An upright automotive fuel filter has a cap enclosing a chamber (20)sub-divided into sections containing an inlet for unfiltered fuel, a return passage (14) for filtered fuel and an outlet for filtered fuel. The housing also encloses a fuel filter insert (4) with support (7) and seal (17). The improvement is that: (a) the support (7) has a tube (12) extending from the upper section of the filter insert (4) axially downwards through the chamber (20); (b) the inner part of the housing (3) is linked with the return passage (14) through the pipe (12) inlet and throttle (24) outlet; (c) the seal (17) operates together with the return passage (14) and lower section of the pipe (12).
