Do you guys go by the number of years of the filter or the miles?? What's your personal schedule for the fuel filter?

 

I changed mine after 5 years (07 GT) with 36,000 miles on it and it was really dirty. Lots of rusty looking gas for some reason. I think I'll change it more often now - perhaps this fall after 3 years on the replaced filter. It's pretty cheap to do really, and other than having some gas run down your arm...why not? LOL.

 

Thanks Briank. I just got the 'search' to work right for myself (titles) and I found many different answers including my own thread a few years ago. I forgot.
Mods, if you want to delete this thread, feel free. The answers are all over the place, from every year to 30k miles to "I never changed mine". The owner's manual does state every 30k miles.

 

well where's the link to your first thread? I have changed mine once in 85k miles. I bet its due for a change

 

Heya Glenn. Same boat here. changed at 12k, sitting at 68k, I need to change as it was nasty at 12k!

 

I have to pull my fuel pump & clean my pick up or sock like every 3 months there so much crap in the gas seems to clog & restrict the flow enough to bigger it down that it **** near was having a heart attack going up a hill , after a clean it goes like snot.

 

Pulling the fuel pump would probably be a PITA. Sounds like changing it more often than not is best. I haven't heard anyone say their filter was clean when they changed it.

 

Not that terribly hard to get to the pumps, but never heard of anyone ever doing that, on a Mustang, let alone any other car for PM.

 

My filter was always clean pulling the pump is so so easy 1/2 hour tops depending how long you clean & blow out old pick up

 

The white round part on the bottom gets sucked up when the sock clogs up & starves for fuel your car starts running like crap when warm & can't get up a hill after cleaning & put back I get 80-100 kilo more a tank & goes like snot. Oh I have flushed the tank and the crap I red tested the gas I buy & it's in it, I filled a separate container and had a friend test it for contamination . It came other the fuel.

 

I've always changed mine according to the service recommendation manual at 14k, seems to run better after that..heard they get real dirty..

 

The recommended service interval is between every 14-15k miles..

 

What the heck is that? The fuel filter is under the driver side door not in the tank. Why would you pull out the tank filter? Unless they came up with a completely different design my 09 has it under the driver side door sill.

 

The rust is from the ethanol in the gas. Ethanol holds water by nature.

 

Just a follow up for those that have NOT done it yet. I had my shop change the fuel filter out last week. 31,000 miles on the car and mostly 89 octane brand name gas such as BP, Chevron, etc...It wasn't filthy but it was dirty and I'm glad I had it done. 30,000 miles seems to be about right just as my '07 Ford owner's manual states.
The Ford Motorcraft filter was $14 shipped to my house and $30 to install at my shop. I am glad I did not do this myself. Despite what some say, it isn't a piece of cake. I watched, and the effort is not what I classify as easy, even on a lift, never mind the gas and odors.

 

??? And where did you get that info at?

 

Every 25K with a Motorcraft unit.

 

The service adviser at my local Ford dealership.. If he's wrong ? I'll just go by the owners manual..

 

I know houtex is going to bring out the on this one but I just made and replaced the bolt on the transmission shifter linkage bolt and decided since the car is up I might as well do the fuel filter. So I pulled the cover only to notice that the fuel filter that was in was backwards (the arrow on the filter point to the trunk) so I followed my instinct and put the new filter in and have the arrow facing the motor as I have done with all my other vehicles. Would the fuel filter facing the wrong way have any kind of affect on the car. After I started it, it ran fine didn't take it out on the road yet because its raining cats and dogs right now. Just wandering I never ran into this before and didn't want to start a unnecessary thread because there is one started.

 

I know that I can blow through the filter (before it's used) either way but I think they put an arrow on it as the liquid comes into it, then goes into the media on the perifery to get into the out bound lane, like coming through the media though it's best supported position. I think if reversed, if it get's overly restrictive from dirt, it could more easily be "ballooned" maybe. Also by coming through the outer diameter of the media going towards the inner diameter, it leave the trash on the outer, larger diameter where there is more surface area.

Actually, I'm just rambling, I point the arrow the way fuel flows. Maybe I was right, but in any case, I don't think your car was hurt by a backwards fuel filter. Forgot to mention interval? In my case, since cars moved away from carbs and to FI with pumps in the tank and regulators at the use end, I've been pretty dead set on 30K miles ... or sooner if needed.
With carbs, it was so easy to just change while filling oil, etc at oil change times as usually two clamps on low pressure rubber line near the carburetor.