Is water in fuel common any more?

[chris142]

I have an aftermarket water separator on my truck. It has a drain. I occasionally drain some fuel out to look for water. I have never found even a drop. Does Diesel fuel no longer have this problem?

 

[icanfixall]

I really have never gotten any water when I have drained mine. Remember here in CA. we have filling station huge filters on the delivery system at the pumps. I have no idea how often these are changed but.. I see them...

 

[jwalterus]

Yes it does!
Currently at work I have a 140M2 and a tractor (both rentals) that are down with ice in their fuel lines.
I just haven't had room in the shop to bring them in to thaw out.

 

[nostrokes]

It all depends on where you are and how the station handles the fuel. I've seen a few around here unloading fuel in a torrential downpour so I skip those stations... You can also get condensation in the tanks from temperature swings but it's usually not noticable and some if not most fuel additives have something in them to help remove water.

 

[Fudd]

I’ve got a station just a few blocks from my house that has some of the cheapest diesel in town. I no longer go there anymore though after my water in fuel light came on and I drained what seemed like a pint of water out of my fuel filter. No problems since.

 

[chris142]

Thats all i buy. Cheapest I can find

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

Notice the locations of the respondents. Never happens in Cali, but problems where there is big temp swings and humidity.
That is what causes it mostly. In Tn you should only store a vehicle with a full tank. When empty the air takes on the humidity on warm days and then condenses when it gets cold.

 

[chris142]

Ya a humid day here is 15%

 

[Hydro-idi]

It happens, especially in the winter when fuel tanks are low and vehicles/tractors sit for a while. Tanks tend to sweat and moisture builds up. Typically nothing that a fuel filter w/ water separator & some iso-heet can’t take care of though.

 

[Runningaford]

A couple of the poster's above imho, nailed it-ish. It's northern temps, mixed with sitting in those temps. I have to empty the water out of my John Deere at least 2 times a year. I think it's 100% caused by the temperatures dipping down below freezing. The tractor gets used all the time, but is a fuel sipper so time between fill ups can vary.

The water separator has at times gotten quite a bit of water in it.