Fuel Filters

Does the ram have 2 pressure sensors for clogging detection? Or does it go off of gallons, miles, and months? I am guessing the 2nd..

I had barely read this thread yesterday morning when a customer called with the same issue. Remember the OP's question?
My customer had just replaced both of his filters, gone to GA and back from MD and his filters were down to 20% already.. He's not happy, but concedes that he could have gotten some bad fuel along the way. I'm thinking Ram has an issue with the software that governs the measuring of life left.

Have you looked at RockAuto.com? I find that they buy in such bulk that nobody will compete with them on price. And they often carry the really good brands.

I've found that O'Reilly's carrying premium filter brands--in the back room on the shelf. They also carry the "gold" antifreeze that's so difficult to buy for my diesel pickup. Advance also has a separate department in the back selling to professional mechanics--some better brands.

john&bet wrote:
Well I am not a 6.7, but a 5.9. I then have to wonder why I have not had an injector,CP-3 pump failure in the 10+ years and 172k miles with buying fuel in over 25 different states in that time. Oh and yes I still have the OEM lift pump running just fine as of 4:15pm est today. Also our school bus mechanic buys NAPA filters for our '08 6.7 power buses. No failures.

Wonder all you want, it's luck and clean fuel. Nearly all the fuel today is clean and dry, find a tank that isn't and you wont be singing praises about crappy filters then.

I run 2 f/w sep's that exceed the min f/w separation specs from Bosch and Dodge.. yet I never find water. That's a testament to today's fuels.

On the same token OEM filters keep getting tighter and tigher, so why run a filter that's doesn't meet the spec from 10 years ago?

FWIW, your truck runs more pressure on average than the new trucks just not as much peak pressure.

AH64ID wrote:
For anything 6.7 stick with Fleetguard, period. Nothing else is good enough.

bobsallyh wrote:
NAPA Gold or Baldwin.

NAPA Gold should be called NAPA JUNK!! Wix, who makes NAPA filters, filters rarely meet, let alone exceed, the filter they cross reference too. The Baldwin's are generally good, but I am not sure Baldwin has the media to meet, or exceed, the tighter filtering on recent model year pickups.

john&bet wrote:

ScottG wrote:
Don't buy cheap Napa, Orielly's, etc filters. Make sure they are either Fleetguard or Mopar (which are rebadged FG).

Whole heartily disagree. But then mine is 11 model years old and running just fine.

For your truck the NAPA, aka WIX, filter doesn't meet the min spec for Dodge which is looser than the min spec from Bosch. Wix publishes their filtration rated at 8um, when Dodge wants 7um and Bosch wants 5um. Wix will also not disclose their fuel/water separation rates. When they are asked why they don't make a filter that meets the spec their answer, on multiple occasions, is "we are close enough". On a fuel system that has tolerances as tight as 7um in places "close enough" is CRAP!!

Fleetguard and Baldwin are the only ones, AFIK, that make a filter that's meets or exceeds the Dodge spec. Baldwin/Hastings is the only filter I know of that exceeds it for your 3rd gen 5.9 at 5um.

Well I am not a 6.7, but a 5.9. I then have to wonder why I have not had an injector,CP-3 pump failure in the 10+ years and 172k miles with buying fuel in over 25 different states in that time. Oh and yes I still have the OEM lift pump running just fine as of 4:15pm est today. Also our school bus mechanic buys NAPA filters for our '08 6.7 power buses. No failures.

For anything 6.7 stick with Fleetguard, period. Nothing else is good enough.

bobsallyh wrote:
NAPA Gold or Baldwin.

NAPA Gold should be called NAPA JUNK!! Wix, who makes NAPA filters, filters rarely meet, let alone exceed, the filter they cross reference too. The Baldwin's are generally good, but I am not sure Baldwin has the media to meet, or exceed, the tighter filtering on recent model year pickups.

john&bet wrote:

ScottG wrote:
Don't buy cheap Napa, Orielly's, etc filters. Make sure they are either Fleetguard or Mopar (which are rebadged FG).

Whole heartily disagree. But then mine is 11 model years old and running just fine.

For your truck the NAPA, aka WIX, filter doesn't meet the min spec for Dodge which is looser than the min spec from Bosch. Wix publishes their filtration rated at 8um, when Dodge wants 7um and Bosch wants 5um. Wix will also not disclose their fuel/water separation rates. When they are asked why they don't make a filter that meets the spec their answer, on multiple occasions, is "we are close enough". On a fuel system that has tolerances as tight as 7um in places "close enough" is CRAP!!

Fleetguard and Baldwin are the only ones, AFIK, that make a filter that's meets or exceeds the Dodge spec. Baldwin/Hastings is the only filter I know of that exceeds it for your 3rd gen 5.9 at 5um.

ScottG wrote:
Yes, things have gotten arguably better though.
For years Bosch has been telling GM and Dodge/Ram that thier FI system needs 2~3 micron fuel filtering but the manufacturers have ignored them. This results in excess wear to injectors and shorter life. The newer filtering gets down to that micron level and has better water separation.
Still, it's a hard pill to swallow going from my $12 filter (though I do have 3u secondary filtering) to $120 FF's.

Dodge updated my 2007.5 to a newer style canister and filter in 2009. The old Cummins filter was spec'd at 7 microns. The newer style is spec'd at 5 microns. Not great but better than the original. The newer Mopar/Fleetguard filter costs around $50. I currently have 80,000 miles on mine. Maybe time to add a better filter I suppose.

Forgot to mention the engine oil filter which I have been buying for several years from Walmart... which is the oem Mopar filter in the same box (gray colored filter) and part number as the dealer sells for considerably less.

A few years back one Walmart had the oem Mopar 5.9 oil filters reduced to $ 5.00 each !!! I bought all 7 filters for $ 35.00 bucks.

2006 Dodge 3500 DRW 4x4 LB QC CTD
2007 Mountaineer 336RLT XPS Ribs
2000 Lance 1130
2 Camping Collies (always ready to go)

This has been discussed in detail on the Dodge Cummins Forum. Do not buy the Napa for the 6.7L Cummins, they do not meet the standards set by Ram/Cummins. Buy the Mopar or Fleetguard from Genos or TruckHelp, they seem to have the best prices. You have an expensive truck, why maintain it with cheap fuel filters?

ScottG wrote:
Don't buy cheap Napa, Orielly's, etc filters. Make sure they are either Fleetguard or Mopar (which are rebadged FG).

Whole heartily disagree. But then mine is 11 model years old and running just fine.