Fuel Filter Change: step by step

[mcginnpm]

I finally got around to changing the fuel filter today on my 2009 Genny 4.6L sedan. I gotta wonder what the engineers at Hyundai were thinking of when they designed this. It would have been so much easier to put a standard fuel filter somewhere along the fuel feed line OUTSIDE of the fuel tank. The procedure turns out to be not all that difficult for anyone who's mechnically inclined. It just seems intimidating.

Step 1 - Safety first. Make sure you've got a fire extinquisher on hand that's rated for a fuel fire and make sure you're working in a well ventilated place with no sources of ignition around.

Step 2 - Remove the rear seat cushion: remove the two 13mm bolts that you'll find between the seat cushion and the back cushion, pull up on the lower front edge of the seat cushion to disengage the front brackets, and then pull it foward to remove it (see red circles in JPEG #1)

Step 3 - Remove the six Phillips head screws on the fuel pump access panel on the left side behind the driver's seat (see yellow circles in JPEG #1)

Step 4 - Disconnect the electric pump wiring connector (see red circles in JPEG #2)

Step 5 - Start the motor and let it run until it conks out (this helps to bleed pressurized fuel from the fuel feed line) and then turn off the ignition.

Step 6 - Disconnect the suction hose and the fuel feed line (see green circles in JPEG #2). Have plenty of rags ready as there will still be some residual pressure in the line. I had about a ounce of fuel squirt out when I disconnected the fuel feed line even after turning over the engine several times after it conked out.

Step 7 - Remove the eight Phillips head bolts (see the yellow circles in JPEG #2) and the black retaining ring. JPEG #3 shows the fuel pump assembly with everything disconnected and removed just prior to lifting it out of the fuel tank.

Step 8 - Carefully lift the fuel pump assembly out of the fuel tank. Again, have plenty of rags to catch the drips and spills. You'll need to rotate the pump back as you lift it out to clear the fuel sender arm and float. JPEG #4 show the fuel tank with the fuel pump removed and JPEG #5 shows the fuel pump assembly on my garage floor.

Step 9 - Disconnect the electric pump and fuel sender connectors, remove the fuel sender arm, remove the assist pump, disconnect the fuel feed tube, remove the electric pump/pre-filter, remove the fuel pressure regulator, and remove the top plate. If you look carefully at the pump, you'll see all the connectors and clips that need to be disconnected to take the fuel pump assembly apart. A couple of small flat head screw drivers will help with unclipping all the clips and a small hooked tool will be helpful to remove the O-rings from the old filter. Bottom line - take your time and don't force any of the clips or connectors. You certainly don't want to break one. JPEG #6 shows the fuel pump assembly completely broken down (the fuel filter is the white plastic part in the upper right). Make note of all the parts in the picture and make sure you've removed them from the old filter element before you re-assembling the new filter.

Assembly is the reverse of the above steps. When you re-insert the fuel pump assembly back into the fuel tank be carefull that the green gasket seats properly . Overall, this should run you around 30 minutes to an hour to complete.

If you're interested in seeing how to change the fuel tank air filter, go to my post here: http://www.genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showpost.php?p=92435&postcount=15

 

[Mark_888]

I finally got around to changing the fuel filter today on my 2009 Genny 4.6L sedan. I gotta wonder what the engineers at Hyundai were thinking of when they designed this.

They were thinking it would be a good idea to discourage anyone from trying to change it.

Step 1 - Safety first. Make sure you've got a fire extinquisher on hand that's rated for a fuel fire and make sure you're working in a well ventilated place with no sources of ignition around.

Ok, you just convinced me to not change it.

 

[tmealer]

I think it's great the way it is designed. I've changed several pumps and filters in American cars, and you have to remove the gas tank first. The American car pumps usually fail after a fill-up, so you have that to deal with. This shouldn't be much of a problem at all.

 

[mcginnpm]

I think it's great the way it is designed.

I would agree that it's a "great" design for accessing a fuel pump and fuel filter which have been mounted inside the tank. Having an access panel is infinitely better than needing to remove the fuel tank to get to the pump and filter.

Putting the fuel filter INSIDE the tank in the first place is what I question. Having the fuel filter so "intimately" connected to the pump, fuel level sensor, pressure regulator, feed tubes, and electrical connections is what I question. When you consider the required change interval, the labor required to change the filter, and the parts and pieces that could be lost or damaged in the process of changing it, you've gotta wonder just what the engineers where thinking when they designed it.

