore it must have been a case of foul play.
A shandy of that magnitude would cause a failure almost immediatly and there would b a conga line of effected vehicles not far from the servo.
No other explanation for it.
Car was running fine and after filling up drove a short distance and it wasn't.
Went to Slaven Ford on a tilt tray.
I am an absolute fanatic with my servicing.
Change the Oil and filter at all the recommended intervals and change the fuel filter at the same time religiously.
I have a mechanical background so understand the intricacies of modern diesels so am paranoid about clean fuel.
This service station was in Fyshwick the main light industrial area of Canberra so not some outback dodgy roadside fuel depot.
It is however an older site and I found out after the event that it has a reputation for this sort of thing.
Shannons were very interested in the details and we had our receipt so I think they might be pursuing it.
Since repair the car towed our van back to Perth without missing a beat.
So you just never know when you might cop a load of dirty fuel.
I was very amazed and very pleasantly surprised by the response and service by Shannon's.
I was also very pleased with the efforts by Slaven Ford in Philip ACT to get Lyn and I back on the road plus the RACWA and NRMA roadside service who were very prompt at arranging the tow and a hire car for us for 10 days.
I would like to put up the details of the service station in question, but probably not on a public forum.
Three failures of your fuel system. It sounds as if they installed the fuel manager system on the discharge side of the fuel pump (ie the high pressure side). The purpose of the fuel manager system is to ensure that any contamination is filtered out of the system BEFORE it gets to the fuel pump and other bits (injectors, pressure regulators etc). That way, any water, dirt, fungus etc is filtered out, leaving only bits of the fuel pump to contaminate the injectors. I had a Pajero diesel, and installed a pre-filter system (nominally 3 microns) AFTER the OEM filter (nominally 10 microns), but BEFORE the main fuel pump. This was contrary to the recommendations of diesel mechanics who recommended putting the pre-filter before the OEM filter, but still well ahead of the main fuel pump. The Pajero has only the main (high pressure) fuel pump. Fuel is fed to the main pump by gravity only and the suction for the main fuel pump. I was concerned about having an extra filter in line before the main fuel pump because of the extra losses caused by the ultra-fine filter. Fortunately, I never had any issues,
I don't know the details of the Colorado, but I guess that there is a booster pump, probably in the fuel tank. If there is, maybe there is or should be a pressure limiting valve to limit the pressure at the OEM filter system?
The issue with filling up at a service station while a fuel tanker is delivering a load is more about the ingoing fuel stirring up any sediment in the underground tanks. It does happen - a previous workplace of mine had issues with blocked filters in our trucks/machinery which was caused by a build up of sludge in our large underground diesel tanks. The cheapest solution was to fit a large-scale external filter system just before the bowsers.
I have also have had water in fuel only a couple of kms after refuelling from a service station. It was a motorbike and 98 octane petrol (so maybe they didn't sell much of it?) in a country town. Nil damage, but I had to drain the tank, lines & carburettors completely and re-fuel from the only other service station before continuing my trip. Luckily I had a tool kit as it was a Sunday and no help available.
Hi Doug,
I have a South Aussie friend who has a modified (extended chassis, HD suspension) 70 series GX(?) single cab ute with a camper body on the back. He swears by the Water Watch system that alarms if water or any contamination occurs. It uses the standard OE filter.
And DMaxer,
Your experience is different to mine. My crowd say to rely on the standard filter alarm. Even changing the filter with my automatic transmission fluid at 40,000kms, I have not seen the alarm come on - have I been lucky? Like you we don't do a lot of dirt road driving now except out bird watching. I always carry a spare filter with me.
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Warren
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If you don't get it done today, there's always tomorrow!
