Re: Fuel filter intervals on Audi 4000

[Edward Armstrong <armstron@crl.com>]

	As the original poster of this question I would like to
thanks all who responsed. I think the intervals I have been using
, 30-50k, are reasonable but of course it does depend on the
quality of gas one is using. I don't think that this is a 
"lifetime" part and out of curiosity I cut open a filter.
So if you are still interested and want to make my 15 min.
with a hacksaw useful, read on....

.......The filter is composed of pleated paper tightly wound up
like toilite paper. The fuel flows between the rolls and small
particles are trapped along the way to the exit. When I first 
inspected the paper element/roll it did not look to bad. It was
just lightly black. At the exit of the filter the filter paper
is glued across the entire exit aperature. Down the center of
the paper roll in a hollow tube upon which the paper is rolled
and no fuel enters here. At the exit the contrast between the
very center where no fuel passed and the surrounding exit area
where all the fuel passed was like white and black. It was very
black but still obvious that fuel would pass through to the
outside. This filter had at least 50K (maybe 60K) miles on it.
I don't know the exact amount becasue my OD has been broken for
some time. My conclusion of this observation is that at 50K
my filter was still useable. Perhaps it could have gone to
75 or 80K miles. But judging but the particulate buildup I
really don't think this a "lifetime" part. Changing it every
30K to to 50K is very conservative, just like changing oil/filter
every 3 to 5K.
Just my opinion
    -ed