dpassino

i read the instructions for changing my fuel filter, but i have a quick question for you guys...

are there any screws I am going to need to remove to take off the current filter?
i do not have ABS, so perhaps I can do it myself within a reasonable time frame. (hopefully) lol

EDIT: I just called my Local Nissan Dealership (Bob Sharp's Nissan in Georgetown, CT) and they told me 40.00 for install and 17.48 for the filter) Should I not even attempt my own install and break out the lube for a 30 minute job they say? lol

twiggy144

The filter just snaps off it's springloaded brackets on the firewall. The area is a bit hard to reach though to unscrew the fuel hoses.

DSimple1

Easy thing to replace, just have some band-aids handy...

dpassino

dang. i just looked at the screw on the bottom hose.. how the hell am I suppose to reach that?! LOL. oh well. i may be paying them to do that. lol

j_richard73

Changed my own filter a few months back. I have small hands and it was still VERY VERY difficult to get to the bottom hose clamp. Once off the difficulty for me was getting leverage on the hose to pull it off of the filter.

If I can find someone to do it next time for $57 parts and labor like you, I'll take it and save the 2 hours of frustration and mangled hands.

dpassino

maybe i can see if my friends brother (mechanic) who is doing my brakes and rotors for me next week can do the filter for me too (maybe like 20.00) LOL

levine

do u need to depressurize the fuel system? (it says to do this in the Haynes repair manual)

one chance in hell this fixes my backfiring problems

Jesse

answered my own question: found the fuse inside the car, disconected it and the negative terminal, started the car, which drained the fuel, no being squirted in the face for me

UncleMax98

It's not too bad. You can remove the airbox to get more room. If the fuel hose is stuck to the fuel filter, you can use a flat blade screw driver and pry the hose from the filter body. Should take no more than 30 minutes to change the filter. I let the car sit overnight and did not have to depressurize the fuel system.

twiggy144

I read once many hoses are designed like `finger lock' cannot remember the exact term. It means if you pull straight on them, instead of pulling out, they actually squeeze towards the inside, gripping even more on their ' catch' . (They are built with a locking thread mesh inside the material (rubber or other) . Dont know if all automotive hoses are built like that. Nevertheless, avoid pulling on hoses, cause it wont work. Pry them out with a screw driver has recommended by UncleMax98

mikey07005

You should use some angled needle nose pliers if you have them. Use a flat blade screw driver to pry up the hose a little, then use the angled needle nose pliers to grab the bottom of the hose. If you pull on the hose from the top you are just making it stick on there more, like a chinese finger cuff...... After learning that, it took me a total of 10 minutes start to finish.

Screw paying someone to do it for you, save that cash for your next mod, something cool like a supercharger+mevi+100 shot of nitrous.....

f a g s pay people to do their work for them.

lefty

I think someone did mention before that they unscrewed the top and dropped the filter underneath the car to remove it.

May take more work but may save your hands.

twiggy144

hey that is the definition. thanks Mikey. Maybe it was one of your previous posts I had read and remembered. This is a very useful tip.

Threadkilla

I just changed mine a couple of weeks ago. I'm no mechanic, by any means, and it took me only 45 mins. And I have ABS. Getting the top section off was what took the longest. Once you get that done you can maneuver the fuel filter around to get the bottom screw and hose off easily. Don't pay anyone to do it, it is easy enough to do.

GodsmackMAX

iTrader: (4)

Just changed mine last week in about 30mins. (minus the hour that I stood there listening to some preacher that caught me outside and telling me how I should come to church ) It was a cake job! Almost easier than replacing my tension/idler pulley. I used the help of a pair of vise grips to pull the hoses off the filter, works very well. Just be sure to have a cleanup cloth right nearby, cause there will be extra fuel in the line that will come spewing all over the place. Goggles arent a bad idea either. Oh and make sure to DEPRESSURIZE THE FUEL LINES first!!!

Later,
bluemaxdriver4

97MaximaSE

if you dont have ABS then its easy as pie.....although sometimes its hard to get those hoses off....

hoodedmunkee

depressurize the fuelines..?how do i do that and whats the purpose?

