View Full Version : fuel filter diy????
is there any diy's / writeups on fuel filter replacement on a 2.8 v6?
i searched and cannot find one.
thanks in advance!
martianbooby
08-25-2011, 10:09 PM
mmm ill go at it from memory:
- drive rear on ramps or just jack up
- look under passenger side infront of rear wheel
- now that u see the fuel filter loosen the bolt on each side
- let it drip the little fuel it has in it (maybe half a liter)
- slide it out (pita)
- slide new one in (u cant confuse the sides cus one side bolt is bigger then the other...)
- make sure u use new washers...
shouldnt take u longer then 30 minutes...
mmm ill go at it from memory:
- drive rear on ramps or just jack up
- look under passenger side infront of rear wheel
- now that u see the fuel filter loosen the bolt on each side
- let it drip the little fuel it has in it (maybe half a liter)
- slide it out (pita)
- slide new one in (u cant confuse the sides cus one side bolt is bigger then the other...)
- make sure u use new washers...
shouldnt take u longer then 30 minutes...
do you gotta unplug any fuses or turn the car on and let all of the fuel get sucked till the car dies?
i tried looking this up and am getting mixed information.
Calimus
08-26-2011, 05:36 AM
honestly, as long as the car's been sitting off for an hour or two, your fine. No fuses, or anything like that. I changed min a few months ago, took me 15-20min. It's super easy. Just let the car sit over night or something like that and the fuel pressure will be much lower then if you had just shut the car off.
You can pull the fuse for the fuel pump and start the car to remove fuel from the system, but it's really not going to make that much of a difference. The filter will retain most of the fuel in it. Also, since I got my car used, I cut my filter open to see the condition of it since I have no idea how long it was on the car. I'd have to say, that due to all the gunk & junk that was in the filter, it had to have been the original or maybe only the second filter ever put on the car in it's 160k miles. Very nasty and much worse then it should have been. Car actually ran better when I put my foot in the throttle after that as fuel pressure & flow were restored.
Calimus
08-26-2011, 05:37 AM
Sorry, my browser freaked and the post was duplicated.
martianbooby
08-26-2011, 08:43 AM
i did this twice, once after letting it sit over night and once after just driving to 7 eleven and back (about a mile and a half) so in all honesty i dont think it even matters ur just gonna loose a little bit of fuel and thats all... just pay attention when ur loosening it so the fuel wont go into ur face... (fuel in eyes isnt fun... ask me how i know lol)
also make sure u get new washers like i said earlier, preferably from the dealer cus the wrong washer will cause a slow leak... ecs gave me the wrong washers. so if ur buying ur filter from them then dont bother getting the washers, just get them from the dealership...
i did this twice, once after letting it sit over night and once after just driving to 7 eleven and back (about a mile and a half) so in all honesty i dont think it even matters ur just gonna loose a little bit of fuel and thats all... just pay attention when ur loosening it so the fuel wont go into ur face... (fuel in eyes isnt fun... ask me how i know lol)
also make sure u get new washers like i said earlier, preferably from the dealer cus the wrong washer will cause a slow leak... ecs gave me the wrong washers. so if ur buying ur filter from them then dont bother getting the washers, just get them from the dealership...
any idea how much im looking at spending at the dealer for a new fuel filter and washers?
i have a feeling this is whats causing my car to accelerate poorly and waste so much gas.
if its affordable id like to knock this out within the next 2 days
CHEROHALA
11-26-2011, 07:41 PM
I've been told the fuel filter doesnt need to be changed in audis.
It is not part of any of the scheduled maintenance. assuming people are changing them as piece of mind?
Calimus
11-26-2011, 08:43 PM
Not saying anything about you directly sir, but if you believe that, then well, I'll leave you to it.
It might be true if all gas station fuel tanks were created equal and by that, I mean were all made of some material that never allowed any kind of contaminate into the fuel it stores. This also holds true for where the fuel is made and stored before it goes into the trucks that needs the same thing before it arrives at the gas station itself.
