water in fuel light goes on and off
The water in fuel light came on during some heavy rain on Saturday morning. That afternoon I took the truck in to the dealer for it's regular service, and asked them to drain the water/fuel separator while they were at it. They actually replaced both fuel filters in addition to draining the separator, but since then the light has come on (typically after 20+ minutes of driving) and will stay on for 10-15 minutes and then go off again. Any thoughts why it would do that? Surely the water/fuel separator wouldn't have filled up again after only two days!
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Originally Posted by davbeisner
(Post 12065509)
The water in fuel light came on during some heavy rain on Saturday morning. That afternoon I took the truck in to the dealer for it's regular service, and asked them to drain the water/fuel separator while they were at it. They actually replaced both fuel filters in addition to draining the separator, but since then the light has come on (typically after 20+ minutes of driving) and will stay on for 10-15 minutes and then go off again. Any thoughts why it would do that? Surely the water/fuel separator wouldn't have filled up again after only two days!
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You may have to replace cover.
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Only had the truck for four days, so don't have a "usual" place yet. Before I left the dealer, they topped it off (started with half tank) with biodiesel from the station right next to their lot. Since then I've put in another $50 in biodiesel from Wal-Mart's Murphy USA station (I'd prefer not to use biodiesel when possible, but right now finances are such that it's all I can afford... and I've seen enough other truck owners filling up at that station to know that they go through quite a lot of it).
Could biodiesel be causing the light to go on? I know that engine and sensor were designed before biodiesel existed... |
Originally Posted by Whitey Ford
(Post 12065703)
You may have to replace cover.
Originally Posted by davbeisner
(Post 12067693)
Only had the truck for four days, so don't have a "usual" place yet. Before I left the dealer, they topped it off (started with half tank) with biodiesel from the station right next to their lot.
Plan on draining about a pint to two pints out of the water separator. You'll want to look at what comes out after a couple of minutes. If it looks like Italian dressing, or doesn't smell like diesel you've got bad fuel.
Originally Posted by davbeisner
(Post 12067693)
Since then I've put in another $50 in biodiesel from Wal-Mart's Murphy USA station (I'd prefer not to use biodiesel when possible, but right now finances are such that it's all I can afford... and I've seen enough other truck owners filling up at that station to know that they go through quite a lot of it).
Originally Posted by davbeisner
(Post 12067693)
Could biodiesel be causing the light to go on? I know that engine and sensor were designed before biodiesel existed...
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Does your cover have the heater in it?
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Fantastic info, thanks!
By cover with a heater, what are you referring to? The fuel cap? It looks like an after market cap and definitely doesn't have a heater... Is there a cover for the hcfm sensor that would have a heater in it? I haven't inspected it closely, so I would have to check. The station where I have bought so far has a 40,000 diesel tank and it gets refilled frequently. (in comparison, that's double what most local stations have for their 87 octane gas... So quite a lot of volume... Being on the fire department has its pluses sometimes!) |
The old HFCM covers had a heater in them that created wonderful chemistry projects inside the HFCM. The upgraded covers delete the heater. Drain some fuel out of the drain and check it out. It is also very easy to remove the cover and inspect inside. The fuel lines disconnect with the cheap plastic tools you can get from NAPA for under $5.00. Let us know what you find out.
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Originally Posted by davbeisner
(Post 12070249)
By cover with a heater, what are you referring to? The fuel cap? It looks like an after market cap and definitely doesn't have a heater... Is there a cover for the hcfm sensor that would have a heater in it? I haven't inspected it closely, so I would have to check.
Originally Posted by davbeisner
(Post 12070249)
The station where I have bought so far has a 40,000 diesel tank and it gets refilled frequently. (in comparison, that's double what most local stations have for their 87 octane gas... So quite a lot of volume... Being on the fire department has its pluses sometimes!)
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Ah, okay... that explains the hanging electrical cord there then... I must have one of the later ones without the heater, cause when I was looking at it, I noticed a cable bundle that looks just like the one in your pic that was just hanging loose... So no, there's no heater in it. Would it be wise for me to find one with a heater since I'm moving to 7500 feet elevation in the Rockies and can get 30 feet of snow in a winter?
And do I need to open the whole thing up to drain the water, or can I just pull the hex plug and let it drip into a pan? |
Just pull the plug and let her run out.... a little messy if you don't have the plug upgrade from Ford. It honestly takes 5 minutes... if you do not have the upgraded HFCM drain plug, this would be a great time to put it in for next time!
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Upgraded plug? Good to know about... I don't think I do (it's just a plug that I have to use a hex wrench to pull out, and I imagine putting it back in will suck). Is the upgraded thing something with a cock valve on it or something? I'll have to go by my dealer and see if they have it...
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This fella right here......
Diesel Part # SB6E7Z9C082A - HFCM Water Separator Drain Plug Upgrade - Diesel Performance Parts You can get it right from your local Ford dealer as well and it's not expensive. They are easier to take out than the little plug and it won't drip diesel and water all over the place when you drain the HFCM. |
Here are the part numbers that should work at your dealer (sometimes the guy behind the counter isn't too bright and having the part number will speed things up for you).
Use the Int'l number at Int'l and the Ford number at Ford - see below. Ford part number: 6E7Z-9C082-A International part number: 2589259C91 List price is around $16.00 |
Awesome, thanks!
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