Fuel filter how to

S3 AKR

livin' the dream!!!
Jun 30, 2004
1,453
1
Colchester, Essex
Just done mine. Took about 10 mins all in once the car was jacked up and axle stand in place, lighting arranged and my drive duly carpeted! I had a tray to catch fuel that pours out of the filter when you tip it up (as you will!!), some old carpet on the ground for spills, and a light underneath so that I could see the spring clips on the pipes. Other than that, a pair of flat head screw drivers (one to push the clip in whist using the other to lever the pipe GENTLY free). Very little fuel escaped from the engine side pipe, slightly more from the inlet side as it drains through.

Before doing anything I started the car and pulled the fuse with it running so that I knew fuel pressure was lost as the engine died.

There are video's on youtube of how the clips work if you're struggling :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk9vVq0pz78 - close up of the spring clip connections
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQH8ZYF16UY - demo on a 2003 Beetle
 

timix

Guest
Great guide, going to give mine ago tomorrow :)

Had a look earlier and the hose clamp screw is facing the side of the car! god know's how they did it up! Think I might have to dremal the bugger off and buy a new clamp.

Also, I always thought you should avoid running a car out of petrol because it kicks the ass out of the cat :blink:

Think it has a warning in the owners manual. The vid said to take the petrol cap off to de-pressurise, this should work but I've never heard a hiss from the petrol cap like other cars I've owned, might try this method and see what happens :think:
 

S3 AKR

livin' the dream!!!
Jun 30, 2004
1,453
1
Colchester, Essex
I'm sure a 1 off petrol starvation won't hurt it too much mate. Afterwards it primes up and starts instantly without any issue so I don't think its chucking too much unburnt through the cat.
 
Feb 26, 2009
5,275
1
Wolverhampton
Taking the petrol cap off will not de-pressurise the fuel system, you have to run the engine with the fuel pump switched off for that to happen. And as S3AKR says, having it run with no petrol is not going to cause that much issue with the cat, it just won't be getting the chemicals it needs to start the reaction.

You're right about the clamp facing the car though!! The trick is to disconnect the one end that is facing down, then unhook the fuel filter and swing it down so you can get to the other one. I wouldn't recommend cutting them off, from memory the clamp is part of the fuel line rather than a separate component, so you'll be replacing the whole pipe if you do that.
 

S3 AKR

livin' the dream!!!
Jun 30, 2004
1,453
1
Colchester, Essex
Unless he meant the giant jubilee clip that holds the filter to the car ? You might be able to spin the whole thing round as one unit by spinning the filter once you have the fuel lines disconnected.
 

timix

Guest
Hi, yes was meaning the jubilee clip not the fuel pipe. Might have to replace a lot more then

that if I used the dremal to cut them off! lol I guess high speed drills and petrol don't mix well

:D

Thanks for the tips, will give it ago this weekend weather permitting.
 
Feb 26, 2009
5,275
1
Wolverhampton
Ah, I didn't have to worry too much about the jubilee clip as the whole thing dissolved as soon as I started to undo it! But in that case I agree with you, for the sake of a quid or so for a new jubilee clip, you are probably better off just cutting it off. You could probably get a pair of pliers on to it and just twist back and forth until it snaps, might be safe than a dremel.
 

timix

Guest
True... But wheres the fun in that! ;)

Ah, I didn't have to worry too much about the jubilee clip as the whole thing dissolved as soon as I started to undo it! But in that case I agree with you, for the sake of a quid or so for a new jubilee clip, you are probably better off just cutting it off. You could probably get a pair of pliers on to it and just twist back and forth until it snaps, might be safe than a dremel.
 

DannyJigg

Active Member
Jul 4, 2013
237
1
Southend, Essex
Do you recommend any particular filter? Is it one of those jobs where it's worth getting an OEM part from the dealers or would a pattern part from ECP do?
 

Putters40

Active Member
Sep 2, 2014
6
1
Just replaced the petrol filter on my MK4 Ibiza 1.8t (2004) and altho Adam has done a fine job of explaining the process here's how mine went;
I didn't take the fuel pump fuse out.
Filter is just in front of o/s rear wheel.
I used the jack and an axle stand to gain some clearance to work with.
Use a Phillips type screwdriver to unscrew the plastic clamp around the filter and unclip the handbrake cable from it's hooks as Adam said.
The filter is now loose and being held by the fuel pipes either end of it.
Have a container underneath the filter with some rags as when you disconnect the pipes some fuel comes out but mainly from the filter itself in my case it was very little and certainly didn't spray everywhere!
The connectors of the pipes have an indentation that can be pressed in with fingers and with a bit of brute force and ignorance both pipes will come away from the filter!
Empty filter into container then get new one and offer it up to the pipes, there's a direction arrow on the filter it shd point towards the front of the car, push on both pipes and you should feel them 'click' over the lip on each ends of the metal inlet/outlet of the new filter.
Reconnect plastic bracket and put handbrake cable back in it's hooks.
Job done!!
However as I said this is how mine went so I hold no responsibility if anything goes wrong, good luck hope it helps!
Steve.
 

ian_106

Active Member
Jul 14, 2007
81
4
I've got a 57 plate 1.4 formula sport & not having much luck with finding the correct fuse for the fuel pump, so far I've removed fuse 28,7,40 & going by my owners manual 14 & the engine still runs... Im lost :D
 

Putters40

Active Member
Sep 2, 2014
6
1
Ian I didn't bother removing the fuse because with the engine off the pump shouldn't be running anyway, I got a trickle of petrol when I took the pipes off each end of the filter just have some cloths and a bowl ready, that was my experience anyway, hope this helps?!
 

ian_106

Active Member
Jul 14, 2007
81
4
Thanks for the replay Putters, I ended up just removing the pipes myself, as you say not much petrol came out of the pipes so I wouldn't worry about doing the fuse.