How To Change Fuel Filter On 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan

One of the worst problems that tin can happen to your Contrivance Caravan is a bad fuel filter. When the filter goes bad, information technology tin can limit the amount of fuel that enters the engine. Without fuel, the vehicle will not run at all. With that in mind, near of the symptoms of a bad fuel filter revolve around the vehicle stalling out.

Bad Fuel Filter Symptoms Dodge Caravan

Fuel filters have been making a rearward progression for the concluding 50 yøears, literally. For a long fourth dimension, you'd notice information technology under the hood. It looked like a petty pill, and it would be quick and like shooting fish in a barrel to replace. This was in the era of carbureted vehicles.

Things began to change in the 80's. Fuel injection requires higher fuel force per unit area. Higher fuel pressure meant that a more than robust fuel filter would be required. This meant the fuel filter was no longer left under the hood. It was put in the steel fuel line, betwixt the gas tank and engine bay.

These fuel filters were more reliable, but they also were tougher to change. Repairing them means getting under the vehicle and disconnecting steel fittings. It really still isn't that difficult to bargain with, as long as you lot requite the vehicle a few minutes for the fuel pressure to go downwards.

The skillful news is, no matter how sometime your Caravan is, the symptoms of a bad fuel filter are universal. It doesn't matter if it'south 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 can feel when your Caravan'south fuel filter is clogging. Before taking annihilation apart, check to see if your engines figurer has any trouble codes saved in it.

The engine may throw a P0087 trouble code. This trouble code detects that the fuel rail/system force per unit area is too depression. Any trouble codes that exist could be a clue. Sometimes when there is low fuel pressure, yous may also become an oxygen sensor related problem code as well. The real issue with diagnosing a bad fuel filter is that it resembles many other vehicular issues in terms of symptoms.

Hither are the well-nigh common symptoms of a bad fuel filter in your Contrivance Caravan:

Sputtering Under Load

The only fashion that y'all are going to know that your Caravan's fuel filter may be going out is that it is no longer letting enough fuel through to keep the engine running under a heavy load, or at loftier-speed. Typically, if you are heading up a hill (or accelerating) the engine may starting time to feel like it is just running out of steam. That's what information technology feels similar with a bad fuel filter.

Now, a bad fuel filter can also feel a heck of a lot like a bad catalytic converter. Both atmospheric condition will make the motor experience like it is running out of air current when you hit the gas. A bad catalytic converter will not feel as jarring. Information technology's a polish lack of ability. If you lot are unsure, check out this commodity on troubleshooting catalytic converters. If you go P0420 or P0430 trouble codes with a scanner, it very well may be the catalytic converter causing these symptoms.

Hard to Start Engine

Ane of the best indicators of a chock-full fuel filter is going to be that the your Caravan is difficult to start. This considering there's non plenty fuel pressure to properly atomize the fuel equally it enters the combustion sleeping accommodation.

If your car is hard to start, a clogged fuel filter would probably not be the place to start looking, especially if you are getting no trouble code for fuel pressure or the oxygen sensors.

Instead, we'd recommend taking a expect at the ignition system outset. Often it'll be bad spark plugs, or a bad coil pack.

Engine Non Starting

If the fuel filter has become then contaminated that the minimum amount of fuel has not been allow through it, the engine won't beginning at all.

At the most bones of levels your Dodge Caravan needs three things to first: Air, fuel, and spark. If any of these things aren't present, the engine won't turn over at all. If there's been naught warning that the fuel filter could be going bad (hesitation, difficulty starting, etc) than a clogged fuel filter might not be the place to first. It could certainly crusade the problem though.

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

Information technology Could As well exist Your Caravan's Fuel Pump

A fuel pump that is going out is going to feel the aforementioned every bit a bad fuel filter. This makes telling if you have a bad fuel pump vs bad fuel filter very challenging.

How do yous tell them apart? A chock-full fuel filter will take high pressure on its input side and depression pressure on its output side. They are both going to cause the same hesitation at high speed and difficulty starting. The merely manner to truly tell is to place a fuel pressure approximate on both sides of the line and get a reading from both.

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

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

Decision: Dodge Caravan Bad Fuel Pump

The symptoms of a bad fuel pump match a lot of other common problems that tin occur in the Dodge Caravan. Testing the filter and pressure on each side of it are going to be the quickest ways to rule it out. If there is anything y'all would like to add, please leave a annotate beneath. Skillful luck!