Bleed Fuel System

[geronimo]

Hi everyone
Decided to give my 1998 310 sprinter a service today,air,oil,fuel filters,,,everything ok until i changed the fuel filter,i filled it up with fuel before screwing it back on but i now have air in the system,,,does anyone have any sudgestions on how to bleed it?? All answers appreciated,thanks in advance Pete

Start it up and it'll self bleed. Or at leat it should. Have you put the seals on the fuel filter?

[geronimo]

yes iv put the 2 seals on,,it started up and then died,i can see the air bubbles travelling through the clear pipe to the pump,but the fuel drops back in the pipe that comes from the tank,you can see it in the clear tube,,,a guy told me that you just have to keep filling up the filter again and again till it clears the air,but i was wondering if there was a proper way to do it,,,plus its a bugger on the starter motor

[sprinter77]

Hi Geronimo!
Welcome

Originally Posted by geronimo

yes iv put the 2 seals on,,it started up and then died,i can see the air bubbles travelling through the clear pipe to the pump,but the fuel drops back in the pipe that comes from the tank,you can see it in the clear tube,,,a guy told me that you just have to keep filling up the filter again and again till it clears the air,but i was wondering if there was a proper way to do it,,,plus its a bugger on the starter motor

It should just keep running when it starts, you shouldn't have to take the filter off multiple times. My 312 bleeds itself in a matter of seconds. If the fuel runs back it sounds like you have an air leak. Have you checked the bleed off tube is sound, they do get brittle with old age. I'd be inclined to point the finger at the filter though. Is it a decent quality one? I've only ever used Knecht or Mercedes; Hengst or Mahle should be fine too.

[geronimo]

Its a cooper filter,,,it seems to fit pretty snugly,,,you mentioned the pipes,,i did notice a few bubbles coming from the connector that clips onto the filter that comes from the tank,,its only held on by that metal plate,and i did replace the little rubber washer on it,,when i fill the filter up it does start and you can see the air bubbles going through the pipe exiting the filter,then you can see the fuel drop back on the filter entry pipe and it cuts out,,,i wonder if it is that connecter

[geronimo]

problem solved,,,,,the cooper filter that i bought came with the wrong size o ring on the inlet pipe,,,,,lesson learned,,buy a decent filter,,,,thanks everyone for your sudgestions

Glad you found the problem and are back on the road.