Fuel filter
{{Short description|Filter used to strain fuel in fuel systems}}
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| image1 = Gutbrod two-wheel tractor (2).jpg
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| caption2 = Fuel filter (in white) in a 1982 GMC Sierra
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| caption3 = Fuel filter for diesel Volkswagen car engines
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A fuel filter is a filter used to screen out foreign particles or liquids from the fuel. Most internal combustion engines use a fuel filter, in order to protect the components in the fuel system.
Filters for foreign particles
Unfiltered fuel may contain several kinds of contamination, for example paint chips and dirt that has entered the fuel tank while filling, or rust caused by moisture in a steel tank.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} If these substances are not removed before the fuel enters the system, they will cause rapid wear and failure of the fuel pump and injectors.{{cite web |title=How long do fuel injectors last? |url=https://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/car-part-longevity/fuel-injectors-last.htm |website=HowStuffWorks |access-date=19 November 2022 |language=en-us |date=14 July 2010}}
The filters are normally made into cartridges containing a filter paper.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} Fuel filters need to be maintained or replaced at regular intervals.
Filters for foreign liquids
Some diesel engines use a bowl-like design to collect water in the bottom of the filter (as diesel floats on top of water).{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} The water can then be drained off by opening a valve in the bottom of the bowl and letting it run out, until only the fuel remains.
See also
{{Commons category|Fuel filters}}