Bill_Blazek
Veteran Member
Well this seemed like too simple of a modification to bother posting a "How-to" on it but I had a request for it from BeetleGo so here it is. This is my first one so feel free to add your comments. Including correcting any mis-information.
First, thanks much to everyone for posting so much great info. I'm a newbie to TDIs and TDICLUB and the info here has been great! This is my first contribution to this great collection of TDI info!
I bought my 2000 Golf for the explicit purpose of running biodiesel. From everything I've read here and elsewhere, the TDIs run well on it. I have a fairly long commute to work, 70 miles / day round trip, and didn't want to put all those miles on my Jeep Cherokee. So I started looking at high mileage vehicles and discovered the TDI. As I read more, this became the obvious best choice, ATC. Fortunately, I work in Boulder, Colorado and there is a ready supply of quality BD at a pump here.
One thing I learned, even before buying my Golf, was that when starting to run a diesel engine on BD after many miles of PD, the fuel filter can often get clogged by the gunk residues from PD that BD dissolves. The BD experts at Boulder Biodiesel, www.boulderbiodiesel.com and http://biodiesel.port5.com recommended putting a cheap in-line fuel filter before the main fuel filter to catch all that crude and thereby save your main $$$ filter. They recommended using one with a clear plastic housing so you can see what's really going on in there and be able to see when it really needs to be replaced. Obviously this could apply to any diesel vehicle running BD or PD. Or even gas for that matter. So that's what I did. It’s very easy, almost trivial. At least on my Golf. It should be pretty similar on other models.
Parts
I used these Fram in-line fuel filter with clear plastic housing for under $3 because that's all my local auto parts store had. I'm sure there are other equally good ones out there. The G2/G12 size fit the existing hose. They come with, G2, or w/o extra short hoses and clamps, G12, for connecting it. I got one G2 for the clamps and several G12s for replacements.
Location
So then I located the fuel line coming from the tank to the fuel filter by following it back from the main fuel filter which has arrows showing the direction of flow. Be careful, these TDIs are a little tricky with the return fuel line back to the tank! That was new one to me. There isn't a lot of room to put the in-line filter so I put it where the hose runs behind the coolant reservoir and the front shock support, perpendicular to the engine compartment side wall.
Actual Installation:
- Cut a short section out of the fuel line, the length of the filter body, in the area behind the coolant reservoir. Have a small container and rags handy to catch any fuel that drains out.
- Slide the hose clamps over each of the cut ends of the hose.
- Insert the filter ends into the cut ends of the hose, making sure its facing the right direct for the flow of the fuel.
- Move the hose clamps over the ends of the filter to secure.
- I didn’t bother pre-filling it. When I started the engine, it quickly filled up from the end I expected it to so I assume I had the right hose and right direction.
- I put a piece of folded paper towel behind the filter as padding because it was leaning directly on the metal engine compartment wall and I didn't want it to wear the plastic and create a leak. So far no leaks!
- You could also take off the hose from the filter and tank connection if that’s easier and cut out the necessary length of hose.
Operation
When I first installed it, and started the engine, the in-line filled up quickly and completely as expected. I noticed a thin stream of very tiny bubbles coming from
the tank and eventually the filter leveled out at about half full of fuel and half air. It stayed that way for a week or so with several hundreds of miles of driving. It eventually filled back up and is now staying full. Not sure what that means. Maybe the inline is getting a little clogged as it fills up but it does not look like it from what I can see.
It has run fine the whole time. Eventually I'll replace it and open it up just to see what's in there if anything.
I’m also going to keep a close eye on it this winter to see if the fuel is gelling. I should be able to tell pretty easily.
When this current tank of fuel gets down low I'm going to take out the fuel sender in the tank to check the tank to see how much gunk, if any, is in there. I'll also fix the sender to prevent gelling as described in the Cold Weather Design Flaw, Secret Recall from VW? thread while I'm there.
One obvious improvement would be to use a filter that doesn't have plastic housing in case it breaks or cracks and leaks! But I haven’t found anything better yet. So always carry a spare filter and a pair of pliers to replace it in an emergency!
I hope to go many K miles w/o having to replace the main filter. At $25-35 for the main filter, I can afford many cheap in-line filters. They are a whole lot easier to replace too.
