Fuel Filter Replacement according to manual

[outbackjoe]

Greetings all

Looking through the service manual for my 2007 diesel hilux, there is no mention of fuel filter replacement anywhere on the service schedules. So according to the manual it never needs to be replaced? I see other posts discussing replacing it every xx km. Should I replace the filter every so often? The service schedule refers to draining the water out of the filter, is that the one that is replaced or is there a paper filter or something?

Thanks

Joe

[Skog07]

Hey Outbackjoe.
Mine is an 07 model as well, I have owned it since new, had the filter replaced at the 60000k service and the 130000ks service last week. According to my manual there is no service period on the fuel filter either,(just wait for the light to come on on the dash and drive it to a Toyota dealer) some like to change them at each major service interval at 20000ks? (Which is what the Prado D4d recommends for the same year model)
Good practice from what I have read (and now believe)is to avoid changing the filter itself as you open up the system to ingress of dirt etc etc when changing the filter and look into a prefilter system. Drain the water out of Toyota filter using the drain c**k as often as you wish as long as you dont lose the prime between the tank and the priming pump.
This is my fuel filter after a destructive test to see how contaminated it was at the 130000km service. I did 70000ks on this filter since the 60000ks service.





Ive still got to look into my sludge problem though in the tank though. But most importantly the filter caught it all before the injectors or pump did...

[SRD4D]

Guys its very easy to do yourself
My Diesel filter gets replaced every 10,000ks very simple process,i remove the complete assembly from the vehicle unplug the sensors,disconnect the fuel lines
And then in the shed undo locking ring and remove the filter from the unit and clean out the bowl carefully with a lint free rag/wipe etc....,drop in a new filter,seal it all back up(make sure the thread is lined up square to the housing),refit in truck
Its way easier this way than trying to line up the thread square to seal it all back up.
pump the primer button a few time until it goes hard to prime it up,start engine.
takes 10 minutes
As for not opening up the fuel system,How do you think toyota do it????

If you want it to last, it MUST be replaced regularly,if you get water in the toyota filter you can almost be certain you have water in your fuel rail,its not a very effective water separator/filter unit.

[aandy]

Guys its very easy to do yourself
My Diesel filter gets replaced every 10,000ks very simple process,i remove the complete assembly from the vehicle unplug the sensors,disconnect the fuel lines
And then in the shed undo locking ring and remove the filter from the unit and clean out the bowl carefully with a lint free rag/wipe etc....,drop in a new filter,seal it all back up,refit in truck
Its way easier this way than trying to line up the thread square to seal it all back up.
pump the primer button a few time until it goes hard to prime it up,start engine.
takes 10 minutes

if you want it to last, it MUST be replaced regularly.

Nice one mate, thats what Ill do next time on my clean jobs work bench.

[Alby]

I change mine every 30k
It does not matter how often you change it it will not stop water ingress if fuel is contaminated

[andy666]

It does not matter how often you change it it will not stop water ingress if fuel is contaminated

Very true. The best bet is an after market water trap before the factory filter. Can set up for about $100.

Personally I change my fuel filter every 10000km.

[outbackjoe]

For an item that Toyota engineers have specified does not need scheduled replacement, isn't replacing it every 10k overkill? On what basis is the 10k decision made?

[NimrodAUS]

Your all kidding yourself if you think you can do 20,000 - 100,000 kms on a fuel filter. It will be every 10k for me, the fuel we get in Australia is crap. I do a lot of traveling and have had now a few fuel contamination issues, the crap in those tanks, no good. This is what I'm getting on my new lux.
http://www.terraintamer.com/en/4wd-prod ... el-manager Which is due for pickup on the 18th of July which would make it about 6 months from when I ordered it. Cant wait.

[SRD4D]

For an item that Toyota engineers have specified does not need scheduled replacement, isn't replacing it every 10k overkill? On what basis is the 10k decision made?

Toyota engineers !!!!!!!!! dont get caught up in that mate.In fact they dont want you to change it so they can sell you a new engine.$14500.........no thanks

Its a decision based on the obvious,
Like any filter,it will need changing regulary especially filtering Diesel. for $20 its an insurance policy,the 10k figure is where i feel comfortable changing it,so every second oil change.

Pull yours out and have a look,
I have a ford territory witha ZF 6spd transmission apparenlty "sealed for life" no fluid change required...........
There have been plenty ZF failures due to this alone.

I change my trans fluids around every 100ks less if its a tow pig

[outbackjoe]

Thanks all for your input, my truck has 90k on the clock, 20k by me, doubt the fuel filter had ever been replaced if it's service history is at a workshop that would follow the service schedule, I might replace mine next chance I get.

[andy666]

On what basis is the 10k decision made?

