How To Know If Your Fuel Filter Is Bad

One of the worst problems that can happen to your Dodge Caravan is a bad fuel filter. When the filter goes bad, it can limit the corporeality of fuel that enters the engine. Without fuel, the vehicle volition not run at all. With that in mind, most of the symptoms of a bad fuel filter circumduct around the vehicle stalling out.

Bad Fuel Filter Symptoms Dodge Caravan

Fuel filters take been making a rearward progression for the final 50 yøears, literally. For a long time, you'd observe it under the hood. Information technology looked like a little pill, and it would exist quick and easy to replace. This was in the era of carbureted vehicles.

Things began to change in the lxxx's. Fuel injection requires college fuel pressure level. Higher fuel pressure meant that a more than robust fuel filter would exist required. This meant the fuel filter was no longer left under the hood. It was put in the steel fuel line, between the gas tank and engine bay.

These fuel filters were more reliable, but they also were tougher to alter. Repairing them means getting under the vehicle and disconnecting steel fittings. Information technology actually still isn't that difficult to deal with, as long as y'all give the vehicle a few minutes for the fuel pressure to go down.

The skilful news is, no matter how onetime your Caravan is, the symptoms of a bad fuel filter are universal. Information technology doesn't affair if it's in-tank or in-line. And, fuel filters are cheap.

Signs of a Bad Fuel Filter: Dodge Caravan

Dodge Caravan Bad Fuel Filter Diagnosis — Typical Fuel Filter

There are physical signs that you tin feel when your Caravan's fuel filter is clogging. Earlier taking annihilation apart, check to encounter if your engines computer has whatever problem codes saved in it.

The engine may throw a P0087 trouble code. This trouble code detects that the fuel rail/system pressure is too depression. Any trouble codes that exist could exist a inkling. Sometimes when at that place is low fuel pressure, y'all may also get an oxygen sensor related trouble code as well. The existent issue with diagnosing a bad fuel filter is that it resembles many other vehicular issues in terms of symptoms.

Here are the most common symptoms of a bad fuel filter in your Contrivance Caravan:

Sputtering Nether Load

The simply manner that you are going to know that your Caravan'due south fuel filter may be going out is that it is no longer letting enough fuel through to proceed the engine running under a heavy load, or at high-speed. Typically, if you are heading upwards a colina (or accelerating) the engine may beginning to feel similar it is merely running out of steam. That's what it feels like with a bad fuel filter.

Now, a bad fuel filter can as well experience a heck of a lot like a bad catalytic converter. Both conditions will make the motor experience like it is running out of wind when you striking the gas. A bad catalytic converter will non experience as jarring. It'due south a shine lack of power. If you are unsure, check out this article on troubleshooting catalytic converters. If you get P0420 or P0430 trouble codes with a scanner, it very well may exist the catalytic converter causing these symptoms.

Hard to Kickoff Engine

One of the best indicators of a clogged fuel filter is going to be that the your Caravan is difficult to start. This because there's not enough fuel pressure to properly atomize the fuel equally information technology enters the combustion sleeping accommodation.

If your auto is hard to start, a clogged fuel filter would probably not be the place to start looking, particularly if you are getting no trouble code for fuel force per unit area or the oxygen sensors.

Instead, we'd recommend taking a look at the ignition organization first. Often it'll be bad spark plugs, or a bad coil pack.

Engine Not Starting

If the fuel filter has become so contaminated that the minimum amount of fuel has not been let through information technology, the engine won't outset at all.

At the nearly basic of levels your Dodge Caravan needs three things to start: Air, fuel, and spark. If any of these things aren't present, the engine won't turn over at all. If there's been nothing alarm that the fuel filter could exist going bad (hesitation, difficulty starting, etc) than a clogged fuel filter might not be the identify to start. It could certainly cause the problem though.

Here's a great video on using your eyes to diagnose the fuel filter:

It Could Also exist Your Caravan'south Fuel Pump

A fuel pump that is going out is going to feel the same as a bad fuel filter. This makes telling if you lot have a bad fuel pump vs bad fuel filter very challenging.

How exercise y'all tell them apart? A clogged fuel filter volition take high pressure on its input side and low force per unit area on its output side. They are both going to cause the aforementioned hesitation at high speed and difficulty starting. The just way to truly tell is to place a fuel pressure gauge on both sides of the line and get a reading from both.

If your car isn't starting at all, and you hear the fuel pump prime that is ordinarily a good indication that the pump is working to some capacity. Testing your Caravan'southward fuel pressure on each side of the pump would be the best mode to diagnose this problem.

A priming fuel pump sounds like a high-pitched whine for a few seconds and can be heard with a sharp engine right afterward the ignition key is turned, but before the starter is engaged.

Conclusion: Dodge Caravan Bad Fuel Pump

The symptoms of a bad fuel pump lucifer a lot of other common problems that tin can occur in the Dodge Caravan. Testing the filter and force per unit area on each side of it are going to be the quickest ways to rule it out. If there is anything yous would like to add, delight get out a annotate below. Expert luck!