CAN I DO THIS MYSELF?
No problem. The fuel filter is a job you can do yourself.
TOOLS YOU'LL NEED
A Phillips head screwdriver (a short, stubby one)
Pliers
Lots of paper towels
Chemical resistant gloves (if you don't like the smell of gas on your hands)
WHAT TO DO
1. First, you have to remove as much pressure from the fuel lines. Take your
pliers and pull out fuse number 32
from the fuse panel underneath the steering wheel to the left. The fuse is a 15
amp blue fuse. This will disconnect power
to your fuel pump.
2. Start your engine. If there was enough residual pressure in the lines then
the engine may start and go for a bit,
but it should stall soon from lack of fuel. If the engine has been sitting a
while, it may not start at all.
Crank the engine two or three more times. Each crank should be at least 5 sec.
Turn the ignition off.
3. In the engine bay, the fuel filter is supported by a bracket and has two
rubber tubes attached to it. Fuel from
the fuel tank comes up from the hose at the bottom, through the filter, and out
top. You need to disconnect the filter
by pulling the rubber tubes off.
As you can see from the above picture, I highlighted in red the two hose clamps
that keep the hoses connected to the
filter and prevent leakage. Put lots of paper towels around because there will
still be leftover fuel in the
hoses. Loosen the hose clamps and pull off the hoses - being careful not to drop
the hose clamps or screws.
Note that the bottom hose is kept together with another hose with a plastic
bracket. You can just pull it off and
snap it back on later. Simply replace the filter and reconnect the hoses and
clamps.
TIPS
Removing the old filter shouldn't be a problem, but if you're having trouble,
here are some tips.
If the hoses seem too hard to pull off, there still may be too much pressure in
the lines. Crank your engine some more and retry pulling off the hoses.
If you're having trouble reaching the filter or the hose clamp screws, try
removing your front strut tower bar on one side if you have this mod. It's easy
to put back anyway. Also consider dropping the fuel filter down the engine bay
and accessing it from under the car (after the top hose has been removed). Note:
if you pulled off the front strut tower bar, don't forget to put the nuts
themselves back on, should you decide to put the car on jack stands.
4. Once you are done, put back the fuel pump fuse and start the engine. CHECK
FOR LEAKS. |
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