How often do you drain your fuel filter? Do you completely drain the filter or only a little? Do you just let it drain on the service station driveway or try and catch it somehow?

 

I never drain mine inbetween 5000 mile change intervals. I change it the same time I do the oil, real easy to remember. I can't see where it is real good to drain all that Diesel into a fuel station driveway.

 

The manual says drain it at every fuel stop.

 

Most people dont do it every fill up, but they tell you to in case you get water into your fuel. IIRC the water will settle to the bottom of the canister, so I would think you wouldnt need to drain the whole thing, but you should put a little bottle or something under there to catch it. It has a short hose coming out of the bottom, just put that into a bottle opening and catch the fuel. Let it sit and see if you can see any water settle down - I would guess probably not or at least not enough to see. Most people just check when they drain to change the fuel filter. I change mine at 10K intervals, some do different.

 

Back about 5 years ago, I used to drain it at every fill-up like the book said, but as time went on the drain interval increased. Heck, I'm not sure I could even find that yellow lever anymore.... I do drain it at fuel filter changes.

I didn't drain the whole bowl, figuring if there was any water settled in the bottom, it wouldn't be too much.

 

To be honest, I didn't drain in the 20,000 miles(which is too long) I had the last fuel filter!
Mike
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Not to mention it makes a mess of the truck under side. Those tubes do not hang down far and if you drain it, it gets all over the under side of the truck. YUCK!!!!

 

I found that a 32oz poweraide bottle can be wedge nicely under there and I didn't have any mess. Only problem is be careful where you put the bottle - the ULSD looks very much like the Green Poweraide.....

 

I cut a short piece of PVC pipe (maybe 18" long, I'd have to measure it to be sure) and slip it over the filter drain hose and use a coffee can to catch the fuel out of the PVC pipe. Works well for me as it requires no hands or "wedging" to hold it in place.

 

Drain the whole canister into a empty water bottle, then pull the cover off the fuel filter and drop in a new fuel filter, then fill it to the top with Howes Meaner Kleaner, your engine will thank you later.

 

Not in my manual, see excerpt below.

Drain a small amount from the fuel/water separator
filter periodically or when the WATER IN FUEL indicator
lamp is on. Pull outward on the drain valve lever, located
on the side of the filter, and allow any accumulated water
to drain. Hold the drain valve open until all water and
contaminants have been removed. Close the drain release
valve, by returning it to the inward position, when clean
fuel is visible.