DIY Diesel Fuel Filter Change for under $20.00 - Porsche Cayenne / TDI VW Touareg / Audi Q7 

Everything here is fine with one exception. You should prime the fuel system and rid it of air before you attempt to start to reduce wear on the high pressure pump. Do this by cycling the key on without depressing the brake. This will turn on the pump for a few seconds (you can hear it run and then shut off). Shut the key off and let it sit for several seconds, then repeat three to five times. At that point the canister is full of fuel, the air is gone from the lines and the engine is now ready to start to check for leaks. Diesel fuel in the US is not nearly as regulated as it is in the EU where these were designed and built. Regional differences and formulations exist. And getting name brand fuel is important too. Diesel absorbs moisture and poor quality fuel can have both water and algae in suspension. The manual recommends replacing the fuel filter every 20K miles. However, your filter was very dirty. You might consider doing yours on a shorter interval given it is an inexpensive way to care for your machinery and is easy to accomplish. Dont skimp on the quality of filter either. A European Mann brand filter is $30 via internet while the OEM is closer to $100 for the same quality filter. Finally, make sure you document the fuel filter change, date, and mileage to prevent the dealer from trying to void your warranty for failing to provide evidence that you followed the service recommended in the manual.

Thanks so much for posting this. Got the courage up to tackle this on my 2013 CD. All went well. I refilled the little reservoir with fresh diesel before restarting just to be on the safe side.

It is highly recommended to prime the filter & fuel system with fuel before starting the engine. You'll need a scan tool that can operate the pumps to do that.

❤ love your videos. Saving lots & learning a lot.

Great video. I'd recommend using nitrile gloves when working with diesel fuel. I believe that the torque spec for the screws holding down the top of the filter housing is 5 nm.

Very helpful. I have a ‘13 cayenne diesel. Gonna see if you have a battery replacement vid on this channel. I just subscribed!

Great video

Thanks for the tutorial... something so simple is definitely worth doing yourself to save a few hundred dollars not to mention the time spent going back and forth to the dealer. If you're taking requests for future videos, I'm already fearful of what happens when my 14 diesel needs to have the battery replaced. A video demonstrating how to access the battery under the drivers seat would be greatly appreciated. If I have to get to it before you, I'll be sure to send a video your way.

Fantastic!

Thank you for such magnificent instruction. I live in Bangkok, Thailand. I will do change the fuel filter on my Cayenne 2011. I will let you you know how it goes.

Thanks great video and explained the process very well. Have you done one on cleaning the erg valve?

Don’t need extractor, just undo 2x 10mm bolts the canister comes out and you can clean it properly

A turkey baster will work just fine for sucking out the diesel canister.

You don’t have to do this ourside because of the flammable nature of the project. Diesel fuel does not form vapors as gasoline does. This is one of the reasons auxiliary boat engines are diesel. You don’t need all the venting and blowers needed for a gas engine.

Did you check a check engine light on after changing the filter? I always used to top up the filter case with Seafoam or stanadyne so the pump would prime faster on my Jetta tdi.

Is it not necessary to use a vag com to flush the air and refill the canister with fuel before you start the engine? Many of the threads I've read have mentioned this a a critical step so as to not damage the high pressure fuel pump....any thoughts?

1) I like to get a damp towel with WD40 or diesel fuel to wipe the top of the filter housing before opening it so no dirt can fall in. 2) Why suck any fuel from the housing at all? Since you checked and saw almost no residue, you might as well just drop the new filter in and close it up. That way much less pumping has to go on at startup. The way that filter looks, it seems the inside of the filter must remain clean, not the outside. The only thing I wonder about is water in the fuel... My old Passat diesel used to have a drain on the bottom to drain out any water. I suppose the fuel sits on top of the water, if any... 3) I like to get and use the torque spec, just to be sure.

Could you not just poor a little fresh diesel in the canister once you replace the filter ? Might be less stress on the system once the engine is restarted ???

Hi, great review! I got a Q7 TDI. I’m located in Florida but I’m having hard time finding oil for tdi looked around local auto parts and they don’t have it. Any suggestions? Thanks

how often does it need to be replaced?

My 14 Q7 TDI has a cartridge on the drivers side.