how to change a fuel filter?

[vk.jonno]

ive heard there are special ways to do it ?
like start the car and whist its running disconnect the fuel pump fuse so there isnt any fuel in the lines or something like that?
is that a load of shit or how exactly do i change the filter
thanks for any advice..

[vk.jonno]

ok well i got it
but petrol goes everywhere when i disconnected a hose... wtf...?
do i just leave it run down when im changing it or somehting

[project commy]

you can put a screw in the end of the hose to stop the fuel running out. it always happens. will take a little longer than normal to start afterwards as the fuel system will need to be primed by the fuel pump. but thats normal

[vk.jonno]

ywe i just cant get the 2nd hose out :P
lol ill do it after work so all the food doesnt taste like petrol

[project commy]

ha ha good idea

[ari666]

undo hose clamps and move them out of the way, grab a rag, hold the hose with the rag twisted around it. and TWIST the hose, dont pull. pulling wont do anything. twist till you hear a 'crack' then you pull-twist. left and right. wriggling it free is the only way to get it off. pulling will just hurt yourself when it comes free and you hit your knuckle on something sharp.

p.s. button rules, webber is a nuff-nuff.

[vk.jonno]

lol..
well i got it before work.. forgot the rag idea got sprayed with petrol (N) lol!
and it kept coming out, the filter holds a fair bit...
but thank god i changed it,. the petrol inside it..
grotty as,, when i took it off and held it upside down it was like liquid rust
i swaer my car was running on rust dude,
but now ive got my
new plugs, leads, oil, filters and WINDOW TINTT(look at my vk thread ari )
it runs great!
exept for this electrical problem im having, can this car ever be running perfict?

quik question.. if i start my car one day,, and then start it again later that day its fine..
but if i start it say the day after or any other day iit will not start, i have to jump start it...
could this be the battery or do u think there is a short somewhere?
should i buy a battery to narrow it down?
thanks..

[project commy]

use a multimeter to test if the alternator is charging the battery. if it is charging ok (12-14volts) your battery may well be the problem

[danja]

A little bit late I realise, but the proper way to do the fuel filter is to disconnect the fuel pump fuse/relay (before you start the car mind), then start the car and wait for it to stall - it can take a few minutes sometimes. What this does is depressurise the fuel system, which on a fuel injected car runs at very high pressure, so if you didn't do this you'd almost certainly end up spraying fuel everywhere when you disconnected the hose.

Now get under the back where the filter is, with a small glass/cup (not plastic). Disconnect the hose and drain the petrol into the cup. Voila, no mess.

[DerekP]

quik question.. if i start my car one day,, and then start it again later that day its fine..
but if i start it say the day after or any other day iit will not start, i have to jump start it...
could this be the battery or do u think there is a short somewhere?
should i buy a battery to narrow it down?
thanks..[/QUOTE]

How old is your battery? How are the terminals and clamps? I had a similar problem with my VH - cleaned up the battery terminals and put new brass clamps on, it made quiet a difference.

[vk.jonno]

new terminals (broke old ones so purchased new,
andbattery looks new

[Darren_L]

sounds like something is drawing power when the car is off.
Easy test if you don't have access to a multimeter/amp meter - turn the ignition off. Disconnect the negative lead from the battery and then lightly touch it on & off the terminal a couple of times. If there is any sort of spark occuring, then something is drawing significant current with the ignition off - which is flattening your battery over a couple of days

My g/f's son had the same problem with his car. Turned out someone wired up the main power wire from the stereo directly to the battery, when it should have been wired to the ignition

[vk.jonno]

ill run outside and do that now,
so what i do is disconnect negitive...
and just tap the volt meter on the negitive

[BoNeZ-01]

ill run outside and do that now,
so what i do is disconnect negitive...
and just tap the volt meter on the negitive

Or even just tap the clamp on the battery terminal after you take it off, if it sparks a little as you tap it back on, then there may be power being drained from somewhere, possibly stereo or something like that.
ps. Obviously, make sure everything is turned off, before doing the test.

[vk.jonno]

thanks mate ill go do it now

[vk.jonno]

ok so i went out side and did it,
sparks came.. then i realised the door was open :S :P
lol
checked the fuses (just incase )
and did it again.. no sparks..
does that mean its the battery?
or maybe the altenater isnt producing enough power?

