Water in Fuel

Your friends 08 Ford has a totally different fuel system made by a totally different manufacture than your Cummins.

I know of no way to check it other than putting a little water in the filter housing and see if it trips the sensor.

I also would not worry about this too much with the fuel system you have. The CP3 pump is a pretty robust fuel system. The Ford system; not so much.

Most modern diesels have a water separator in the fuel line. I think Ford recommends it be drained monthly, not sure about Dodge.

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Your friends 08 Ford has a totally different fuel system made by a totally different manufacture than your Cummins.

I know of no way to check it other than putting a little water in the filter housing and see if it trips the sensor.

I also would not worry about this too much with the fuel system you have. The CP3 pump is a pretty robust fuel system. The Ford system; not so much.

What T&P said. It's pretty much a non issue for you.

I was at a local shop that works almost strictly of Ford Power Stroke engines. They showed me various cut open fuel filters for the Ford Diesels. Only the Ford filter had a waterproof membrane in it to stop the water. All the rest of them appeared to have adequate filter media, but none of them had Ford's water membrane.

I often use aftermarket items because I think a lot of them are better than the OEM trying to pinch a few pennies - in this case, I'm staying with the Ford fuel filters.

Bill

freddmc wrote:
A friend recently had a situation where water in fuel destroyed his injector pump in his 2008 Ford F350. He said there was no warning that he had water in the fuel.
How can one check to make sure this warning system actually works? I have a 2005 Ram cummins.

Thanks

Did your friend use Motorcraft/Parkers fuel filters? All the aftermarket fuel filters I've seen do not have the aquablock membrane and will allow water to pass thru the filter.

Greene728 wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Your friends 08 Ford has a totally different fuel system made by a totally different manufacture than your Cummins.

I know of no way to check it other than putting a little water in the filter housing and see if it trips the sensor.

I also would not worry about this too much with the fuel system you have. The CP3 pump is a pretty robust fuel system. The Ford system; not so much.

What T&P said. It's pretty much a non issue for you.

The 05 Dodges have a single fuel filter and have been the source of injector failures which can lead to engine failure.

Kafn8td wrote:
Most modern diesels have a water separator in the fuel line. I think Ford recommends it be drained monthly, not sure about Dodge.

A lot of people check that filter by draining a little every time they fill up. The filter is under the truck, right underneath the driver's seat so you can check it without crawling under the vehicle.

Also that filter needs to be changed every second oil change.

agesilaus wrote:

Kafn8td wrote:
Most modern diesels have a water separator in the fuel line. I think Ford recommends it be drained monthly, not sure about Dodge.

A lot of people check that filter by draining a little every time they fill up. The filter is under the truck, right underneath the driver's seat so you can check it without crawling under the vehicle.

Also that filter needs to be changed every second oil change.

On my illustrious 2005 Ford diesel anyways, it's a PITA to drain any water out of the fuel filter. You definitely have to get under the truck because they tucked the fuel filter up horizontally into the frame rail to protect it from being hit by anything - a good idea, but still a pain. Then it takes a metric allen wrench to crack open the drain, just what everyone has around.

On the other hand, on my DP, there's a clear bowl on the bottom of the water separator filter and an easy finger drain.

Bill

When I first got truck in Nov 06 I checked fuel filter for water every fill up (weekly) for about 2 months. By first of 07 I quit checking and haven't since then.
For first 7 yrs we traveled FT using back roads and filling up at various mom/pop type stations.

Only thing I am anal about is oil changes/filter changes......every 5000 miles
Sure I could go 7500 PLUS between changes but I don't

freddmc wrote:
A friend recently had a situation where water in fuel destroyed his injector pump in his 2008 Ford F350. He said there was no warning that he had water in the fuel.
How can one check to make sure this warning system actually works? I have a 2005 Ram cummins.

Thanks

Your friend is the victim of a poor design.

I've driven Cummins engines several hundred thousand miles and have seen the water in fuel warning a few times. Never lost a pump or an injector.

Drain a bit of fuel from the bottom of your filter into a clear container. Water in diesel fuel is easy to see.

Change your fuel filter per the manual. I change mine if the water light comes on or at 15K or less miles.