water in fuel light

96OBS · Mar 29, 2013

Okay guys, the other day out of the blue, my water in fuel light would come on when I made a sharp turn the off. Then it would come on then off immediately. Now it is always on. Havent had this problem until I installed my flatbed and had to modify my mounting spot for the fuller tube. I had to cut a hole in the bed and then cut off part of the metal tube exposing the small rubber one. My filler cap is on top off the bed. Do these lids seal good? Also my fuel gauge goes on the fritz every once in a while, if its real cold it will say completely full but when I start driving it will go back to normal? Could it be a ground on the tank maybe? I'll try to post pics...

ryanss22 · Mar 29, 2013

F u have the orginal fuel bowl, try opeing the drain and letting it drain out.. Also add some diesel anti-gel to the fuel... Helps with getting water outa the fuel

96OBS · Mar 30, 2013

Ya its all original. Where is the drai valve? I don't see one. I'll put some fresh diesel, diesel kleen, and a new fuel filter and go from there.

backwoodsboy · Mar 31, 2013

Front left side of the fuel bowl, if you're standing in front of the engine. Turn 90* counterclockwise. It will drain quicker if you loosen the fuel bowl lid/filter.

96OBS · Mar 31, 2013

Do I need to run a drain line so it don't run down in the valley?

backwoodsboy · Mar 31, 2013

96OBS said:
Do I need to run a drain line so it don't run down in the valley?

There should be a drain line installed already. Dumps to the ground in front of the engine.

96OBS · Mar 31, 2013

Okay, I got it done, the filter was old slimy brown with dirt in it. Had a lot of grime in the bowl so I done my best to drain it all out. I filled the bowl back up with diesel Klein and started it up and let it run. So far no more light. But there was a lot of water in the old fuel filter.

Bugman · Mar 31, 2013

How do you know that there was a lot of water in the old fuel filter? When you drained it did you catch it in a container to check it? You can't tell just by looking at the filter.

ryanss22 · Mar 31, 2013

i would put in a new filter...

backwoodsboy · Apr 1, 2013

If you had a lot of sediment in the bowl, drain it again and fill it to the top with gasoline. Let it sit in there for a couple hours w/o filter (don't start the engine), and then drain out the gas. Fill half way with ATF, then re-install the filter and start up. Should help remove and sediment that has accumulated in your bowl or injectors.

96OBS · Apr 1, 2013

Ya I caught some fuel that came out of the filter in a bowl and seent a lot of water bubbles in it and a bunch of sediment. I put diesel kleen in it and drained it then filled it halfway with more diesel kleen and started it and the light went off. But I drove it today and it seemed little more peppy but the light came back on. I'm just gonna run it really low then fill it up and put in more diesel kleen.

backwoodsboy · Apr 1, 2013

Drop the tank and drain it. If you're continually getting a W.I.F. light you've either picked up some bad diesel, or water is entering your tank somehow. Neither bodes well for the longevity of your injectors.

Magnum PD · Apr 1, 2013

backwoodsboy said:
If you had a lot of sediment in the bowl, drain it again and fill it to the top with gasoline. Let it sit in there for a couple hours w/o filter (don't start the engine), and then drain out the gas. Fill half way with ATF, then re-install the filter and start up. Should help remove and sediment that has accumulated in your bowl or injectors.

ATF?? It'll run on that?

backwoodsboy · Apr 2, 2013

Magnum PD said:
ATF?? It'll run on that?

Yessir. It's a pretty effective means of cleaning/lubricating injectors. ATF has a much higher lubricity rating than #2, and the detergents in it clean out the fuel lines and fuel side of the injector.
There's a guy local to me who goes around and picks up used ATF from shops, runs it through a centrifuge, and mixes it 50/50 with diesel. Last time I talked to him he'd been running like that for 150k.

96OBS · Apr 2, 2013

I'm gonna try to run it all out if I can, don't really wanna hastle with dropping the tank if I can. The truck seems to run fine, it runs the same as before it came on.

96OBS · Apr 2, 2013

When I put on the flatbed I had to modify the filler neck. I ran the lid IP on the bed. And I had to cut part of the metal piece around the small hose on the filler neck and it could be getting in there. I'll try to get pics up.

96OBS · Apr 2, 2013

These are the filler neck where I cut the metal. Also where I put the cap.

backwoodsboy · Apr 2, 2013

After seeing that....you have water in your fuel. No way around it.
Compare the cost of a tank of diesel to the cost of a rebuilt set of injectors.
And you're going to want to re-think you fill cap location and filler neck setup.

96OBS · Apr 2, 2013

Well crap. Do you know any other way I can mount it? I have to have it kinda tilted up so the fuel will run down in the tank. Do I need to replace the metal I cut?