Fuel Filter - 2005

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
Today I was all set to replace the fuel filter at 10,000 miles. But then I saw "hose clamps from hell" and other inexplicable things.

Will some guardian angel please post instructions for replacing this thing? I thought it was in the owner's manual but that turned out to be only "how to drain the water".
 

hkpierce

'02 140 Hi BlueBlk Pass
The information is in this section of the forum - look for how to change a fuel filter. The dates are for the earlier model Sprinters, but for your questions the answers, with pictures, are there.

If that doesn't work, go to the DIY links in Yahoo SprinterVan.
 

Zach Woods

New member
Hello -

hkpierce is correct. I went to the top level (clicked on Sprinter-Forum.com towards the upper left), used the Search option (towards right of menu bar near top) and typed in fuel filter.

The 2001-2002 entry should cover the basics for most any year.
 

Don Horner

2012 Unity IB
Funny story about those hose clamps. When I hit 10,000 miles, I had the van serviced at Sunset Dodge in Sarasota, FL. As part of the service, they changed the fuel filter. After they were done, I started out of town. I made it about 8 miles, and the engine quit.

I was able to coast off the road, opened the hood and saw fuel leaking. I could see it was coming from the filter. I had no tools, I didn't know how to work those clamps, and, anyway, why should I fix it? I had just paid good money to have it done. Besides, I didn't know if the fuel system was self-bleeding, or not. On my tractor, I have to bleed the air before it will start after I change the filter.

I called the dealership and told them to send someone out with regular, old-fashioned screw-type hose clamps and a screw driver. A couple of fellows showed up about 15 minutes later, changed the clamps and hooked up the filter properly. The fuel system is self-bleeding, and I was on my way a couple of minutes later.

Obviously, even the mechanics have trouble with those hose clamps.
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
Well there is a comment in that post about the 2001-2002 Sprinters that the filter was changed in 2004 and the same instructions don't work.
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
I just re-checked the Database folder and the Files folder and Links folder on SprinterVan and found the file HK wrote that is the same as on this forum. I also now see the inserted instructions about 2004 and up. HK, I appreciate all the work you put into this.

Also, there is a follow on post in the SprinterVan group that provides a little additional helpful information.

This project is a lot more daunting than when I first thought about it. The fuel filter is so accessible (relatively) that, until I had a new filter and really looked at the installation, I thought it would be just a bit more compex than changing the oil.
 
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methodvan

New member
BILL,

i have a 2006 140 shc and i do my own maint on it because i'm confident that my dealer is CROOK and i'm better off doing it myself. the 10k mi maint. is easy. hard part about working on this car is becomming comfortable with the different type of hardware and part that are used rather than whats on conventional american vans.

anyhow,


for the fuel filter... you'll have to break the factory clamps with a pair of dikes or needle nose pliers or ??? (because they're one time use only.. so remember to get a four pack of traditional style hose clamps from your auto store before you start) and remove the hoses. JFYI... your dealer break them and replaces them everytime with american style hose clamp.

at that point, disconnect the electrical connector, loosen the torx head tightening bolt on the side then slide it up and out.

ON THE NEW FILTER remove the dust cap in the middle, top of your new filter and fill it with diesel until it comes out the top. then fill it again until you can see the diesel inside.

ON THE OLD FILTER remove the sensor device from your old unit which should unscrew at first, then remove two torx HEAD screws, twist it about 20 degress then pull ir straight out (after seeing this you'll know what i mean). it has o-rings like your oil filter and you should replace em (o rings come with the mopar filter). put it all back together and at that point....

i put some small rubber vaccuum caps on all of the hose barbs of the new filter so that when you manuever this thing back in the engine compartment you don't spill diesel evrywhere.

then reconnect all the hoses, connectors and securing clamp and you're redy to rock.

you'll see an inverted (male) torx head harware all over the car that looks like special tool is required but a metric 6 point hex socket is all you'll need to remove it. THAT'S RIGHT!!! ONLY STANDARD TORX HEAD TOOLS AND METRIC SIX POINT SOCKETS ARE ALL YOU NEED TO WORK ON THIS CAR.

