Margey's guide to fuel filter change outs

This isn't a thesis, and I'm sure there are some errors but I recently wen through this and found that this information might be helpful to others... soooo... this is basically how I did the procedure:

To start you'll need a torx screw driver and a plastic milk jug or liter bottle cut in half (rinsed and dried if you want to dump your diesel from the canister back in).

First, remove the surrounding torx screws, leave the center screw alone for the time being. Remove the cover carefully as not to spill diesel all over the engine compartment. Remove the o-rings. At this time you can put your jug next to the filter canister so you have a place to put the filter once removed.

The filter is in there rather snuggly but with some experimentation I found that by pushing the filter down slightly and turning it approximately 1/4 turn I was able to remove the filter with limited effort. Placing the filter in the jug to keep from making a mess you're then left with a canister about 1/2 full of diesel fuel.

It's probably a good thing to dump the canister into your jug. I noticed that I had NO water after 20k miles (running pure dino, no bio) and didn't really need to dump it, but I did anyway. To remove the canister, there are slots at the rear of the canister, the top two slots are guarded by tabs that you can thumb open. I had one tab firmly in place that I pried slightly open to loosen the canister. The canister will lift out easily if the top tabs are opened appropriately.

Once the canister has been emptied and put back in place the tabs can be closed or if they did not need to be pried the canister will click back into place. You can then place the new filter into the canister. I placed the filter in the canister with the wording on the filter facing up. Next seed the blue o-ring on the appropriate fitting. The green o-ring fits around the canister lid. At this point if you have a clean jug with your old diesel fuel in it (water free of course) you can dump it or some powerservice into the canister to help priming --- THIS IS NOT REQUIRED MIND YOU.

Place the lid on the canister and tighten the torx screws in an even fashion like you would with a tire. Snug the torx screws down hand tight. Now that your filter is installed, slightly loosen the center torx screw we left alone earlier. Do NOT remove the center screw just loosen it. With a bit of help, or some time, you can turn the car key past auxiliary (DO NOT TRY TO START YOUR CAR - just turn past auxiliary) and you'll hear the fuel pump kick-in. Once this occurs the pump will run for a few seconds which pushes fuel back into the fuel filter. Turn the key all the way off and repeat this procedure until fuel starts to seep out the center torx screw. (this is where a little help comes in handy as seeing the seepage is hard to do from the drivers seat) If you removed the center screw it will resemble a geyser more than a seepage, but if you didn't remove the screw it will slowly seep fuel at a rate that is nothing to worry about. If you're starting with an empty canister and filter, be prepared to cycle the key and fuel pump 10+ times before you see seepage.

Once you notice some seepage, you're all set to go once you tighten back down the center screw. With the screw tightened, you can start your car and run it to observe idle. I let it run for a few seconds to verify no leaks then I shut the car down and began clean up.

That's it. For clean-up I used a little soapy water and poured the soapy water on the source of the spill, careful not to hit the alternator or any other electronics. I let the soapy water sit a bit then I used clean water to rinse and that pretty much took care of the mess.

Hope that helps.

Obvioulsy this worded explanation is for the women. Us stupid men need........................PICTURES

Love the username!

STICKY!!

This is a great write up. Thank you!

Thank you very much. Sticky material!

Great writeup. Thanks!

Can you fill up the canister with fresh diesel to the brim if available without little or no priming? I do this with big diesel trucks,wont it work here also?

If you empty and clean the cannister, then prime with the key, there is no chance of sending junk to the fuel injectors. Everything has to go through the filter. If you pour anything from a bottle into the cannister, there could be little chunks of plastic mixed in from when the bottle was made, it is also quite common to find shreds of tin foil from under the bottle cap.

tkerrigan said:

If you empty and clean the cannister, then prime with the key, there is no chance of sending junk to the fuel injectors. Everything has to go through the filter. If you pour anything from a bottle into the cannister, there could be little chunks of plastic mixed in from when the bottle was made, it is also quite common to find shreds of tin foil from under the bottle cap.

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And the container(s) in which the diesel fuel that is in your tank were perfect? If you pour it in, doesn't it go thru the filter also? It all hits the same spot does it not?

Without having seen the inside of the canister other than in a Bentley diagram, it's hard to tell what is going on in there..... Without seeing it, it seems that:

The four tubes (two supply lines, two return lines) going through the top lid have seals that they pass through (I assume this is the blue o-ring as described in the above write-up) - which appear to be within a cylinder that the filter is pushed down onto. I would assume that the fuel outside the filter is "dirty", fuel within that inner cylinder is clean or filtered. So, after removing the old filter, emptying the canister, cleaning out the inside of the canister, and installing the new filter: filling the outside of the canister with your choice of fuel/supplement is probably a good thing.

