A liquid filter, particularly for filtering
diesel fuel, having a device for automatically discharging water separated from the fuel in the liquid filter, including a housing with an inlet and an outlet for the liquid to be filtered, a
filter element arranged in a sealed manner between the inlet and the outlet, and a water collecting area underneath the
filter element, in which the automatic
water discharge device is connected in a sealed manner to the housing below the water collecting area, and includes in a single housing a sensor for sensing the
water level in the water collecting area, an electrically operated
water discharge device for discharging water from the water collecting area, a water outlet, and a
microprocessor operatively connected to the sensor, to the
water discharge device and to a
control unit of the
internal combustion engine, such that in a predetermined operational state of the
internal combustion engine while the engine is running, the
microprocessor activates the water
discharge device when the sensor emits an appropriate
signal indicating water in the collecting area.