Fuel Filter

GX4SEVEND

GX4SEVEND

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I have searched through some threads and have seen some people having issues removing the old filter so I called the local Toyota dealership to get a quote and was told....."Toyota told us not to change out the filters anymore, they are lifetime so you don't need to do it".

Really?
 
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I did ours any way. It was only a three dollar item. Sure they are lifetime as long as your gas is perfect. I know someone who was recently battling a check engine light problem/ After replacing many items for a "lean bank one" issue he took it in and the problem turned out to be a clogged fuel filter. This was on a Subaru with only 80k miles on it.

I recently did the plugs, fuel filter and air filter on our 4runner and the thing has never run so well.
 
I replace mine every 30k miles, although my Haynes manual says every 60K. Never heard that it was a lifetime component!
 
I even made sure he wasn't talking about the in tank filter.....he said not to change either. I would still like to replace it but i'm not mechannically inclined and with my luck I wouldn't be able to remove it anyway :redbrick:
 
Just wasn't sure if it was something I needed to change or not. I don't know when it was done last if at all.
 
If you want to avoid fuel spewing everywhere pull the fuel pump fuse and run the car for a minute or so...if it will run that long. Wait until it dies, this will relieve all pressure in the fuel system. And when you do replace it, turn the key "on" for a few seconds but don't start it yet. This allows the fuel system to pressurize so it should start right away.

Jordan
 
I am going to replace mine because I had rust holes in my filler pipe and want to make sure there aren't any rust bits or anything else that might be clogging it.

I think it certainly can't hurt to change it; unless you do it wrong.
 
BTO said:
I did ours any way. It was only a three dollar item. Sure they are lifetime as long as your gas is perfect. I know someone who was recently battling a check engine light problem/ After replacing many items for a "lean bank one" issue he took it in and the problem turned out to be a clogged fuel filter. This was on a Subaru with only 80k miles on it.

I recently did the plugs, fuel filter and air filter on our 4runner and the thing has never run so well.
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Three dollars for a fuel filter?
 
Ghostrider said:
Three dollars for a fuel filter?
Click to expand...



Haha, I was going to say the same thing. Toyota OEM, they are about $30. Parts store, they're about $20. I've got an OEM sitting on my work bench right now, waiting to go on.

When I changed the filter on my previous '96 with 180K miles, the old filter was still pretty easy to blow through. Not quite as free flowing as the brand new one, but definitely not "clogged". I suppose they could be a lifetime part, but for $30 and about an hour of your time, I'd going to keep changing mine every once in a while.
 
I tried to remove the fuel line from my filter a few months ago...and it wouldn't budge. That's after several days of applying PB to it. There isn't much support for high torque on those lines, and I didn't want to break 'em. So, my new filter sits on the workbench too!
 
If I remember correctly it took two box wrenches. One to hold the filter and one to loosen the fuel lines. I had absolutely no problem but I live in Cali where corrosion is not an issue.
 
BTO said:
If I remember correctly it took two box wrenches. One to hold the filter and one to loosen the fuel lines. I had absolutely no problem but I live in Cali where corrosion is not an issue.
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Lucky you! The nuts appear to be almost fused to the fuel line, and to the female connectors on the filter. :crybaby:
 
I couldn't budge the nut on the engine side of the filter on my rig. Of course, I wasn't using a flare nut wrench, just a regular open-ended wrench.
I went and bought some flare nut wrenches and then I realized that my filter was changed by the dealer at the 90K service interval (about 45K ago). So much for the "lifetime part" theory.
I'l keep the new filter on the shelf for another year or two. The OEM toyota part with 45K is probably better than the new Fram. :shrug:
 
Jordan Petry said:
If you want to avoid fuel spewing everywhere pull the fuel pump fuse and run the car for a minute or so...if it will run that long. Wait until it dies, this will relieve all pressure in the fuel system. And when you do replace it, turn the key "on" for a few seconds but don't start it yet. This allows the fuel system to pressurize so it should start right away.

Jordan
Click to expand...

This would be bad advice to run the engine with the fuel pump unplugged. The fuel injectors use the fuel as a lubricant. You never want to run them dry as they will get damaged pretty quickly.

The pressure will beed off over time. Just give it an hour to sit with the keys out of the ignition before removing the filter. Once you crack the nut, hold a shop rag up to the filter to catch any amount of spray and then catch the drain off in a pan.
 
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