multiplexor

On a 1996 Max:

Well finally decided to change it. I had noticed some symptoms that everyone here seemed to have pointed out as being a fuel filter type of problem. Those problems do not seem to exist anymore woot!

Changing the fuel filter on my car was a b!tch! I had to work on the top hose for like 30 minutes just trying to pull it off. Same thing with the bottom hose.

Overall it took me a about an hour to do, only because i had a hard time getting the hoses off. Putting them back on was much much easier.

To anyone who is thinking about doing it yourself.... do it, it's not hard, you only have to pull off 2 hoses and put them back on. then just snap the fuel filter back into place.

I think i might have had to original filter on my car too... and i'm at 85,000 miles. yikes!

that is all

Cumalot

iTrader: (8)

I know what you mean.


I think all of us have the same problem. Once you get pass the hose, it's pretty easy.

ZKrazy

i have a 97 i30 and i was wondering how you guys got the fuel filter off. i cant get any size screwdriver down there to loosen it.

MaximaPower

iTrader: (3)

i have a screwdriver wit a fat, stubby handle that's only
about 3 inches in total length

spiff56747

iTrader: (-1)

i didnt use a screwdriver. just twist the hose and pull on it really hard. it might take you a few tries, with lots of swearing in between, but you'll get it eventually. another thing i did was pull the top hose off from the throttle body side, not the fuel filter side, because the top end of the hose seems easier to reach.

jcy98maxse

iTrader: (8)

I have a bullet tool "burton snowboarding tool" It has a rachet on it so I'm hoping it'll fit cuz its the size od my palm. where u get your filter?? Should I go to the dealer or somewhere like autozone??

spiff56747

iTrader: (-1)

the best thing to do is to get a Nissan 300 ZX filter from the dealer, it will last 30k miles instead of the regular 15k. you can also get something from autozone, but the nissan OEM filters are the best

costcowholesale

iTrader: (12)

you're suppose to change your filter every 15k?

spiff56747

iTrader: (-1)

yeah if i'm not mistaken, the regular nissan filter only lasts 15k. don't worry though, i didnt change mine till i had like 65k on my car, and i think it was still the original filter that came with the car. as long as your car is not dying from lack of fuel flow, your filter is probably ok.

jcy98maxse

iTrader: (8)

yea but you'll notice in less mpg after a while.

Kevin

hmmm...I have NEVER changed my fuel filter. My car has got about 90k miles on it. MPG wise I've alwasy been consistent with 22 MPG.

I think i better change it.

Southpaw

how much for filter from dealership?

Kanaka

iTrader: (4)

Is the 300zx filter the same outside diameter as the maxima one? in other words, will it fit into the bracket or do you need to do some modifications to keep it in place? I also assume that the inlet and outlet tubes are the same diameter too?

hokiemax

iTrader: (2)

I think i'm gonna get myself some Z filters too.
Haven't changed mine in 2 years..

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

I have the 300ZX filter on my car. The original bracket will hold it. Maxxed out, but it holds. Had it for 33K miles so far.

By the way, you have some freaking massive tire and wheel combo on your car. 9.5" wide rims with 265 tires?? How'd you manage? No rubbing? They must weigh a ton and slow you down.

DW

Albertt

It has the same OD, but is almost twice as long.

Question for Multiplexor: What did you use to unbolt the screws securing the rubber lines? A short stub screwdriver?

Thanks
AL

MaximaPower

iTrader: (3)

i bought from a dealer for around $13

multiplexor

for the top part of the filter, i unscrewed the hose attached to the engine piece, and not on the filter. I just could not for the life of me, get a screw driver down there. So i worked on the other end of the rubber hose. It took a tall lanky white guy like me, a long time just trying to pull the damn hose off! finally i managed Then for the bottom part of the filter, i turned the filter a bit, enough to get a long screwdriver down their, and loosened the bottom hose clamp. Taking the hose off was a bit easier. I just held the hose in my left hand as tight as possible, and just "un screwed" the filter from the hose.

I was worried i was not going to be able to put the filter back on the bottom hose (since getting it off was decently hard... not to mentionned getting the original top hose off! So on the new filter, I put oil on my finger and lightly lightly put some around the nub the hose attaches to. the bottom hose attached incredibly easy.

meanwhile my nephew the mechanic of many many years... grabs my old filter, puts his mouth to it and blows out one end........ I was like then tells me, the old filter wasn't too clogged. could have lasted a while longer. At which point i was thinking gross! but he knew what he was doing...

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

No, it's fatter, about 1.5 times. And just a little bit longer.

DW

Str8ridin

I just changed mine last weekend and here are some good tips:

-If you don't have a stuby screw driver but have one with multiple heads, you can just use the head of the screwdriver and use your fingers or attatch it to a socket wrench to get the right angle.