Every car I've owned prior to my Genny had an easily accessible, in-line fuel filter that could be changed in a matter of minutes by simply disconnecting two fuel line connections and loosening a clamp or bolt holding the filter in place.

The fuel filter design for my Genny is the equivilant of burying the engine air filter somewhere in the bowls of the engine block and requiring you to remove the cylinder head to access it and saying it was a "great" design because you did not have to remove the entire engine.

An overall great design? I don't think so.

 

[blasterguam]

Great instructional post, Mike.

I also agree it's a dumb place to locate a fuel filter. I call guys who designs like this "cubicle engineers". Intelligent people, but they are in no way connected to the real world or understand what it takes after the design leaves their desk.

 

[TJPark01]

How many miles do you have on your car?

 

[mcginnpm]

How many miles do you have on your car?

I'm just about to clock 38K miles.

I changed the fuel filter per the service interval recommended in the owner's manual, which calls for it at 37.5K miles

 

[TJPark01]

I'm just about to clock 38K miles.

I changed the fuel filter per the service interval recommended in the owner's manual, which calls for it at 37.5K miles

I asked several people about the fuel filter and fuel tank filter and even pointed it out in the manual. I got the same answer every time. Unless you're having a problem, it's not worth changing them in newer cars.
I'm a big believer in ounce of prevention pound of cure but not sure about this one.

 

[scottdk]

I asked several people about the fuel filter and fuel tank filter and even pointed it out in the manual. I got the same answer every time. Unless you're having a problem, it's not worth changing them in newer cars.
I'm a big believer in ounce of prevention pound of cure but not sure about this one.

I'm the same way TJ. I was also told the same thing when I had my 2003 Elantra. The dealer told me to not change the fuel filter, which was also in the tank like the Genesis.

Never had a problem with the car - drove the Elantra to 110,000 miles when I traded up to the Genesis.

 

[TJPark01]

I'm the same way TJ. I was also told the same thing when I had my 2003 Elantra. The dealer told me to not change the fuel filter, which was also in the tank like the Genesis.

Never had a problem with the car - drove the Elantra to 110,000 miles when I traded up to the Genesis.

I asked them (several service advisers and even a technician). The SA, explained that they have never seen issues with newer cars, I asked them why the manual states to change them, they said probably to err on the side of caution.
The tech said the evap canister will sometimes get clogged by spiders laying nests in there and you will have a hard time filling the gas tank. He also said the fuel systems now are very precisely controlled and under high pressure. If there is anything clogging the filter you're gonna get a CEL code on the dash. He also mentioned something about the tanks being mostly plastic now and that rust that used to eat the inside of the tanks, doesn't happen anymore, so the odds of getting the filter clogged with debris are very low.

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[mcginnpm]

The dealer told me to not change the fuel filter

If an authorized Hyundai dealer were to provide me with a written statement that they had inspected my vehicle at the required service interval and that they recommended NOT performing a manufacturer's required maintenance action at the specified interval or frequency, then I'd be more than happy to skip doing the maintenance.

Page 7-8 of my owner's manual says, "The following maintenance services must be performed to ensure good emission control and performance. Keep receipts for all vehicle emission services to protect your warranty." It doesn't say "should be performed" or "can be performed at the discretion of you local Hyundai dealer".

Since I do most of my own work on my Genny, and having been on the receiving end of lawyers defending what is written vice what is said, I'll continue to err on the side of caution and do the scheduled maintenance while my car is under warranty. If I am not able to perform the scheduled maintenance myself, I'll take it to a local certified mechanic or the dealership.

 

[mcginnpm]

I asked them (several service advisers and even a technician).

TJ - Have you asked an HMA warranty representative, or the HMA legal department what they say about skipping scheduled maintenance? Have you asked those same service advisors and technicians to put their statements on paper...preferable something with a Hyundai letterhead on it...and then sign it? I bet they'd balk if you asked them to do that.

 

[TJPark01]

TJ - Have you asked an HMA warranty representative, or the HMA legal department what they say about skipping scheduled maintenance?

No, I'm just not that concerned about it. I'm all about the DIY and I know how to do this service, but to be honest, it doesn't worry me. Plus I will likely trade this car before the warranty is over. I hear what you're saying, but I'm willing to roll the dice on this one.

