changing Is200d fuel filter at home

[jumbojake]

I've finally got around to the  second part of the service... fuel filter and  read diff check.

wow!!!.... who the **** designed this ?!?! ... did they they get a British Leyland team in ????    Cannot think of a worse design for a serviceable part!

I have the official Lexus procedure, got the car nice and high on my ramps ..... I can see all the bits I need to touch ... just can't figure out how reach one of the bolts and worse, dealing with the two pipes... can only get finger tips to them.

With the fear I might not get the pipes back on, I thought it prudent to postpone this job and ask a few questions!

Has anyone managed this on their driveway?

Any tips??

[Shahpor]

My mechanic friend and I managed to do it on axle stands.  It took 8 hours in the end!  Although he did say that if he needed to do it again, it wouldn't take anywhere near that long.

It is a complete pain of a job, I agree.

It has been a year since I had it done, so I am trying to remember what we did.

Can you post a picture of the bits you are having trouble with?  Might help.

Also, you say you have the official Lexus procedure, so is that from the workshop manual?

[jumbojake]

I got the procedure from the lexus website... few quid and downloaded all of the procedure for basic servicing.

As for a pic. .. I have stolen this from some else's thread.... problem I am concerned about is reaching and removing the hoses... I want to know if there are any tricks to getting them off and on again !

[Shahpor]

I am afraid there is no trick to it, you just do the best you can.

Have you unbolted the filter?

Are you also doing the sediment filter?

As for the manual, does it look like this?

 

[jumbojake]

Yes, I have the procedure, just can't get a pair of pliars and my fingers to the hoses.... is it worth loosening the filter first? I didn't want to, as thought it would make it harder.

Yes, I will drain the sediment trap also... again appalling design, especially for a Japanese car.

[Shahpor]

Yeah, it is very poor placement.

Have you moved the fuel valve assembly?  In that picture, it is still in place.

Otherwise, yes, you can unbolt the filter, which might make it easier.  I can't remember exactly, but I think in the end we might have removed the hoses from the other end because they weren't coming off the side the manual suggested.

[Linas.P]

I am starting to think that they do it deliberately, so that people not going to try to do it themselves and instead use their service.

[jumbojake]

Just an update on this one ... finaly got around to this (as part of this years service) ... took me over 3hours ... with a couple of diesel eye washes and some language that probably upset my neighbours!

Worth doing as it was full of all sorts of crap, but my advice for anyone atempting this....  sell the car!!   Thought I wouod keep this car until it died, but might be just before the next major service

[ahmedali44]

I had mine done by a garage took almost a day to do it and he broke other housing with it as he opened wrong one and broke plastic pipe with tap to drain fuel but he then fixed with copper piping, thought what a rubbish design.thank God sold car 

[Shahpor]

It is a bugger, isn't it?

My car is going in for a major service in a couple of week, and according to the website they are supposed to change the fuel filter.

I will have to ask them to make sure, especially as it says model dependant which is strange considering it should be the same for all engines.

[IS200D]

12 hours ago, jumbojake said:

Just an update on this one ... finaly got around to this (as part of this years service) ... took me over 3hours ... with a couple of diesel eye washes and some language that probably upset my neighbours!

Worth doing as it was full of all sorts of crap, but my advice for anyone atempting this....  sell the car!!   Thought I wouod keep this car until it died, but might be just before the next major service

What year is your car John, only I'm thinking I wont even ask a mechanic to do mine (and hoping mines not full of crap), after the reading all the nightmare storys on this thread!

[jumbojake]

Mine is 2012, so probably first time it was done .... having never trusted garages (hence why I diy) ... I'd be very surprised if a mechanic who had attempted this before who bother, especially when they are working on a fix price.

It would be only slightly easier with workshop lifts, and there are no special tools to help (at least not according to the lexus workshop instructions)...... I could imagine them draining the reservoir and call it done.  The only thing that would make it easier is to remove the rear diff, not in the instructions, but could save time. ... something to think about if I ever consider it again.

[IS200D]

10 hours ago, jumbojake said:

Mine is 2012, so probably first time it was done .... having never trusted garages (hence why I diy) ... I'd be very surprised if a mechanic who had attempted this before who bother......

You're right. My last Lexus service (60k mile type)report sheet shows an unticked box next to 'replace diesel fuel filter every 7 years or 50k miles'...so I guess the technician must have attempted it before and thought I'm not doing that again!