I’ll update this with any additional info on this little experiment.
Anybody else do this and have useful info to share?
First, thanks much to everyone for posting so much great info. I'm a newbie to TDIs and TDICLUB and the info here has been great! This is my first contribution to this great collection of TDI info!
I bought my 2000 Golf for the explicit purpose of running biodiesel. From everything I've read here and elsewhere, the TDIs run well on it. I have a fairly long commute to work, 70 miles / day round trip, and didn't want to put all those miles on my Jeep Cherokee. So I started looking at high mileage vehicles and discovered the TDI. As I read more, this became the obvious best choice, ATC. Fortunately, I work in Boulder, Colorado and there is a ready supply of quality BD at a pump here.
One thing I learned, even before buying my Golf, was that when starting to run a diesel engine on BD after many miles of PD, the fuel filter can often get clogged by the gunk residues from PD that BD dissolves. The BD experts at Boulder Biodiesel, www.boulderbiodiesel.com and http://biodiesel.port5.com recommended putting a cheap in-line fuel filter before the main fuel filter to catch all that crude and thereby save your main $$$ filter. They recommended using one with a clear plastic housing so you can see what's really going on in there and be able to see when it really needs to be replaced. Obviously this could apply to any diesel vehicle running BD or PD. Or even gas for that matter. So that's what I did. It’s very easy, almost trivial. At least on my Golf. It should be pretty similar on other models.
Parts
I used these Fram in-line fuel filter with clear plastic housing for under $3 because that's all my local auto parts store had. I'm sure there are other equally good ones out there. The G2/G12 size fit the existing hose. They come with, G2, or w/o extra short hoses and clamps, G12, for connecting it. I got one G2 for the clamps and several G12s for replacements.
Location
So then I located the fuel line coming from the tank to the fuel filter by following it back from the main fuel filter which has arrows showing the direction of flow. Be careful, these TDIs are a little tricky with the return fuel line back to the tank! That was new one to me. There isn't a lot of room to put the in-line filter so I put it where the hose runs behind the coolant reservoir and the front shock support, perpendicular to the engine compartment side wall.
Actual Installation:
- Cut a short section out of the fuel line, the length of the filter body, in the area behind the coolant reservoir. Have a small container and rags handy to catch any fuel that drains out.
- Slide the hose clamps over each of the cut ends of the hose.
- Insert the filter ends into the cut ends of the hose, making sure its facing the right direct for the flow of the fuel.
- Move the hose clamps over the ends of the filter to secure.
- I didn’t bother pre-filling it. When I started the engine, it quickly filled up from the end I expected it to so I assume I had the right hose and right direction.
- I put a piece of folded paper towel behind the filter as padding because it was leaning directly on the metal engine compartment wall and I didn't want it to wear the plastic and create a leak. So far no leaks!
- You could also take off the hose from the filter and tank connection if that’s easier and cut out the necessary length of hose.
Operation
When I first installed it, and started the engine, the in-line filled up quickly and completely as expected. I noticed a thin stream of very tiny bubbles coming from
the tank and eventually the filter leveled out at about half full of fuel and half air. It stayed that way for a week or so with several hundreds of miles of driving. It eventually filled back up and is now staying full. Not sure what that means. Maybe the inline is getting a little clogged as it fills up but it does not look like it from what I can see.
It has run fine the whole time. Eventually I'll replace it and open it up just to see what's in there if anything.
I’m also going to keep a close eye on it this winter to see if the fuel is gelling. I should be able to tell pretty easily.
When this current tank of fuel gets down low I'm going to take out the fuel sender in the tank to check the tank to see how much gunk, if any, is in there. I'll also fix the sender to prevent gelling as described in the Cold Weather Design Flaw, Secret Recall from VW? thread while I'm there.
One obvious improvement would be to use a filter that doesn't have plastic housing in case it breaks or cracks and leaks! But I haven’t found anything better yet. So always carry a spare filter and a pair of pliers to replace it in an emergency!
I hope to go many K miles w/o having to replace the main filter. At $25-35 for the main filter, I can afford many cheap in-line filters. They are a whole lot easier to replace too.
I’ll update this with any additional info on this little experiment.
Anybody else do this and have useful info to share?