Comment: D-Max fuel filters, Enginesafe EMS 550 and Sensatyre pressure monitors.

Thanks for your comment Ross, here is the other side of the point of view from Dieselcare taken from some email correspondence I had with them regarding where to put any additional filter and water separator in my car.

"We hear this kind of claim from dealerships a bit, there seems to be a misconception that the secondary filter will cause fuel restriction. The fact is it doesn’t. There also seems to be a misconception that a fuel restriction will destroy or compromise the CR pump. Once again; it doesn’t. Let me explain but first let me set our credentials:



Diesel Care is a diesel injection repairer with more than 60 years in the industry. We hold service dealerships for all the manufacturers of diesel injection systems including Bosch, Denso, Delphi, & Stanadyne. We are a Denso Premium Common Rail Dealer, & also hold Bosch Common Rail Partner status. This means we are endorsed by these manufacturers on their systems. We do a lot with common rail, including repair of high pressure CR pumps & injectors. Personally I am a qualified Diesel Technician with 35 years experience in this field.



The fuel system on your new D-Max is made by Denso. The High Pressure Pump supplies fuel at extremely high pressure to the Common Rail which acts as an accumulator to feed all 4 injectors. The fuel pressure in the Rail is controlled by the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) by means of a SCV (Suction Control Valve) mounted on the Pump. The SCV is essentially a solenoid valve which limits fuel supply to the pump, i.e. it chokes off the supply to lessen the fuel pumped, & opens the supply to increase the fuel pumped, therefore allowing precise pressure control. Think of it as a drinking straw that constantly changes in size to limit how much you drink. So, the SCV limits flow to the pump by providing a restriction. Now, with this in mind why would Denso use this method of controlling how much fuel the pump delivers if it damaged the pump? Answer; because it does not damage the pump, plain & simple.



I have never seen a High Pressure CR Pump fail from fuel restriction due to a blocked fuel filter. Normally a surge or loss of power is the first symptom. On the other hand I have seen many pumps fail from fuel contamination, mostly its water, but also poor quality fuel, & fairly commonly from petrol because the owner inadvertently filled up from the wrong pump. Without doubt; the biggest enemy of modern day diesel injection systems in Australia is fuel contamination, & make no mistake, it finds its way through the filter.



We sell plenty of Fuel Manager kits to Dealerships for many vehicle brands. This is because these dealerships are sick & tired of the argument that ensues when a vehicle has suffered expensive fuel system damage due to fuel contamination while the vehicle is under warranty. The owner will argue that the factory filter should have done its job & removed all impurities, the dealer (for the manufacturer) will argue that they have no control over fuel quality & contamination is not covered under warranty. Result: bad vibes all around, & usually a depleted bank account for the owner. So as a result an extra filter acting as another line of defence against poor fuel is a popular preventative for everyone concerned. Many dealerships choose to install the Fuel Manager system as a Pre filter, i.e. before the factory filter using 30 micron filtration, mainly due to the misconception that your dealer voiced to you about secondary (2 micron) filtration, but if they really understood how the system works they might think again. I will say though that some of our dealership customers have recently seen the light & are now installing the Fuel Manager as a secondary. Why? Because the penny has finally dropped that finer secondary filtration is ultimately better overall.



We offer our kits as both Pre (30 micron) & Secondary (2 or 5 micron) because we accept that people want to make the choice themselves. Both systems will provide better protection than a factory system alone, but for my money the secondary system is superior. The factory filter warning systems for water & restriction still function normally. If what the Jackson Motor Company have advised you was correct, there would be hundreds & hundreds of failed CR pumps all over the country following fitment of our secondary kit, but there are not. If they believe that the factory filter is effective in removing all impurities from commercially available diesel fuel, then they should have no problem covering your vehicle under warranty if you are unlucky enough to get a tank full of bad fuel (I’d suggest you get that assurance in writing though). If they won’t cover you in the instance of fuel contamination, & nor will they allow you to better protect yourself against it, there is hardly an argument is there?



I hope this information has helped.



Best regards, Andrew Bourne.'

Personally not being an expert on CRDI and apart from Dieselcares' point of view, I would have thought that if the fuel system is starving for fuel, would the engine lose power or keep cutting out, before destroying the pump, thus indicating a problem?
Cheers, Kanga.