10yrs trade experience.

it's not the most ridiculous service interval I have come across. Some Benz trucks recommend engine oil changes every 60,000km We do them every 20,000km. And some euro cars doesn't even have a drain plug on Auto g/boxes. When they get rebuilt the oil gets replaced.
Yes you can let your vehicle go to some of these long service intervals, but prevention is better then cure.

[oldrev]

Your all kidding yourself if you think you can do 20,000 - 100,000 kms on a fuel filter. It will be every 10k for me, the fuel we get in Australia is crap. I do a lot of traveling and have had now a few fuel contamination issues, the crap in those tanks, no good. This is what I'm getting on my new lux.
http://www.terraintamer.com/en/4wd-prod ... el-manager Which is due for pickup on the 18th of July which would make it about 6 months from when I ordered it. Cant wait.

well i guess i'm kidding myself because the last one i changed had done close to 100,000 k's and still no light on and didn't look too bad actually.
maybe your on dirtier fuel in central qld .
just my 2 cents
ken

[Wing]

I change mine at 70,000 k. Although filter is not as bad as the one above, I found diesel algae in the filter housing.

I think the most important point is to change it carefully, wash and dry the external housing thoroughly before doing anything. Do not do anything downstream of the filter. Anything you leave downstream of the filter will end up in the common rail and injectors. The top half housing is the downstream part and the bottom half is the upstream part. The bottom half can be removed and cleaned in a part washer.

I will only perform the changing with clean hands, plenty of time, definitely not in the field.

[NimrodAUS]

Your all kidding yourself if you think you can do 20,000 - 100,000 kms on a fuel filter. It will be every 10k for me, the fuel we get in Australia is crap. I do a lot of traveling and have had now a few fuel contamination issues, the crap in those tanks, no good. This is what I'm getting on my new lux.
http://www.terraintamer.com/en/4wd-prod ... el-manager Which is due for pickup on the 18th of July which would make it about 6 months from when I ordered it. Cant wait.

well i guess i'm kidding myself because the last one i changed had done close to 100,000 k's and still no light on and didn't look too bad actually.
maybe your on dirtier fuel in central qld .
just my 2 cents
ken

Yep. Think you nailed it in two. But seriously? 100,000km fuel filter change especially on a diesel is just crazy

[toyboata]

Depends what fuel and where from.
I use purely Caltex Vortex which has always been very clean.
I changed my diesel filter at 30,000km and only the waxy outer layer of the element was stained black but the rest was like new. Based on that I could easily let it go for another 50k.
That said though I wouldn't and will be changing it every 30-40k.
Certainly though if I lived out of suburbia I would probably change it every 20k just to be safe.
The filters do however seem to work pretty well at filtering particulate matter at least. I changed a filter on customers Hilux the other week which had done 120k without ever being done. It looked like shit and in the bottom of the filter bowl was a lot of very fine metallic particles but the vehicle still ran like a dream and apart from a bit of the cold rattles he'd never had a problem with it.

[fourby4diesel]

I service Hilux d4d's that customers want done by the book and dont want to spend on stuff that the "service doesnt ask for" 250,000klms with the original fuel filter, no problems.
so dont buy shit fuel whether u just changed filter or not if you pick up liters of water in it, your screwed! Highly unlikely.
Dont fill up when a tanker is at the servo, stirring all the water and shit off the bottom.
Keep your receipts, if you pump water, send the bill to the servo/oil company with receipt.
Id be changing my auto fluid every 50k before changing fuel filter every 10k.
A good replacement would be about every 20k.
Best thing you can do is drain the water, every 10k then at least its empty then.

But of corse personal choice.

[NimrodAUS]

We must get shitty fuel out here. I've had a totally chocked fuel filter, and a few times water in fuel good thing the old rodeo will take it. Haha

[oggy]

Your all kidding yourself if you think you can do 20,000 - 100,000 kms on a fuel filter. It will be every 10k for me, the fuel we get in Australia is crap. I do a lot of traveling and have had now a few fuel contamination issues, the crap in those tanks, no good. This is what I'm getting on my new lux.
http://www.terraintamer.com/en/4wd-prod ... el-manager Which is due for pickup on the 18th of July which would make it about 6 months from when I ordered it. Cant wait.

Looks the same as the stanadyne filter that i just put on mine. I have a 10micron wix filter in mine though, and also got the fuel manager water sensor for it. It comes with one ugly mother of a gauge and has no buzzer, so we contacted the rep to see if we could just use a small led and a small buzzer, apparently yes, so auto elec is wiring it up for me at moment. For these units i think a buzzer is more important as surely that should grab even a women's attention

[Alby]

Unless the buzzer sounds like receiving a text or facebook message

[NimrodAUS]

Haha yeah I would like to have a pre warning buzzer also on the first filter, I think by the time the light is on the factory one it's cutting it fine. However I plan on draining both water seperators regularly so see what happens. More info on this buzzer would be good. U got a link?