Can anyone that's opened one up confirm?

You don't need to dump anything back into the canister; I didn't. The turn the key to engage the pump to bleed the air from the canister is all you need to do, and it's so simple I actually think dumping fuel/additive into the canister adds difficulty (as you COULD spill). This way it's clean as a whistle.

Don't over complicate the process, it really is quite simple. Once you've done it once or have watched it being done you'll shake your head for fretting this in the least. Changing your oil with the pella is more difficult.

no center screw on Jetta 2006 TDI fuel filter

I guess this procedure will not work with a filter that has no center screw (I have this one), Any ideas about the best way to fill the filter with fuel?

mateyTDI said:

I guess this procedure will not work with a filter that has no center screw (I have this one), Any ideas about the best way to fill the filter with fuel?

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That was what I was thinking about last night and wanted to post about.

How do the people without the center bleed/drain screw purge the air from their filters?

Although I have a center bleed screw on my fuel filter canister I did not touch it when I changed my fuel filter, nor did I prime the canister. After I changed the filter and tightened down the torx screws I just turned the key a few times without starting the car to energize the fuel pump. Then I just started as usual and it started right up and ran perfectly. Since the fuel is continually recirculated to the tank you don't have the prime issues that you would have on the older MB diesels (I've had several).

Lightflyer1 said:

How do the people without the center bleed/drain screw purge the air from their filters?

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The Bentley manual says nothing about bleeding the canister without the bleed screw. All it says is:

-Clean lower filter housing to remove any dirt or water.
-Install new filter element into lower fuel filter housing.
-Install new seal into groove of upper fuel filter housing
-Place uper filter housing with new seal onto lower filter housing.
-Start all five torx bolts and tighten each a few turns at a time in the diagonal sequence as used for removal until uper housing is fully seated.
-Tighten bolts to specification in the same diagonal sequence as above. (5Nm or 44 in-lb)
-Install upper sound absorber panel.
-Start engine and check for leaks.

But I would guess that if you wanted to fill the lower filter housing with diesel or PS prior to putting on the upper filter housing that there would be nothing wrong with that.

Here are pictures for the fuel filter change I just did based on info posted bythe originator of this thread. Click here for photos and info

LM,

This is a much needed and well composed write up.

Thanks,

Washer for early '06 filter

There was a small metal washer in the bag with the green and blue gaskets. What's it for?

-Scott

chem_fun said:

There was a small metal washer in the bag with the green and blue gaskets. What's it for?

-Scott

Click to expand...

For the center bleed screw which you may or may not have. If you have it, the screw is right dead center of the fuel filter cap. If you don't loosen it, you may safely ignore it. If you do loosen it, replace the washer. (to ensure a good seal)

HTH

Bill

Thanks, duly ignored. I don't have the bleed screw on the early 2006.

filter changed

Thanks Marge and NoFreeRides! I used the info here to do my first fuel filter change with no hassles. Only a little diesel splashed, but easy enough to clean up. Cheers.
K

Thanks for the skinny on the washer, 40x40

Bill:

I just did my 20k service last weekend and was wondering about that washer. My car does not have the central screw in the fuel filter cover and I didn't put 2 and 2 together about the cars that do have that feature. Another reason TDI Club is the best!!!!!

Dan

torx size

Thanks for the info.

The one question I have is what size of torx screw driver is needed? Is it T20, T25 or T30? The only torx bit I have are for electronics and they're way too small.

Thanks!
-mpb

T-30

plus some more text as that message is too short to be posted.

Yes, Beerme is correct. Size T-30 is needed for the 5 Torx bolts securing the fuel filter canister cover. When loosening or tightening these bolts, do so in a "star pattern" (like the diagonal pattern we follow with wheel lug nuts) by 1 to 2 turns per bolt until done. Don't forgot to use the new gaskets that come with the new filter. Lubricate the new gasket for the cover with diesel. We can't push the cover on; instead it lowers into place as the bolts are tightened. The torque specification is 44 in-lb or 5 Nm.

To hold the canister cover out of the way while changing the fuel filter, I use a coat hanger. Put the hook through one of the screw holes and then stretch the rest of the hanger over the engine oil filler neck. Works like a charm.