2nd "water in fuel" incident

[rickinAZ]

Yesterday I had my second water in fuel warning (in 500 miles) accompanied by a 5 minute struggle to get it started. Here are the details of the first time (https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/water-in-fuel-experience.84970/#post-1775439).

Coincidence is it was raining (hard) both times - hardly ever happens here. Related in some way? So...I'm about to drain the water via the petcock, but my question is: should I change the filter this time? - it's way early according to the maintenance schedule. I also plan on changing fuel stations (same one both times).

I don't want to change the filter if it's a waste of time.

Please give me some feedback guys.

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[CarbonSteel]

Do these filters not have a drain for water? All of my past diesels did and I would religiously drain them to remove water. I also ran Stanadyne or Howe's in every tank.

 

[TX_Ovrlnd]

Yesterday I had my second water in fuel warning (in 500 miles) accompanied by a 5 minute struggle to get it started. Here are the details of the first time (https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/water-in-fuel-experience.84970/#post-1775439).

Coincidence is it was raining (hard) both times - hardly ever happens here. Related in some way? So...I'm about to drain the water via the petcock, but my question is: should I change the filter this time? - it's way early according to the maintenance schedule. I also plan on changing fuel stations (same one both times).

I don't want to change the filter if it's a waste of time.

Please give me some feedback guys.

I would just change stations and see if it happens again, I would've after the first. Haven't had water in my fuel but have had gelled fuel and it is no fun. Was the station along a highway and have easy access for the larger diesel trucks? They usually take better care of their diesel fuel than the in town pumps (at least my own experience).

 

[rickinAZ]

Do these filters not have a drain for water? All of my past diesels did and I would religiously drain them to remove water. I also ran Stanadyne or Howe's in every tank.

They do have a petcock that I used at 7,000 miles. But...even though I planned to periodically drain the water, I wasn't prepared for a reappearance after just 500 miles. I was going to go on an every 5,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, basis.

First step that I'm going to do is drain any water that's in there now. Second step: find a new filling station.

To me the weird variable is the rain. Outside of monsoon season (June 15th through September 30th) we don't get many other driving rainstorms during the year - mine has tripped the WIF safeguards both times it rained in recent months. That said...never happened during the actual monsoon season. [or after a car wash]

 

[BDinTX]

The filter next to the frame rail is also a fuel/water separator so... you just posted.
It looks like you plan to drain it and change fuel stations, good call. A fuel dryer might not be a bad idea but I have never used one of those so can't make a recommendation.

I've not had that light come on with mine yet but I did have it come on with a previous Ram 2500... after I went through a car wash. On those, water ingress on electrical connector for the water sensor would generate a false alert. It might be worth checking to see if the connector for your sensor seems to be fully seated. Might be hard to get to as I imagine it's at the top of the filter housing.

We started hearing reports of water in fuel at a local filling station after a lot of rain. I figure they either have a leak in the tank or their filling port wasn't closed up.

 

[CarbonSteel]

They do have a petcock that I used at 7,000 miles. But...even though I planned to periodically drain the water, I wasn't prepared for a reappearance after just 500 miles. I was going to go on an every 5,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, basis.

First step that I'm going to do is drain any water that's in there now. Second step: find a new filling station.

To me the weird variable is the rain. Outside of monsoon season (June 15th through September 30th) we don't get many other driving rainstorms during the year - mine has tripped the WIF safeguards both times it rained in recent months. That said...never happened during the actual monsoon season.

Gotcha...yeah, having to drain it again 500 miles later would be strange. I would definitely switch stations and you may want to look at an additive to help fight the water. Nearly all stations have some water, but some are worse than others and diesel fuel by its very nature is highly hygroscopic.

I was a little paranoid with my 2015 PSD because Ford's WIF design would allow an inch of water to form in the primary filter housing before tripping the WIF sensor. Which normally meant that water was already flowing into the fuel system and (of course) water damage in the fuel system was not covered under the warranty.