Like I said, I dissected my filter when I changed it. 3/4 of it was full of black (you ever seen black fuel?) gritty crud. Now I think anyone in their right mind will tell you that when 3/4 of any kind of filter is clogged up with that kinda crap, fluid flow will be diminished. Let's face it, fuel is far harsher then water and any type of water filter I've seen, must be replaced. Hell, I replace the water filter in my fridge and you don't want to know what that looks like every 6 months and no I don't have well water.
But seriously, I have no doubt that if you live in an area where the fuel has a very low contamination rate, the inside of you fuel tank never gets a build up or slight corrosion, you might not ever need to change it. However, things being what they are, I'd say it's a good idea to replace them every 60k. For $20, it's just a simple preventative piece of Maint that can keep you from high end fuel starvation, clogged injectors and such.
There are many other arguments that I could use for this. However, I suggest you just sit and think for a few min on what fuel is and what can get into it and a cars fuel tank and decide for yourself if you should replace the filter every so often. I've never heard of a lifetime filter save for those that you can remove and clean. A fuel filter used by these cars are sealed and cannot be cleaned.
CHEROHALA
11-26-2011, 09:38 PM
makes sense dude... I dont see much downside in changing it.
just surprised audi doesn't include the filter change in their scheduled maintenance. Just questioning their motives.
martianbooby
11-27-2011, 12:41 AM
makes sense dude... I dont see much downside in changing it.
just surprised audi doesn't include the filter change in their scheduled maintenance. Just questioning their motives.
same motives they had when they claimed the tranny has a "life time" fluid that does not needs changing LOL
estomax
11-27-2011, 10:31 AM
it is a very simple job.. 30 minutes tops, i just did it a few months ago and actually reused the washers (no leaking!). Although you probably should get new washers if you haven't dug into the car yet.
just have a little oil pan or something to catch the 300ml or so of fuel that will spill out of the filter. and wear rubber gloves, gas is bad for your skin. you will need a double hex allen key (can't remember what size..) to get the clamp off around the fuel filter, that's the only proprietary tool you need.
Marko
Calimus
11-27-2011, 12:56 PM
makes sense dude... I dont see much downside in changing it.
just surprised audi doesn't include the filter change in their scheduled maintenance. Just questioning their motives.
Sorry if I mistook the way you were asking initially. Wasn't trying to come off harsh. As to why they don't include it in the Maint listing, it's possible that it's something they just take on to one of the service intervals or they just don't care. Six of one, half a dozen of the other?
khalimadeath
11-27-2011, 02:16 PM
I did mine right after i drove a half hour to get the filter. About a quarter gallon of fuel sprayed out witch i directed into a bottle. POP the new one in and done.
2BehindJordan
12-01-2011, 05:23 AM
Has anyone purchased the washers from the dealer WITHOUT the filter. I already have a filter and a little nervous now with the speculation of a possible leak.
JustMtnB44
12-01-2011, 11:24 AM
Yes I purchased the crush washers from the dealer separately as I got a filter elsewhere.
2BehindJordan
12-01-2011, 01:18 PM
mind sharing price?
JustMtnB44
12-01-2011, 02:04 PM
I don't remember exactly but maybe $1 per pair or something like that.
Allroad-2004
04-24-2019, 04:49 AM
There is a good write-up at
https://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/488282-DIY-How-to-replace-Fuel-Filter-in-Audi-A6-C5-Series
I am not allowed to post a reply, but be careful which filter you buy. If you can loosen the plastic strap (don't remove bolt, just loosen), buy one of the German ones, e.g. Mann because they can be slid onto the plastic strap. The filter can only be slid on in only one direction and several manufacturers are made with a weld which is too large on the outlet side. My strap bolt was rusted and the strap broke, so I used a Fram.
m_haiser
04-24-2019, 08:21 AM
solid necro bump man.
Grainreaper
04-25-2019, 03:52 AM
Wow!