Can a Fuel Filter Change Cause Exhaust Noise?

[HilaryP]

A new buddy, who can fix Rangers in his sleep, did some minor maintenance on "Ruby" yesterday. After I left his place, it sounded as if the motor was racing, or the exhaust was loose, or--who knows. He changed the fuel filter, but there were stressful moments when the gas started to spill.

Anyway, all the way home, it sounded as if the exhaust was ready to fall off. Could it just be air in the gas lines?

Thanks,

Hilary
Remember, I'm not only car-stupid but female

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

changing the fuel filter shouldnt change exhaust note, but if the air filter was removed to check or replace it then the lid may not have been seated all the way which could cause the sound of your truck to be different. if you have an exhaust leak you should be able to see it when you start your truck up in the morning (its pretty cold in PA right?), the exhaust gases will be coming out of your tail pipe as well as any other spots that are leaking. once the truck reaches operating temp you likely wont be able to see the leak anymore (if there is one), so give yur self a few extra minutes before you go to work next time and have a look underneath the truck while its warming up.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

The fuel filter should have nothing to do with the exhaust for one cause they are on complete opposite sides of the frame. for obvious reasons lol fuel and excessive heat don't go together too well...

If he did minor maintainance Ask him what else he touched, such as said before the air filter. Other then that maybe he cut into the muffler to try and get you to get a sweet aftermarket setup!

 

[HilaryP]

They're body artists who fixed rusted wheel wells so gorgeous (Ruby's '94) I still don't know how they did it. I don't think it's an "after-market" issue, but I'm kinda wondering--

When I talked to my buddy's partner, he said a bad fuel filter (it was two years old) could mask a pre-existing exhaust problem. Any comments much appreciated. It's just my luck Ruby will die two months after she looks like a totally new truck, and I had the entire exhaust system replaced in '06.

Hilary
"Car-Stupid and Female Since Eisenhower!"

 

[HilaryP]

Hey, I need to make a decision about selling my truck. I've taken such good care of this truck. What Original_Ranger84 said is really troubling to me, because it makes sense. The exhaust system was entirely replaced in early 2007 and had no problems at all when I brought it to my friend's garage. None. Now white exhaust is coming out.

I asked him if he did anything at all to the exhaust, and since I was in the garage with him when he changed the filter (and the gas leak almost traveled to a wood burner), I saw with my own eyes he didn't go near the exhaust. All he did was take the leads off the battery. The problem is there were two people at the garage beside him and me. One I never met in my life, and he was from a big city, and talked about ways his boss used to tell him to pull fast ones on customers at a lube joint. This guy and the other person at the garage besides my buddies, who I know but suspect does not like me, spent a considerable amount of time out at the garage when the buddies and me went in the house to have coffee and shoot the breeze. The unfamiliar guy I have reason to believe was stoned out of his mind.

The reason I'm mentioning all this is because I want to know if it would be very hard for someone who knew what they were doing to make sure there was more work for the owners of the garage by screwing with the exhaust. The guy might have thought he was doing my buddies a favor and also getting in the good graces of a girl who doesn't like me. What nobody knew was I was ready to give my buddies a substantial amount of money just for maintaining my truck for prices a lot lower than I would have paid if I took the truck elsewhere for the past year or so.

I won't post anymore if I don't get any answers, but I would like to know what a fair asking price would be for a scrupulously maintained 1994 with two problems: a dead fuel sensor and now an exhaust system that needs to be replaced.

Thanks.

 

[wvfarmboy]

thing is a lota men in shops and garages will tell women one thing and men anouther and will charge women more aswell hope i didnt ofend any one but i have sean all kinds of stuff puled on women by garages just beacuse thay can get away with it most of the time. no way a fuel filter will afect exhaust . find more honest mecahanic

 

[HilaryP]

Thanks, wvfarmboy. I just talked to another buddy, and he said it could be a blown head gasket. I don't think it's a blown head gasket because this truck sailed like a Ti Fighter all the way home from buddy's garage. Now it sounds like a washing machine. How am I going to put this vehicle on the market without knowing for sure what happened to it. Oh well, thanks again.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

They're body artists who fixed rusted wheel wells so gorgeous (Ruby's '94) I still don't know how they did it. I don't think it's an "after-market" issue, but I'm kinda wondering--

When I talked to my buddy's partner, he said a bad fuel filter (it was two years old) could mask a pre-existing exhaust problem. Any comments much appreciated. It's just my luck Ruby will die two months after she looks like a totally new truck, and I had the entire exhaust system replaced in '06.

Hilary
"Car-Stupid and Female Since Eisenhower!"

I think your buddy doesn't know as much about cars as he thinks... I mean the only POSSIBLE way a fuel filter could "mask a preexisting problem" is if it was so clogged that it made the truck extremely under powered and fuel starved, that it made the rest of the truck run so bad that you didn't pay any attention to the exhaust.

I would say those guys probably screwed with the truck by drilling holes or some thing in the exhaust if anything.... otherwise... there is probably an explaination that I just can think up at this moment lol...

 

[wvfarmboy]

well it could be ahead gasket but even so the fuel filter wouldnt have anything to do with the noise maybe it all hapened at the same time have been knowen to do strange things sounds more like your mecahnic messed with exhaust while he was there, bring it down to wv i will tell u whats wrong and not charge you a cent. heck i love to work on these things

 

[fixizin]

A new buddy, who can fix Rangers in his sleep, did some minor maintenance on "Ruby" yesterday... He changed the fuel filter, but there were stressful moments when the gas started to spill.

WOW... at least 2 RED flags:

1) He's a "new" buddy--i.e. NOT trustworthy, i.e. SCAMmer... as confirmed by shady employees.

2) He should NOT fix Rangers in his sleep--i.e. he doesn't even know enough to DEpressurize the fuel loop prior to pulling the filter. EASY to do with Emergency cut-off switch. I did mine, and don't remember any significant amount of fuel spillage... mostly just what was in the filter itself.

Sorry.