 

[gsbrockman]

Yesterday I had my second water in fuel warning (in 500 miles) accompanied by a 5 minute struggle to get it started. Here are the details of the first time (https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/water-in-fuel-experience.84970/#post-1775439).

Coincidence is it was raining (hard) both times - hardly ever happens here. Related in some way? So...I'm about to drain the water via the petcock, but my question is: should I change the filter this time? - it's way early according to the maintenance schedule. I also plan on changing fuel stations (same one both times).

I don't want to change the filter if it's a waste of time.

Please give me some feedback guys.

Different vehicle, but I’ve owned a 2013 RAM 3500, 2014 RAM 3500, and my current 2018 RAM 4500, all with dual fuel filters.

I‘m gong to venture to say, based on your issues generally appearing during hard rains, that you have some frayed wiring near the sensor itself. I had an exact issue like yours, and the repeated transfer of the WIF sensor from the old rear separator to the new rear separator during routine maintenance caused the wires to be compromised right at the sensor.

The newest version of the RAM’s sensor is much more robust in as far as where the wires are attached to the sensor.

Sure....yours may not have been disturbed much due to fuel filter changes, but it could have been defective from the onset, progressively getting worse.

I’m not especially electrically savvy.... it I am sure there’s probably a way to check resistance with a VOM and determine if it’s bad or not.

 

[BUSHRVN]

Different vehicle, but I’ve owned a 2013 RAM 3500, 2014 RAM 3500, and my current 2018 RAM 4500, all with dual fuel filters.

I‘m gong to venture to say, based on your issues generally appearing during hard rains, that you have some frayed wiring near the sensor itself. I had an exact issue like yours, and the repeated transfer of the WIF sensor from the old rear separator to the new rear separator during routine maintenance caused the wires to be compromised right at the sensor.

The newest version of the RAM’s sensor is much more robust in as far as where the wires are attached to the sensor.

Sure....yours may not have been disturbed much due to fuel filter changes, but it could have been defective from the onset, progressively getting worse.

I’m not especially electrically savvy.... it I am sure there’s probably a way to check resistance with a VOM and determine if it’s bad or not.

You beat me to it. I had this exact issue on previous pick-ups in the past. I'd wash the motor area and then have "water in fuel". it always was a bad/bare wire causing it.
I'd bet that this is what's happening to the OP somewhere in his wiring.

 

[2rolndice]

Change fuel stations , shell has been the best rated diesel out there , never an issue with any of the diesels I’ve owned.

 

[garykk]

You beat me to it. I had this exact issue on previous pick-ups in the past. I'd wash the motor area and then have "water in fuel". it always was a bad/bare wire causing it.
I'd bet that this is what's happening to the OP somewhere in his wiring.

a very common problem.

 

[JINO]

This happened to me today.
Jeep wouldn't turn on at the gas station after a fill up. Few minutes later it turns on and I drive home. Brake pedal was very stiff.

When I got home, I checked the tazer and briefly said 'water in fuel'.

No rain today, it's dry today.
What gives? How to prevent? Will it happen again?

 

[rickinAZ]

This happened to me today.
Jeep wouldn't turn on at the gas station after a fill up. Few minutes later it turns on and I drive home. Brake pedal was very stiff.

When I got home, I checked the tazer and briefly said 'water in fuel'.

No rain today, it's dry today.
What gives? How to prevent? Will it happen again?

OP here. I haven't had a problem since I started to fill up at high-volume top-tier stations only. One of our valley Costcos has diesel, and there is ALWAYS a line at that station. Ironically, that makes it the place to go.

 

[Grayhound]

I’ve removed my fuel discriminator and have a discount card through open roads. So I only use high volume truck stops for fuel and def and have had good results for 32k miles!

 

[theory2]

Never fill up if theyre delivering fuel it stirs up everything in the in ground tanks.

 

[JINO]

OP here. I haven't had a problem since I started to fill up at high-volume top-tier stations only. One of our valley Costcos has diesel, and there is ALWAYS a line at that station. Ironically, that makes it the place to go.

How did you fix the issue though?
Did you just continue driving around? Drain the fuel tank? Replace filter?

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