you'll just have to get over the anxiety of working on brand new car OR PAY $500 to have the dealer fumble through the same thing. @ 10k i do my oil & filter, air filter and fuel filter. i buy my parts rom the dealer and it come out $100. synthetic oil is about $60 for 10 quarts. you could save couple bucks and buy parts from the local auto store but they have to order it and they are more likely (in my opinion) to screw up and order the wrong stuff. my dealer said i should replace my AC filter as well but i hardly use AC so phooey on trying to find it.

AND I AM NOT MECHANIC... I AM GRAPHIC ARTIST SO IF I CAN DO IT SO CAN YOU!!!!!!

if you have any more question post em and someone will answer. no questions are dumb because this vehicle is not intuitive in the sense that fixes on it aren't as hard as they appear. remember this car built to be maintained and all the stuff within it was designed, for the most part, to be easy to do. sprinter owner must stick together and communicate in order to learn about and live with these vans because neither Dodge, mercedes, or FRTLNR want anything to do with 'em here in the states.
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
Wonderful information. Thank you. Tell me a couple of things. What do you do to get a little diesel to put in the filter (fill a container when you "fill up", siphon, ??) and would it do as well to fill the filter with diesel after you install the new filter (using a funnel)?
Finally, to round a "couple" into three, can you fill the filter after the installation by just turning the ignition key to the 2nd position?
 

methodvan

New member
bill,

when you get your new filter you'll notice it has two "barbs" on it that the hoses connect to. in the middle there will be dust cap that will have to be removed and simply pour the diesel in. i used a medium 1 liter coke bottle that i filled up at the gas station.

by the way, you must do this way according to the sprinter tech that i got this info from. they call it "priming the fuel system" and i think that is how they deter most sprinter owners from attemting it themselves. dont' try and use the fuel pump to do it. not sure why but i heard thats a big no-no...

anyhow, just fill it full of diesel until it hits the top. reassmble the water detection sensor thigamajig (this would cover the hole that you just filled with diesel) and don't forget to get a couple vaccuum caps (cheap at auto store) to put onto the hose barbs before you attempt to put this thing back into the car. as you'll find out.... you'll have to nearly tip it on it's side to manuever it back into place.... and if you don't put the barbs on you'll spill diesel evrywhere. i think at the dealer they do it differently... as in they mount the new filter and fill it with a funnel and hose but either method will work fine. the first time i did it it took about 15 minutes.

not sure if you've done the other stuff yet (air filter, oil filter) but every 10k you should replace all three. oil filter is fairly straight forward MBZ stuff but if you're use to american cars with spin on filter it looks totally foreign. when it comes to the air filter theres more that meets the eye. it's looks straight forward from under the hood, but you actually have to take a few things apart to get to it. if you need anymore advice just ask.

i think $500 to do this service is ridiculous and i recommend all sprinter owners who feel the same way to try it themselves. i was skeptical at first to
attempt this but now it's an easy task and now this car is now really saving me money... that is, instead of saving $$$ at the pump only to spend the savings at the dealer for a basic oil and filters swap.

just take your time and be smart about what you're doing. good luck.
 

methodvan

New member
bill,

when you get your new filter you'll notice it has two "barbs" on it that the hoses connect to. in the middle there will be dust cap that will have to be removed and simply pour the diesel in. i used a medium 1 liter coke bottle that i filled up at the gas station.

by the way, you must do this way according to the sprinter tech that i got this info from. they call it "priming the fuel system" and i think that is how they deter most sprinter owners from attemting it themselves. dont' try and use the fuel pump to do it. not sure why but i heard thats a big no-no...

