How to Replace Your Car's Fuel Filter

When your vehicle needs a new fuel filter, salvage money by doing the job yourself. Here'due south how.

Introduction

Vehicle fuel systems have several important components that keep engines purring. Replacing these components when needed can mean the departure between a smooth driving experience and being stranded on the side of the road. The fuel filter is one of these components.

Although a growing number of belatedly–model vehicles no longer have accessible fuel filters, enough older models still practise that they're worth knowing near. Designed to keep dirt, rust, paint fries and other fuel contaminants from inbound fuel injectors and ultimately harming the engine, experts recommend replacing the fuel filter in your vehicle every two years or 30,000 miles. At that place is only one fuel filter in your vehicle, and failure to change it tin lead to a breakdown as insufficient fuel gets to the engine.

If you learn the steps of fuel filter replacement, you tin can exercise this fast, economic DIY job next time your vehicle needs a new fuel filter. Although details vary from one vehicle to another, the basic procedure is the aforementioned as I take described hither.

Cost for parts = $15 to $125.

Toll for professional labor = $30 to $100.

Fourth dimension for DIY replacement = 15 to sixty minutes.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • Replacement fuel filter (must be right size & type)

Project step-by-pace (5)

Footstep 1

Salve Fuel Pressure

  • To replace a bad fuel filter, start locate the fuse or relay for your vehicle'due south fuel pump and unplug it.
  • Try to start the vehicle. If you disconnected the correct circuit, the engine will turn over but non start. Information technology might also kickoff and run for a few seconds before dying.
  • Shut off the engine and let it absurd, if it has been running.

Relieve Fuel Pressure

Step 2

Find the Fuel Filter

  • Check an auto repair manual to locate your vehicle'south fuel filter.
  • Remove the replacement fuel filter from the box.

Find the Fuel Filter

Step iii

Disconnect and Remove the Old Filter

  • Connect your garden hose to the nearest water source, turn the water on at the source, then make sure the hose is within piece of cake reach of the vehicle you're working on.
    • Pro tip: There'due south a chance a small corporeality of fuel will squirt out of the lines when you disconnect the filter, and if whatsoever gets in your eyes you'll need to launder information technology out right away.
  • Put on your safety glasses, then drive your vehicle up on ramps if your filter is housed underneath your vehicle and y'all need actress clearance.
  • Position your drain pan under the filter.
  • Notice, loosen and remove the fuel lines connected to either end of the filter.
    • You may need to use pliers to remove retaining clips from the ends of the lines.
      • Pro tip: Sentry out for squirting gasoline and catch it in the bleed pan, if necessary.
  • Loosen the spiral clench or bolts property the fuel filter in position, and so remove the filter and identify it to 1 side.

Disconnect and Remove the Old Filter

Step 4

Install the New Filter

  • Put the new filter in position, then tighten or clip it into place.
    • Pro tip: Make certain it'south facing the correct mode because fuel is only meant to flow one manner through a filter. Expect for an pointer on the filter body indicating management of catamenia and orient the filter so the arrow points toward the engine.
  • Connect the fuel lines to each finish of the filter, then supersede the retaining clips.

Install the New Filter

Footstep five

Reinstall the Fuse or Relay

  • Reinstall the fuel pump fuse or relay that you disconnected earlier.
  • Try starting the vehicle. If it runs normally and there'south no fuel leaking from the new filter, the job is done.

Reinstall the Fuse or Relay

Originally Published: August 17, 2020