do you drain water from the fuel filter before the dash warning lights?

[JCoastie]

I live in AL and sit above 90% humidity for much of the year.
I went out the other morning and the entire tractor (under cover) was sweating and soaked.
Even the tools in my toolbox in the garage were soaking wet.

I worry about condensation in the fuel tank. I have a MT240 with a dash water/fuel filter warning light.
I have (2) 5 gallon fuel cans in my shed, they were sweating too. I don't use a lot of fuel, I fill the tank 5 gallons at a time, and that lasts several weeks, to a month or so.
I could top off the tractor fuel tank after each use, but I'd still have the condensation on the 5 gallon fuel cans.
I took some pics of the tools in the toolbox inside the garage, but not of the tractor. The tractor was much worse, under the carport.



Should I be concerned with water in the fuel filter before the light illuminates, or just wait for the light and not worry about it until then?

 

[Avenger]

I try to keep the fuel tank filled. This reduces condensation. But thats not highly practical, and water will then simply form in the fuel can I used to fill the tractor unless I use all the fuel. But thats still a good practice to get into.

But to answer your question. Nope. I wait for the light. Probably not the best practice, but I've never had an issue. The sensor could malfunction and you can suck some water into the fuel system. Its not the end of the world, but does make a for a bad day when your out working.

The only time I've drained the water, which there was none, was when I had to replace the main fuel line due to a rip in the old one. Drained the entire system.

I've never had the light come on. FYI.
But I also live in a dryer climate

 

[oosik]

39+ years and I've never had water in my diesel fuel. The Kubota M6040 has a water seperator/visual monitor between the fuel tank and fuel pump. I've never had water separated out in this unit.

 

[repete]

I am on the "wet" side of Washington. I keep my tanks on the tractors full and have no issues with water in the fuel filter of the Kubota. Unfortunately I have the primary and secondary canister spin on filters on the IH584 and since I cannot see those, I just change them regularly. The cost of annual filters vs an injector pump is cheap.

 

[Maxify55]

As the three previous responders were all in northern climes, allow me to respond.
As our humidity levels are somewhat alike.
My LS XR3037HC is very much similar to your machine.
I used to keep my fuel in 5 gal cans, as you currently do.
As my needs, here on the farm have increased, so has my fleet & I now fill a 100 gal tank twice per year.
I do treat my off road diesel with anti-bacterial additives but that would be the only variant between your fuel and mine.
{Aside from the red dye, of course.}
I've never once incurred a fuel/water mixture issue in my mixed fleet.
Here's an older pic of my rig from years ago beside it's open air shed parking area.
Yeah, condensate is an issue from time to time but inside the sealed fuel system?
I've never had a warning light on the Shibaru {LS}, Mitsubishi {MT372} or either Yanmar engines in my other equipment.

That being said, I might work mine a bit more given my fuel usage but I really think your concerns should be redirected to
other maintenance issues for our area like metal to metal contact on all the various flex points on our machines, eg:
All FEL joints, all PTO equipment joints {Drive shaft links, wheel bearings}, all mixed metal surfaces {Alum. to Steel alloy}, Hydro. tank/Pump, front axle oil {4WD} Grease zerks
{2WD},
Steering joints & many other places where water can invade and corrode {Oxidize} metals.
I just completed my annual checkup on the LS and am pleased to see water that is squeezed out of the various joints on the FEL bushings.
It's just part of the joy of southern living, I guess.

Fuel is an issue, I agree, but there are far more places for my concern than just the fuel down here where 50% - 95% humidity levels are the norm rather than the exception.
I hope I've been of some help to you.
I've been retired for 15 yrs and to think that I find tractoring/farm life relaxing is quite mystifying.

 

[JCoastie]

thanks all, I appreciate all the detailed info.

 

[RalphVa]

Had a diesel for 6 years we lived in Baton Rouge area. Have never had a water in diesel problem in 39 years of running diesel cars and 16 years running diesel tractors and 8 years running a diesel generator.

Ralph

 

[mred2]

Also in Alabama. I have not had a problem with my LS. However, I did have a problem on my used dozer when I first got it. I changed the fuel filters and I drain the one every 3 months or so. I also used another used excavator and had the light come on it. I also use 5 gallon containers. Almost all of the water that I have had in the fuel came from the stations where the fuel was purchased from. Some years ago, I purchased fuel and it sit in the containers for about 5 days. When I went to fill my old tractor, I could tell by the color that there was water in the bottom. At work we are told not to use the diesel pumps after they are filled up for a couple of hours. This gives the water time to settle in the tanks. The sensors in the tank will sound off when there is more than a few inches of water in the tanks. We once had to pump over 100 gallons of water out of one tank after we had gotten fuel. We had not purchased fuel from that place before. We were told it was the amount of bio-diesel in the mix. We never got fuel from there again. We do have water separators on every pump. They are have to be changed at least once every two weeks. If there is a problem, they are changed every day.

 

[ruffdog]

Condensation happens when the temperature changes and there is high humidity. If we get a hot muggy spring day and the garage/shop are still ice cold from winter, I do not open the doors as EVERYTHING will sweat. The south just had a cold spell which cooled your equipment and now it is hot so it is the same conditions. Now, water in the fuel is condensation of moisture from air INSIDE the fuel tank when the OUTSIDE cools quickly. Different conditions.

 

[grsthegreat]

i occasionally drain my Dodge water separator. i have no idea if there is any water in there cause it drains out of site. as far as any of my tractors go, i replace the filters with regular maintenance, but i have never in 24 years of owning tractors had any water in the bowl. never.