Fuel filter changed=WHOA
 

So, I've been trying to remedy my MPG woes going down the checklist. MAF...TB..EGR...air filter...light foot. Down to the last couple things, fuel filter and 02 sensors. Figured I'd do the 300zx fuel filter as it was the cheaper of the two. Buddy, nelledge on this board, guided me through the installation on the fuel filter; after about a hour of cursing and scraped hands...wallah, installed.

The old filter was horribly dirty, leaking out orangish brown fuel out of both ends. Curious to see what it looks on the inside.

I get my car on the highway back home, NIGHT AND DAY DIFFERENCE IN ACCELERATION. Smoother upshifts, downshifts, pulls harder downlow and uptop. Long overdue but glad I did it.



cliff notes: replace your fuel filter every 10-15,000 miles. seriously.

Is there a DIY walk through on replacing it?

yea pull the fuse for the pump crank her over to get rid of the pressure then go to town! lol

It's an Inline on the firewall .. No dificulty at all, besides tightening the bottom hose clamps!!

The job is simple enough but the biggest problem is the position of the damn thing. Also, old rubber hose likes to get stuck on whatever nipple it's been attached to for the past ten years, so you may have to cut the portion of the hose off that is already over the nipples on the old fuel filter.

That's right, cut them hoes off.

Curious to see the inside....as in are you gonna cut it open and see? If so, post up a pic bruh.

Voila not wallah ;)...giving you a hard time mang...

protip: remove the intake when doing this. Makes life SO MUCH easier to access the bracket screws for the filter.

yeah, not sure what to use to cut it up. I don't have a saw of any sort.

A hacksaw should do you justice although you MAY have to put a bit of muscle into it.

Wow I am in the same boat. My MPG has been slowly going down but I've done everything I can think of to raise it. And I've been feelin a serious lack of power during the normally "back in your seat" experience of WOT, for everything else my car feels torquey and pulls really nicely. I guess I'm long due for a new fuel filter!

BUt what I am confused about is if the fuel filter was indeed clogged or dirty wouldn't you get better MPG because less fuel was flowing?

wow!!! amazing!!! if you do regular maintenence to your car it actually runs better??? no $hit!!! :rolleyes:

While trying to purchase my fuel filter, the dealer suggested that I not replace it due to the fact that they are designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle...pft...what a load of crap. After replacing it and taking a look inside it was absolutely disgusting in there.

- Remove fuse
- Turn the car over wait for the car to shut off to release the pressure.
- Remove your back seat
- Unscrew the 3 bolts if i remember correctly
- release the harness
- Open out the filter
- replace fuel filter (OEM is best in this case)
- put everything back together

I personally notice a very slight difference when starting the car after replacing the filter but a decent gain in MPG

I understand your excitement, but don't you think 10-15k is a little overzealous? :)

its every 60,000 miles, not 10 to 15,000

I'm well aware what the owner's manual calls for....:obut thanks!

:rolleyes:
I caught your sarcasm Nissan mechanical engineer . Let me add that I bought the car in December. Asked the owner what maintenance he did recently. Fuel filter was one of them, didn't think much of it. But, I said what the heck. Let's see if it's bad or not. What do you know, it was horrible.


With the 300ZX, probably.

Do it, it'll cost you $6 to $11 depending on which filter you buy. Also, the 300ZX just lasts longer. Has no actual affect on performance (well, if you haven't changed it in a while) . As max ride 41 cleverly pointed out, it's a routine maintenance component. If I would have replaced mine with the OEM maxima filter, it would have been the same difference. The 300ZX will just last longer.

I'm not sure how to tackle your last question, but from my understanding from the threads I've read. The filter cleans the fuel before it hits your injectors. If it's excessively dirty, these dirt particles can stuff up the openings on your fuel injectors and will cause an array of problems.

correct me if i'm wrong, anyone.

Before you cut the hose, take a pair of pliers and rotate the hose on the nipple. Once you break that bond to the nipple, the hose will come off.

You walked in with cash in hand and they refused to take your money??? :surprised. What is this world coming to?

Your injectors are probably clogged too. Maybe you can get a new set?

or just get them reflowed.

or or just run some of that Lucas Crap in your fuel (No idea if it works) and Seafoam that bish.

lucas sucks big time, nothing i've ever tried from them has actually worked. just get an injector service, easier and faster.

that was intended for general rookie knowledge of which i believe ur knot..:p

Haha nice!

Heres a thought i been having everyone..

With the way gas prices been increasing, and Soooooo many members complaining about decreased mpg numbers...any thoughts that refineries are no longer using the same quality additives for gas. My numbers arent bad, but i noticed maybe about 3 or 4 tank fillups ago( or 60 cents ago per gallon :rolleyes:), that my numbers have fallen off slightly. And i keep up on my maintenance.

Somethin has to be going on, i mean There has to be some sort of connection there

TIP: - The fuel filter hoses come off easy if they're warm.

Change the fuel filter about an hour after the engine has been run hot. The hour is plenty of time for everything to cool down, but warm enough to keep the hoses a bit softer.

I really need to get around to installing my Z32 filter already lol It's been sitting here forever along with a new PCV valve.

So... Did YOU do it? lol

other than removing the hoses from the fuel filter, nate did that. I was scared of puncturing them with the pliers I was using

Did mine today. Hopefully i will see some improvements. It seemed easier to do the top clamp first and get the bottom clam though the wheel well.

also to loosen the bond between hose and nipple you can take a eyeglasses repair flat head screwdriver and just nudge it in between the hose and nipple and then just go round the world with the tip of the screw driver in and that will break the bond, i have seen pliers shred a old hose..then you HAVE to cut it..

I was forced to cut mine. had no choice. now I keep having issues with the line popping off that goes from the filter to the engine. and I get the hose on there about 3/4 the way on there. and tighten the crap out of it. although it's been holding on good lately.. *knocks on wood*

Hey VisciousMO, got a part # for the 300zx fuel filter?

This question is for everyone.....I assume the TT 300zx shares the same filter as the NA 300zx?

I didn't buy OEM, I bought it from advance auto parts for $9. Fits wonderfully.

Part No. F54794 from advance.

http://www.advanceautoparts.com/1/1/...rt-f54794.html

From courtesy

16400-Z32001

http://www.courtesyparts.com/16400-s...6-p-31301.html

and im thinking its for both n\a and TT

Thanks VisciousMO and P.O.K.

I'll go with OEM.

:sprint: :facepalm:

Get on it son.

The Wizard Always Does :squint:

just changed mine, i did notice brown goop on the filter media but not like i thought i would see. i have no idea if it was ever changed, i can say butt dyno feels a bit smoother/better but i have been doing a lot of spring maintenance lately so its likely a blend of everything.

As a side note, I extended the fuel hoses the first time I did this and made them about 1.5 feet longer. Much easier to replace it now. About 5 minutes at the most.

use a cutoff wheel:rofl::rofl: KABOOM!!

after reading this thread, i was thinking that i should do this as well but i'm confused because i'm getting 2 different directions autoGaugemax says one way and the how to guide is completely different. this is the link to the how to http://vbxmaxima.8m.com/fuelfilter.html what is the correct way?