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Drain water from fuel filter?

13K views 21 replies 10 participants last post by  Barry Allen 
#1 ·
I had an interesting oil change experience at the dealership today. Paraphrased, the conversation was like this:

ME: "While you have it up on the lift, could you drain the water out of the fuel filter? It's a diesel."
Service Writer: "If you want the fuel system drained we have to send it back to our diesel technician."
ME: "No, not drain the fuel system. Drain the fuel filter so any water comes out."
SW: "To drain the fuel filter means we have to replace the entire filter."
ME: "No, not replace the filter. Just drain it. There's a tap at the bottom to open it up and let just a couple ounces out to drain any water."
SW: "Oh... if we do that it has to go to our diesel technician. You'll have to make an appointment for that."

So, apparently the oil change technicians don't have a clue about draining water from diesel fuel filters as recommended routine maintenance. I asked them to just do it while the car was up on the lift, using the used oil catch can to take a couple ounces of fuel out of the filter to make sure any water is drained. They couldn't or wouldn't understand what I was talking about. This was after I caught the technician walking across the service area with quarts of oil, asked to see the oil just for my interest, and had to tell them to go get Dexos 2 oil to put in the car instead of Dexos 1 oil.
 
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#5 ·
It's slightly more professional than calling them grease monkeys.

When in college I did the job for 3 years. I took pride in my work. I memorized filters for lots of basic makes and models of cars. I spent time cutting apart filters to see the inside and for my regular customers I always recommended upgrades to a better filter than the basic orange ones that came cheap.
 
#4 ·
........just got the heebie jeebies.......ugh
 
#13 ·
I think all dealerships do that now with these express lubes. They would not touch my fuel filter on my Grand Am and was sent over for a licensed mechanic to replace it. Same for my diesel cruze but it's apparently not as simple as just turning the drain valve. I watched through the window as the mechanic removed the underside floor deadner to gain access to the filter housing, plus mine was a change out at 6% filter life left.
 
#14 ·
Many dealers don't have higher level trained and experiences techs change oil for several reasons

First it's important you understand that most dealership technicians aren't salaried or hourly employees they are paid on what's called "flat rate", this is a production based system where every job has a labor time multiplier associated with it. The mechanics job is to accumulate as much labor time per week as possible(this "time" is not related to how long they are present in their work area). A typical oil change has a labor time of 0.3 multiply this by an average top tier Chevy dealership techs pay of $30, and he gets $9 to change your oil, fill out the necessary paperwork and inspections.

1. Some top level techs refuse to do stand alone oil changes because they are prima donnas, or because it takes them off high paying top level work
2. Dealerships don't like to slow down their high producing top techs with low profit margin oil changes, taking them off of big dollar engine, transmission and electrical work.
3. Dealerships can actually LOSE money by having to pay a top tech do do them. If you're getting a $39 oil change, with 6 quarts of $4 oil and a $4 filer that leaves $11 gross profit. Have a $30 tech do the job, and there remians only $2 to be split between the parts department, the service writer, and to cover the actual cost of what a $30 tech actually costs including insurance, taxes, and benefits. In other words...They lose money. So there lack of willingness to perform even "45 seconds" of extra work can take on some context. Add in the fact that top tier diesel techs can make $50, and there dealer is $6 in the red before anything beyond the techs wage is taken care of.

Does this mean you can't get a top tier diesel tech to perform your maintenance? Of course not. But it means you'll need to jump through some hoops, make appointments and likely try to forge a relationship with that tech. Because I can tell you that a majority of top level techs are not going to be willing to perform the free/included maintenances unless they expect to be "fed" with profitable non scheduled maintenances, heavy failure type repairs, or some sort of tips or other relationship with customer beyond the "I'm here for my free ****" exchange most people have with a dealer.
 
#15 ·
Does this mean you can't get a top tier diesel tech to perform your maintenance?
I don't want or need a diesel tech to do routine maintenance. I just need an oil change tech to use a wrench to drain the sump of a fuel filter, something that is a 30 second job. If it's routine maintenance in the manual at every oil change, it ought to be included with the oil change.
 
#16 ·
I did my own maintenance when I had my diesel, I never drained the fuel filter until I changed the filter. I think you would better served if your heart really is set on draining fuel filter to do it yourself. I agree with you that you shouldn’t have to do it. I think they will say they did and really didn’t which defeats the purpose.
 
#18 ·
Not every dealer uses rookie to change oil. I took my 04f150 to a small town ford dealer to change oil and do an inspection of truck, I get a real mechanic and it’s small enough dealer I can stand by service table and watch him work, he did an outstanding job and for less than 30 bucks and uses ford oil and filters, we had a conversation and I couldn’t be happier. It’s super cold outside, I don’t want to do it, plus I wanted a full inspection since the 41k mile truck was new to me.
 
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