97MaximaSE

start the car and pull the fuel pump fuse till the car dies.....then open the gas cap and your all set......and if youve never changed the FF before be prepared to have a fun time gettin off the hoses

hoodedmunkee

damn...does replacing the fuel filter require that many process?i dont remember reading that in the chiltons manual for a 96.

dpassino

i am going to attempt the change on sunday. we will see how it goes. I think I can do it. the only thing I dont like is the face of the screw is facing the other way. I think I am going to need a really short phillips head. lol

I read the instructions to pull the fuse, crank the car a few times till it dies/wont start. that is what they mean by depressurize right? I dont want a face full of fuel.

hoodedmunkee

cool! then let me know how it goes!

xCarreraGTx

i had hard time trying to get the top hose off of the filter when i was trying to change it with the nose plier. dat pos was giving me hard time so i gave up. how did yall get the hose off of the filter?

willis

iTrader: (2)

just a secondary question...

would there be any problems with adding some more hose before or after the fuel filter and relocating it to an easier to reach location? since it sounds like such a pain in the ***, yet not one seems to mention that, which leads me to assume I'm missing something obvious to make it a bad idea..

any thoughts, I mean, if you already have the filter off, it would be hard to just add a couple more inches of fuel line and put the thing in an easier place.. anyway, whatev.. just wondering

wJ

Ladzio

iTrader: (8)

I intend to clean up the ful system, should I do it before or after installing new fuel filter????

UncleMax98

No need to relocate the fuel filter. The second time is pretty easy. The trick is to use a flat blade screw driver to pry off the hose.

dpassino

i could not even attempt to change my filter on sunday. I did not get back from massachussets until late. it was too dark. gotta wait till sunday again (my only day off) lol

juani

iTrader: (15)

I just replaced mine two weeks ago for first time, but it was very easy 20 min job for me. I, too, felt it was little hard to reach the bottom screws, but with small screw drivers it's a easy job. and i don't have small hands.

xCarreraGTx

it seems like i'm the only one who has prob with prying off the top hose..damn

ChrisA

I just did mine yesterday. I did it at the same time as when I cleaned my Throttle Body so there was some extra room to get in there! Simple job. You can pop the filter off the mount and then twist the hoses a little to get better angles on the screws to losen them. If a hose is stuck, you can take a pair of pliers and put them over the hose where it is stuck and squeeze the pliers firmly with one hand and hold the filter with the other hand. Now just twist it back and forth and work the hose up and off a little at a time. If you do it carefully it won't damage the hose at all.

joew

The thing that holds the fuel filter on 4th gen Max, does it holds 300Z fuel filter?

dpassino

from what i have been hearing about people using the 300ZX fuel filter. so it most likely fits. if there any modifications required, this i do not know

Threadkilla

It fits perfectly. No modification required.

joew

i thought 300z fuel filter is bigger if so, how does it fit perfectly?

Threadkilla

The bracket spreads apart enough to fit it in.

Now get your a$$ out there and change it.

joew

10-4

thanks.

100shot

what would be the advantage of using a 300z fuel filter?

PsyKotiC RydeR

If you are willing to drive down to north Jersey, I can do it for you for free. Let me know if I can help.

stephenlc

iTrader: (1)

Does anyone hav3 pictures of where it is located or a write up on how to do it?

ChrisA

It's easy to find. I took a pic of mine after I changed it. Keep in mind that my whole air intake removed during this pic while I was cleaning the throttle body so it won't be this open. If you need to clean your throttle body I'd do it at the same time as this because it gives you a lot of extra room to get at the fuel filter. To find the fuel filter, its mounted against the firewall under the hood just in front of the driver steering wheel area. Lean over and you can see it down there. If you go buy your replacement you'll see what it looks like. It just has one hose going in the bottom of it and one coming out the top. You just loosen the clamps by unscrewing them counter-clockwise and then work the hose off. Its easier to pop it off the bracket first to get a better angle at the clamp screws. The filter just 'clicks' into the bracket.

The filter is the gold looking thing in the back....

www.mywirelessdeals.com/fuelfilter.jpg

stephenlc

iTrader: (1)

Do you have to remove any of the breakers inside the car or on the outside for the fuel system? I don't want that much fuel going everywhere. Woah it is back there I probally chnage mine soon.

dpassino

from what i have learned on this post and the write up on maximadriver.com, you have to remove the fuel pump fuse.

http://www.maximadriver.com/modules....rder=0&thold=0