anyhow, just fill it full of diesel until it hits the top. reassmble the water detection sensor thigamajig (this would cover the hole that you just filled with diesel) and don't forget to get a couple vaccuum caps (cheap at auto store) to put onto the hose barbs before you attempt to put this thing back into the car. as you'll find out.... you'll have to nearly tip it on it's side to manuever it back into place.... and if you don't put the barbs on you'll spill diesel evrywhere. i think at the dealer they do it differently... as in they mount the new filter and fill it with a funnel and hose but either method will work fine. the first time i did it it took about 15 minutes.

not sure if you've done the other stuff yet (air filter, oil filter) but every 10k you should replace all three. oil filter is fairly straight forward MBZ stuff but if you're use to american cars with spin on filter it looks totally foreign. when it comes to the air filter theres more that meets the eye. it's looks straight forward from under the hood, but you actually have to take a few things apart to get to it. if you need anymore advice just ask.

i think $500 to do this service is ridiculous and i recommend all sprinter owners who feel the same way to try it themselves. i was skeptical at first to
attempt this but now it's an easy task and now this car is now really saving me money... that is, instead of saving $$$ at the pump only to spend the savings at the dealer for a basic oil and filters swap.

just take your time and be smart about what you're doing. good luck.
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
Thanks a lot, methodvan. I have done the oil filter and am building up to doing the fuel filter. Everyone has been very helpful.
 

narunas

New member
hi all, just stumbled on this forum, great stuff!
I have changed my own fuel filter @ around 10K, at night, with needle nose pliers to take off the nighmarish clamps. BTW, I did reuse them, they are holding on tight @ around 25K now.

I followed the instructions in the users manual and "primed" the system with the ignition double or tripple start'n'wait. From the above post it sounds like that is not the way to go, a "no no"!! Did I ruin my fuel pump? At around that time the van developed a strange symptom of not having power on the highway, I attributed that to the MIL light coming on intermittently. The usual - intake air sensor failing. Not having time to go and find a Sprinter dealer-mechanic, I drove with the light on for a while, realising that if I start the van with a newly "discovered" procedure, it would function almost ok.

THE PROCEDURE:

ignition on, with all the light, wait 15-20 seconds.
ignition off, wait 'till the buzzing sound ends (fuel pump stops?), generally synchronized with the radio shutdown.
ignition on 'till the pre-heat spiral goes out.
start the engine.

Mechanic at first thought it was related to turbo, since he mumbled something about replacing a lot of them on sprinters. My turbo is apparently fine, but without double starting I have only about 65% of power available, and the turbo whistle is barely there at anything bellow 2500 rpm.

After getting an OBD2 interface and software and looking at available information, it looks like my problem is related more to fuel than the failing intake temp sensor, (P2199 code), and I need to either ask the dealer to replace the fuel pump of change the filter by priming it by hand.

I am at a loss, and I can not trust the mechanics anymore, since they lied to me straight in the eye, giving me error codes that were never registered by the ECM and trying to convince me that it was the ambient air sensor broken in the front bumper which I have a dent in. (More $$ to fix).

I have only one fuel related sensor reporting through the OBD2 - fuel rail pressure, and that is not enough info.

narunas
 

narunas

New member
Well, initially that's what I thought,
but mechanic drove it around, said it doesn't appear like a turbo malfunction.
is there a definitive symptom if the resonator fails?

also, is it possible that the resonator fails intemittenly?

thanks for your reply!
narunas
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
Very good question, narunas. I've talked to one person who had the loss of power issue who, after he shut off the engine for a full minute, had power restored and hasn't lost it since. In my own incident, we experienced the loss of power while on a trip. Going up a hill we could only get to about 40 - 45 mph. On the level we couldn't push it above 60 mph. But, if we stopped and shut down the engine and then restarted, we had full power for ten minutes or so until the problem reasserted itself. When we got it to Dishen Dodge in Spokane, their instruments showed a loss of vacuum; when they replaced the resonator the loss of vacuum no longer existed. There has been no subsequent loss of power.

So, in response to your question: I think that when the computer does not recognize a leak in the resonator then you will not lose power. Thus, if the leak is a small one that the computer might sometimes not recongize, then I think it could be intermittant.
 

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