-Make sure to pull the fuse (32) and keep starting your car until all the fuel is out of the hoses to lessen the pressure in the hoses.

-When trying to remove the bottom hose from the filter, I found it easy when I *somehow* got both hands in there, held the filter with one hand and used a long, thin flat head screwdirver to pry between the hose and the filter. It came out easy!

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

I've done my filter twice. I usually do it in the morning when the car is stone cold. No hot engine parts to be scroched by. But, when cold, those hoses are damn near impossible to remove! Are the hoses easier to handle when the car's warm??

Next time I do mine, I think I'll just get another set of hoses and cut the old ones off. On a Maxima with ABS, these hoses are very tricky to get to, and you gotta apply so much force that there's the worry of breaking something else nearby, and there's lots nearby.

DW

time2reup

What kind of oil did you use? I have ABS and unfortunately it took me about two hours to get the filter off, which ended in me cutting the bottom hose and my thumb nearly off. Now I just can't get any leverage to get the bottom hose back on. My max has 92k on it and this was definitely the first time it had been changed. We couldn't even pull the bottom section of hose off with needle nose after we had the filter out, it was almost melted on. Alot easier on my 3rd gen

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Don't I KNOW how difficult the feul filter change is wih ABS. Those little ABS lines are perfectly IN THE WAY

DW

rmb

Just heat up the hoses/filter gently with a propane torch until the rubber starts to bubble a bit....



BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

-RMB

multiplexor

I had used a bit of mobil 1 synthetic oil.
the hose then just slid right on easily.

time2reup

Cool deal, has anyone tried jacking the car up and getting at it from underneath? We were thinking this might give us some better leverage for putting the bottom hose back on...

multiplexor

My nephew said most people should jack the car up and do it from underneath. it's what regular mechanics would probably do..... i thought it would probably be easier to get at it from the top.
I was able to do it, so i'm sure anyone else can access it and change it from the top.

time2reup

Yeah I think I am going to try some lube, and if that doesn't work I have been intending to get a nice jack anyways.

multiplexor

Sounds good. good luck

karguy

Use a 1 1/2 inch Stubby #2 phillips screwdriver. Works great!

karguy

[QUOTE]Originally posted by multiplexor
[B]On a 1996 Max:
Easy Way TO replace Fuel Filter!
The night before changing Fuel Filter I took gas cap off, this allows fuel pressure on filter to bleed off (no need to pull fuse on fuel pump etc.). First thing next morning I replaced filter using the following procedure. Loosen upper hose clamp, slide it back and carefully split upper fuel filter hose where it attaches to engine(I used Stanley Utility Knife). Hose now comes right off. Next loosen clamp on bottom of filter with stubby #2 phillips screwdriver. You can now turn filter and pull it out of bottom hose. Replace upper hose with new piece of 5/16 inch high pressure fuel hose (I got a 2 feet of it at Advance Auto - $4.00). I didn't replace bottom hose it was fine (no heat on this hose and no deterioration). Reinstall filter, reinstall upper hose and clamp on engine, and tighten all hose clamps. Put tools away, replace gas cap and start engine! Check for leaks! Piece of cake!!

Maxwell

I used a drop of dishwashing detergent, and it worked fine.

time2reup

That isn't bad for the hoses?

Maxwell

That didn't occur to me. Is there something I should know?

goldmax

Try the lazy man's way. 1) Buy new high-pressure fuel line. 2) Cut the old hose to get the fuel filter off. 3) Install new filter and new line. MUCH easier!

time2reup

If I could even see where that bottom hose ran too I definitely would. That's how I got the top hose off, just took it off from the engine, no prob. But the ABS lines made the bottom hose a problem. Do you think I would be able to see where the bottom hose connects from underneath?

As for the detergent I just know they have pretty harsh chemicals on them. Everybody says not to use them anywhere near your paint. So if it could eat through the paint I would think it would eat through a hose as well.

Maxwell

Whomever told you that is wrong. Dishwashing liquid is very mild, and using it on your car is perfectly fine. People have been doing it for decades. You wash your hands in it almost daily. They used Dawn to clean all the animals who survived the Exxon Valdez spill. Really, there are no harsh chemicals in dishwashing liquid.

time2reup

Got it back on last night, had to also remove the bracket to give myself enough room. It came down to that or the airbox, and the bracket only had 2 screws. Used some oil on the male ends of the filter and that worked wonders. Still I want to get under the car and see how easy it is to remove the bottom hose, if I can't get to it that way I would probably pay to have it done next time. The ABS is just in the way too much, but I do have plenty of scratches to explain to the ladies at the bars...always nice to let them know you have a max

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, that's what I'm doing next time. Make sure the hose is SAE 30R9 or better in specs. Regular feul line hoses are SAE 30R7. Stay away from that stuff.



DW