Your engine is sputtering at idle, there’s a puff of white smoke rolling out of the tailpipe, and you’re starting to panic about a blown head gasket. Before you assume the worst, check one cheap, easy-to-replace part first: the fuel filter. Yes, a bad fuel filter can cause both white smoke and a misfire —…

Quick Answer If you’re asking what are the symptoms of a clogged fuel filter, the short version is this: your engine will struggle to get consistent fuel pressure, which shows up as rough idling, stalling, power loss under load, hard starts, and poor fuel economy. In more advanced cases, you’ll hear the fuel pump whining…