Guys and gals.....in the last couple of months... I have been going through water/fuel separator filters like a banshee. I have covered 17,000 miles since my last service, and am now on my THIRD filter. I fuel all over the country, and mostly in Pilots...though the occasional TA or Petro.... and a random independent once in a blue moon.
Other of our drivers have had problems as well.
If you have the "see-through" filter on your firewall....keep an eye on it. Change it when it needs to be changed. If its getting funky and the level is climbing inside....get a styrofoam cup or tin can and open the petcock on the bottom for a second or two and see what comes out.
One of our guys had a real problem with losing power, and engine struggling. I opened drained some of his filter gunk into a cup.....had some nasty stuff including "metal shavings" in it. The mechanics changed the filter and it ran like a top again.
If you don't have the see through type....make darn sure you carry a spare filter or two....and learn the proper method of installing them, and how to make sure that the filter is FULL OF FUEL when you install it. If you have an ISX Cummins....DO NOT attempt to change it unless you have the company's permission and you know what you are doing!! The filter is mounted in a %%$#@#$% spot and the threads are a **&^%$## and easy to screw up. The see throughs are primed through the cap on the top....they're a "no brainer" deal.
If you don't watch your filters....and we are coming up on winter pretty soon....you could find yourself stuck somewhere with a frozen filter clogged with ice and crud....don't end up sick or dead over a cheap filter and a lack of knowledge!!