Gold filings in the fuel filter housing...

[Poodle]

So, i opened up the filter housing yesterday and found this:

[attachment=22118]

Oh dear, i hear you all cry, my lift pump is knackered... Or is it? I've been thinking about this for a while, i've seen these filings in the filter housing of pretty much every HDi i've dealt with, yet only one or two actually had dead lift pumps. However, i was never sure how to find proof that would give us a definitive answer as to whether or not these little bits of gold stuff actually meant anything. At least not until now, because the filter housing pictured above is on a siemens managed DW10bted4, which doesn't have a lift pump pre-filter...

There you go, another piece of internet wisdom blown out of the water. I can't tell you where the gold filings have come from and what they mean, but i can tell you they don't mean you need to shell out for a new lift pump.

That's my myth-buster bit for the day, peace out.

[Piggy]

Hmmm that is interesting.

Maybe its just in the fuel!?

[Jonny81191]

I'm gonna pull the filter on my XUD, just to see.. I'm convinced it's just HDi's that I've seen this on, if it was floating about in pump fuel it'll be in everything surely?

[Piggy]

Yeah. I'm just wildly guessing, I don't recall seeing these flecks in any other fuel filter housings.

[Frosty]

I've only ever come across these gold filings in hdi fuel filter housing

[pro_steve]

You should do a proper investigation, get the bits out and do some spectrometry with an SEM, see what it is. Any engineering students on here? haha

[Jonny81191]

OK, I've discovered another potential cause for this on a US diesel forum.. They're suggesting that the FPR is to blame. Basically the spring fails, causing the check valve to flutter. Might be worth a look, I'll see if I can find anything else.

[Poodle]

That could be it, we know the fpr is certainly a common issue.

[Piggy]

Yeah doesnt it return back to the filter housing? Would make sense

[Poodle]

No, it returns to the tank. I can only assume the bits then end up in the filter housing after being drawn up by the lift pump again.

[lolsteve]

BOOM. Nicley done Poodle on helping to find the true causes

Personally I think it's the HDi's trying to reward their owners for having to put up with them "sorry im not a petrol, here is some gold"

[pikeymikey]

If you do find the swarf in the filter housing it's definitely worth taking out the low pressure pump in tank (bosch system obviously!) I've found them in both so a clean out is necessary

[Connor]

I've always ignored it tbh, mine has had it when I've changed the filter and in the 40k miles ive owned it, the lift pump has never let me down (now, the wiring and relay on the other hand... )