What You Need to Know About Fuel Water Separators for Heavy Equipment

No matter how good the diesel oil is, there will always be moisture. The difference is that there are more moisture and impurities in low-quality diesel oil. Therefore, many brands of heavy equipment are equipped with fuel water separators to filter water and impurities. Its purpose is also very clear, to prevent too much water in the diesel oil from aggravating the wear of the fuel injectors, so as to achieve stable engine operation and increase service life. Today we will take a look at the maintenance and use misunderstandings about the fuel water separator.

 

01 Principle and Structure of Fuel Water Separator

First of all, we want to talk about the principle of the fuel water separator. Simply put, it is to separate water from oil, or to separate oil from water; fuel water separator is mainly used in petrochemical, fuel locomotive, sewage treatment, etc. The working principle is mainly based on the density difference between water and fuel oil, and uses the principle of gravity sedimentation to remove impurities and water. In addition, there are separation elements such as diffusion cones and filter screens inside to enhance the effect of fuel water separation.

 

02 Fuel Water Separator Alarm

If the water volume of the fuel water separator exceeds a certain value, the sensor will send out an alarm; the alarm codes of different brands of heavy equipment are different (there are also many machines with flashing icons). Check the method for this situation:

(1)First check whether there is too much moisture at the bottom of the fuel water separator, whether there is moisture in the diesel tank and the inner wall of the fuel tank (especially in areas with large temperature differences), if there is, the engine should be drained in time.

 

(2) If no moisture is found in the diesel oil or the inner wall of the fuel tank, then everyone should focus on checking whether the sensor and the wiring head are loose or damaged, because the sensor itself will also give an alarm if it is damaged.

 

(3) If the above two reasons are not the same, and the fault alarm of replacing the new sensor still exists, then we have to start checking from the computer board!

 

(4)The owner of the engine can make an auxiliary judgment based on the quality of the daily diesel fuel. If the quality of the fuel that is usually filled is poor, and private oil has no quality assurance, etc., it will cause abnormalities in the engine in the long run.

 

03 Possible Malfunction

 

Faults such as unstable or weak acceleration and black smoke emission of the engine

The high-pressure fuel injectors in the high-pressure common rail system need to precisely control the fuel injection pressure, fuel injection time and fuel injection quantity. If there is a problem with the fuel water separator, the water and impurities in the diesel will cause wear and tear on the plunger coupling in the injector until the injector is stuck.

Damage to the fuel injector will cause unstable or weak acceleration of the engine, or black smoke emissions, etc. In severe cases, it will directly damage the engine. Because the workmanship of the fuel injector is relatively fine, its price is also relatively high. Based on the above reasons, when there is a problem with the fuel water separator, it must be replaced in time.

 

 

Carbon Deposition

 

If the fuel water separator is damaged, the water and impurities in the diesel oil will pass through the filter device, and then deposit in the intake valve, intake passage, and cylinder, forming hard carbon deposits over time, which will affect the operation of the engine, and in severe cases will cause engine damage.

Damage to the fuel water separator will cause carbon deposits on the valves, and carbon deposits on the valves will lead to abnormal phenomena such as difficulty in starting the engine, unstable idle speed, poor acceleration, sudden refueling and tempering, excessive exhaust gas, and increased fuel consumption. In severe cases, it will cause engine damage.

 

 

White Smoke from the Engine

 

Damage to the fuel water separator will cause the engine to emit white smoke, because the moisture in the fuel will turn into water vapor when it is burned, and white smoke will appear.

The water vapor in the white smoke will damage the high-pressure fuel injector, resulting in insufficient engine power, causing sudden stop, and in serious cases, it will be directly damaged.

 

04 Correct Maintenance Method

Release Water

 

I believe that many friends are no strangers to draining water from the fuel water separator, just unscrew the drain valve under the fuel water separator, and then drain the water. The fuel water separator with an automatic drainage function is simpler. As long as the alarm signal is received, the water release button in the cab can be pressed to release water. After the water is discharged, the water discharge valve will be automatically closed to ensure that the water in the fuel water separator is discharged in time. But releasing water is not as simple as we imagined. In fact, there are many things that need to be paid attention to when releasing water. Let's talk about the points that should be paid attention to when draining water from the fuel water separator.

1. Drain the water in time. During daily routine maintenance, you should check the fuel water separator. If there is too much water in it or exceeds the warning line, we must release the water in time.

 

2. Draining water is regular. After the fuel is completely consumed, the water in the fuel water separator needs to be released in time. Secondly, after replacing the fuel filter, the water in the fuel water separator should also be released in time.

 

3. Don’t forget to fill the oil after draining the water. After draining the water in the fuel water separator, you must remember to perform the oil filling operation of the fuel pump until the fuel pump is filled.

 

Pay Attention to the Insulation of the Fuel Water Separator in Cold Weather

 

1. Add a thick cotton coat to the fuel water separator. In the northern region, in order to prevent the fuel water separator from being damaged by freezing, some users will heat-insulate the fuel water separator, that is, wrap it with a layer of heat-insulating material.

 

2. Choose a fuel water separator with an electric heating function. This can not only prevent the fuel water separator from freezing, but also prevent the diesel oil from waxing and so on.

 

Summary: As a component of the engine, the fuel water separator plays a role in improving the quality of diesel oil. Once there is a problem with the fuel water separator, it will lead to a series of failures such as abnormal smoke, carbon deposits in the valve, and reduced engine power. Seriously, it may cause engine damage. Therefore, the usual maintenance of the fuel water separator is still very important.

 

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