A3 fuel Problems,was broke down in Morganfield, Kentucky

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Prayers UP from Texas.

When you removed the old filter was there any brown-ish SLIME in the filter media?? That would be ALGAE in the fuel. Best addressed by adding a product called SEAFOAM to your fuel in the prescribed amounts on the bottle's label. Cheapest price usually found at WalMart, but typically also found in auto parts stores - AutoZone, NAPA, O'Reilly, etc.
Treat current fuel load and each additional fill-up until all lines etc have been thoroughly decontaminated.

 

[RainbowDash]

Right now I'm running an A2 tank on my truck. This one has no screen on the bottom of the pickup tube (I pulled it out to check and can see straight through). I did force some air through the check valve on that elbow too just for good measure

As for the filter, well I just threw it in the new one's box, threw that in the truck and drove all the way to Iowa. I've still got a long ways to go to get to montana so I'll look at the filter at my next stop and see if there is any slime in it.

I also need to find out what's wrong with my headlight while I'm stopped as the bulb works but the socket doesn't

 

[swbradley1]

If the filter is only 5 months old (the original) then it sound like a lot of crud in the tank.

At least you are a long way down the road from the breakdown location.


Good luck and safe journeys.

 

[porkysplace]

If the filter is only 5 months old (the original) then it sound like a lot of crud in the tank.

At least you are a long way down the road from the breakdown location.


Good luck and safe journeys.

Hopefully he bought spare filters .

 

[glcaines]

The check valve on top of the tank gets clogged very easily since there is no filter in the tank. I have had to clean mine out twice now, even though the tank appears clean. The truck will start blowing white smoke and lose power. One caveat. When removing the line and elbow use extreme caution as it is very easy to break the components. They are not robust. Make sure you use two wrenches, one to turn the nut and one to hold the other half. A tooth brush with diesel fuel along with compressed air will clean the check valve completely. The parts are brass, so there is normally no corrosion, just crud plugging it up. I always install a new CAT fuel filter after cleaning the check valve.

As mentioned, the petcock on the fuel filter gets plugged up easily. Every few months, I crack the petcock with the engine running and let it purge the crud by letting fuel squirt out under pressure. If it is too plugged up, I use a piece of welding rod to clean it to the point that the fuel will squirt out. It only takes a few seconds to clean with the engine running.

 

[Jericho]

You Guys are Great! Hope you are there if I break down! Even though I only read the string, it was a success! thank you from New Hampster !

 

[RainbowDash]

Arrived safe in montana! Thank you to everyone who helped

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Gotta ask.... Did you get out and kiss the ground upon arrival?

How are the hemorrhoids?

Carry on.

 

[RainbowDash]

I just collapsed in my bed

Right after drinking the usual chocolate milk of course

 

[tobyS]

Just a suggestion but, change your tranny fluid now that you made the trip. They have a weak seal on the fourth/reverse clutch piston that you don't want to start slipping. Take the pan off and check for a gritty feel in the oil at the bottom to see if the clutch linings are giving up. It's much better to plan tranny maintenance, which seams to be a weak spot on the A3. (Before me) my A3 got hot enough to melt the aluminum piston. Not a pretty sight.