[ari666]

to test the alternator: start the car take of the negative terminal. if the car still runs the alternator is working. turn on the lights/heater/radio/hazard lights and anything else electrical you have hooked up. if the car dies, its not producing enough power at idle may not mean its dead. it could be a case of increasing your idle speed. my stupid 140A alternator only charges at 1100rpm for some reason so at idle i get no volts at all, lights dim, thermo fans slow down and the radio sometimes shuts off

to test the battery drive around. prk it up. take both terminals off the battery and leave it for 24 hours or so. the longer the better. reconnect then see if she starts. if it doesnt then you may have a dud battery.

[BoNeZ-01]

ok so i went out side and did it,
sparks came.. then i realised the door was open :S :P
lol
checked the fuses (just incase )
and did it again.. no sparks..
does that mean its the battery?
or maybe the altenater isnt producing enough power?

It is possible it's the alternator itself, or, it could be the regulator on the back of the alternator isn't working as it should.
At idle your alternator should be putting out about 13.6 volts.
If not check the regulator. I can't remember how this is done, someone else in here may know.
Otherwise have an auto electrician check your alternator & reg for output, that way you'l know for sure.
Only other thing I can think of this point, would be to check the connections on your starter motor.
These have a habit of getting a bad contact, and if not enough power is getting through them, it wont start.
Disconnect your battery first of course, don't wanna get zapped.. lol.
Then undo them one by one, so you don't get them mixed up, and give them a good clean.
Make sure there is a nice clean shiney metal surface on all sides of the connections.
If these are all good, then it's also possible the starter motor could be having internal issues?
Solenoids have a habit of playing up, as well as the starter motor in the wire windings and contacts and stuff inside it.

[vk.jonno]

ok i will text altonater first cos that seems like the easiest task...
but starter motor.. where is that located :S nooooob question

[BoNeZ-01]

I'm just trying to think back to the days of the old Holden 6.. lol
From memory, it's tucked in under the exhaust manifold/headers..?
A bit of a pain in the neck to get to(literally! lol), depending on your exhaust set up(factory headers or aftermarket extractors)..
It's bolted to the bellhousing, on the gearbox.
From memory the connections should be near the end of the starter motor, that faces towards the front of the car.

[vk.jonno]

factory extractors on the fuel inected models
i just went to try start it to remove negitive termanal but the ****er wont start
sometimes i will be driving, stop for 5 minutes and it wont start again!
so annoying

[BoNeZ-01]

hmm.. This reminds me of another issue..
If I remember correctly, on the side of the distributor, there should be like a metal shield, about the size of a match box.
This shield covers an electronic module, for the Electronic Spark Timing.
When you take the shield of, there will be a black piece in there with connections on it.
But under it, should be like a white-ish creamy stuff, where it sits.
This is a special thermal paste, which acts as a heat sink, to draw heat away from it.
I had this problem on my old VH, the paste would dry up, and I had to keep adding more.
If the module gets too hot, sometimes it wont work, so there's no ignition to start or run.
I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure even the EFI models still had this module on their dizzy's.
Might be worth checking out, problem is, getting hold of that thermal paste..
I found it difficult to find a place that sold it in small sizes, since you don't need like a whole tube full.
Just enough for a thick coating to cover the metal base of the module..

[vk.jonno]

lol ahh not easy to narrow problems down is it hahaha
i hate electrics!
so i just check for a lubrication and if theres none get this white pastey crap?

[BoNeZ-01]

lol.. yeah, unfortunately sometimes it's just a process of elimination, until you find the cause..
But at least that way, you've gone through a few different things, which you may not have otherwise, and made sure they are all in good order.
Better at home, than stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere..
And, on top of it all, your gaining more experience and knowledge about your car.
But yeah it may be worth checkin out that module, at least if nothing else, it's a way of eliminating it as the cause or not.
Hopefully where you are is like a Supercheap or similar kind of store, where you can get the right stuff.
And hopefully, they'l know what you're talking about when you ask them.. lol

[vk.jonno]

couldnt find what u are talking about mate sorry
i took photos of my engine starter motor battery and dizzy to show u i will upload after work (8.00)