Archived water in fuel light-changed filter, refilled diesel housing with fuel, reset code-it

[raxley]

Hi,

I started my truck last night (it's been raining here for over a week) and started driving down the block and noticed in about 10 seconds a red light on my dash. It was a icon that showed water in fuel. I turned around and drove back (total less than a minute driving) and drained the stock filter, and replaced it. I used my Smarty to reset the trouble code, and when I turned the key back on, the light popped up again. I put a clear glass under the drain tube and filled it twice or 3 times with fuel from the electric pump filling the filter housing. The first two times I emptied the filter housing I didn't look at the fuel, but the last 2-3 times when I looked at the fuel with a good light in all directions-there is no water. Would water float or stay at the bottom? Either way there was no water in last 2-3 times I emptied the filter casing.

I've good good filtration with a fuel boss and the Glacier set up with air and water seperation and other filter, but when it drops below a 1/4 tank, it shifts to the stock filtration. I just haven't had the truck's fuel tank filled much lately, so it's been mostly running on the stock fuel pickup in tank with stock electric pump ,which is the closest to bottom of tank.

Should I ignore the water in fuel light? Or keep dumping fuel from the housing? I've changed the filter (which had no visible effects from water, although I don't know what the effects would look like) and dumped the filter housing at least 5 times.

I would like to get a paper towel and wipe the inside of fuel filter housing, but I'm afraid of getting a speck of paper in the already filtered portion of fuel, it would go directly to cp3 and injectors.

 

[04blackcherry]

I think there is a regular interval to clean the WIF sensor. I believe water is at the bottom, the fuel floats.

 

[retirednak]

My '03 did the same thing last spring. I ended up draining all the fuel from the filter housing and sprayed the housing down with carb cleaner douching it real well and used lint free rags and wiped it down. My water in fuel light reset itself. I usually do this every spring now.

 

[raxley]

My truck started missing on the freeway, then it went away for a little while. When I started it a while ago, it ran ok, then rapidly started going from 'good' to barely running in about 5 miles. It's in my driveway now, and it was almost sounding like a train, 'chug, chug, chug'. My water in fuel light is out now, although the check engine light is still on. I think that water is somehow getting in my tank. It was raining so bad on the freeway today that you couldn't drive faster than about 30-35 mph, and that is where it started (it's been raining really heavily the last week-and the light came on last night before I got some fuel today)eitherr that or I got a bad load of fuel (doubtful). I dunno what you do if you get a bad load of fuel, I've got receipts but do I complain and expect them to pay for it?

I don't have enough money to fix it, I just got a job, which requires me, my truck and my tools at the job.

What is anybody's advice? Pull the tank? I haven't checked the filter housing tonight, but I've drained it twice since the freeway, although I couldn't put the fuel into a container where I could look at it. Guess I'll do that now.

I guess the miss isn't going to go away, even if I find water in the tank and put fresh fuel in. Why does water damage injectors so badly, does it turn to steam (I heard) or is it compressability (also heard)

Even if I can fix it, I don't know how water is getting in. The only guess I had was that the little door for the fuel is getting full of water, but the seam where the door starts is lower than the opening for the tank, so water would flow out there before filling up enough to go past my fuel cap.

 

[raxley]

How likely is it that my injectors are ruined? I only drove it for maybe 5-8 miles once it started missing, but it was barely running when I parked it.

Any advice appreciated (other than telling me to sell the truck)

 

[retirednak]

On top of our fuel tanks are two rubber caps covering vents (I think that's what they are) I've heard of them working loose or falling off letting water in the tank. If that's whats letting water in,you'll have to drop your tank to fix it. You may want to trace your fuel lines from the tank to the engine and look for a cracked or bad fuel line. Others may chime in and offer more advice then I can offer. I'm the last one to offer any advice on injectors. If you have a tank of bad fuel,you'll need to drain the tank and start with fresh fuel. I ran into bad fuel a couple yrs back in a D8 dozer, it was a pain draining the tank,took us a better part of the day to finally get going again.

 

[raxley]

Retirednak,

I have been thinking that it's water in my fuel, because the water in fuel light came on, and it started missing right after a REALLY rainy period which I drove through. A mechanic friend came out today to look at it, when we first tried to start it there was a lot of white smoke, and it wouldn't start. He looked at what the codes showed, and there were about 5-6 codes, mostly having to do with rail pressure. He then showed me where my rail pressure gauge was pegged to the right. It wouldn't start, but the rail pressure just slammed to the limit. I have a Van Aiken 'smartbox' the electronics that they came out with right before going out of business. Anyway, it is hanging down, it's always been that way but it would be really easy to splash it, and the freeways probably had a inch of water on them yesterday for about 15 minutes when it rained as hard as I've seen. It might be that thing. I'm going to take it off tomorrow and see what happens.

I remember those rubber things on top of the tank. I'll try to avoid taking the tank out for right now until I eliminate the Van Aiken box as maybe the problem (or one of them)

 

[Missouri Mule]

RAxley, After a mechaniic put on a FleetGurard fuel filter on My Mule the water sensor light stayed on. He drained the fuel and told me there were no bubbles in it so there was no water in the fuel. ( For whatt ever reason the spring inside of the filter had moved or was disformed and was touching the probes of the water sensor. I have put 3 to 4 of these filters on and never had a problem. Matter of fact I just changed one out and no problem. This is not your problem. ) Any way look for bubbles in the fuel.



I forget the reason why water does injectors in but it does.



See if you can get codes.



When you were on the highway did you have 1/4 tank then or the full tank?

Does it have full tank now?

Which filter/water seperator was setting off the light?

Are you running on the Glacier air/water seperator now?

 

[Sticks]

Water through the injectors can seize them, or severely damage them.

WIF light and verified no water in the filter could be water in the sensor connector. I've run into that more times than I can remember. It became standard procedure for me to pull and compressed air/dry out all the sensor connections that were easy access whenever I washed a customers engine compartment after I completed repairs.

 

[EDankievitch]

I've benn dealing with this all winter. I keep getting water into the plug connectors for the water in fuel sesor. Thought these plugs were watertight??? al the seals arein place but the water finds its way in...

 

[Sticks]

Get some dielectric grease and literally fill the female housing and jam some in the spade connectors on the male side.

The other question is... are you sure it's water? Might be fuel, in which case it's time to replace the sensor.

The 1st gen trucks had an issue with the fuel heaters and IIRC WIF sensors leaking fuel into the harness connection causing hard starting issues among others.

 

[JApol]

The WIF sensor is on the front of the filter canister. Trash that does not go through the finter can fall into the WIF sensor area and never let the water touch it. Letting water into the injection pump and injectors, ruining the injection system.

The trash can also trap water in the area giving a constant WIF light. From a poor design when you open the filter drain it does not flush past the WIF sensor cleaning out that part. You might have to really get close to the area so you can see that area and clean it out. I have cleaned out that area before and it was a real pain.

 

[MLee]

You guys that have the 3rd & 4th gen trucks, do you have the rubber tube extension on the breather on your fuel tank? This is probably where your water is coming from, with all this rain and wet weather, is through this breather . Because of its location The low spot on the top of your tank, water can and does get into your fuel tank. Do a search on this and check out what some owners have done to prevent the water problem.