 

[mcginnpm]

I hear what you're saying, but I'm willing to roll the dice on this one.

I'm with you 100%, TJ. We all accept our own levels of risk, and we should also accept responsibility for those risks when and if they are realized.

Lot's of folks on this forum look up to the more "senior and seasoned" posters for advice and recommendations. When our respected posters say, "I talked to the dealer/service advisor/technician and they said you don't really need to do that scheduled service", some people take that as gospel.

People need to keep in mind that if their car has a problem a year, or two or three down the road and the problem is traced to skipped scheduled maintenance, they won't care if you say "But my dealer said that I didn't need to do that maintenance". You can be guaranteed that your dealer won't join you in court saying "Yes, your honor, I distinctly remember telling him that he didn't need to do the manufacturer's scheduled maintenance." You'll have even less of a leg to stand on if you say "I read it on the Genesis Owners forum that I didn't need to do that service, so I skipped it."

Like I mentioned in my previous post, get it in writing from the dealer that the scheduled service is not required. At least you'll have documented proof that the dealer told you to skip it if there's ever a question years down the road. As you said in your previous post, "an ounce of prevention, a pound of cure." It only takes a few seconds to ask the dealer to provide the statement. If they refuse, then demand that the service be performed in accordance with the owners manual.

 

[tmealer]

Mike, you're absolutely right about the recommended scheduled maintenance, and the warranty. Before I retired, I was an aircraft mechanic. Same stuff. "Recommended, but I didn't do it" won't stand up in a warranty situation. And, you're correct about the bad design in the first place. That is made that way because it's cheaper and quicker to build. Only reason! An inline filter is a much better way to go. After the warranty expires, leave that sock filter off, and install an inline filter.

 

[TJPark01]

Mike, you're absolutely right about the recommended scheduled maintenance, and the warranty. Before I retired, I was an aircraft mechanic. Same stuff. "Recommended, but I didn't do it" won't stand up in a warranty situation. And, you're correct about the bad design in the first place. That is made that way because it's cheaper and quicker to build. Only reason! An inline filter is a much better way to go. After the warranty expires, leave that sock filter off, and install an inline filter.

Almost all newer cars I've seen have this design. So are do all new cars have bad designs?

 

[PSL]

MCGINNPM,
Do you have a photo you would be willing to post of either the old, new (or both) fuel filters? I understand it is encased in the white plastic piece in the top of your photo, but I would love to see the actual fuel filter. I have dropped a few fuel tanks in the past to change out fuel pumps that were enclosed in the tank, but the Jeep Grand Cherokee(s) I worked on (94, 95, and 1998 models) had a pre-filter boot like the Genesis at the bottom of the tank, attached to the intake portion of the pump, but had an inline filter outside the fuel tank. That would have been a much better way to go if the Jeeps' had a top access panel to the pump, for removal. My experience with those filters was that the pre-filter would get clogged, screw up the pump and the inline fuel filter would be fine; although I would change it anyway. Those were metal tanks though. Anyway, just hopping you possibly have a pic of the filter.

Thanks a bunch -

 

[Southern Boy]

Thanks for taking the time and initiative to post this fuel tank filter change procedure step by step with pictures.
Its members like you that make this site so valuable to other owners.
We can debate all we want about the thought process of the engineers’ , but when you have a problem or just want to follow the recommended maintenance it is great to have a written and visual procedure to refer to.
Thanks again. Semper Fi

 

[mcginnpm]

Do you have a photo you would be willing to post of either the old, new (or both) fuel filters? I understand it is encased in the white plastic piece in the top of your photo, but I would love to see the actual fuel filter.

PSL,

The plastic contraption you see in the upper right of JPEG #6 is what you'll get from the Hyundai parts guy when you order a fuel filter, so that's the actual filter. It's a sealed plastic unit.

Unfortunately, the old filter went out with the recyclables last week, so I don't have that on hand any more to take more pictures of, if you were looking for some additional angles or views of it.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[mcginnpm]

Almost all newer cars I've seen have this design. So do all new cars have bad designs?

It's all a matter of opinion. If you are the designer or the builder, perhaps the design is good. If you are the maintainer, perhaps the design is bad.

I didn't design or build my Genny but, as the maintainer, my vote is "Bad Design"