Xantia Fuel Filter change (hopefully!)

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Xantia Fuel Filter change (hopefully!)

Post by Penguin »

OK chaps, my Xant is 'hesitant' when driven hard. Its OK at usual pottering speeds but if giving it some stick on a dual carriageway or motorway it seems to 'stutter' a bit. I'm hoping that it will be a s straightforward as changing the fuel filter as it hasn't been changed for some time and I have been running on the golden stuff. Anyhoo I haven't done this little job before and so I have printed off the relevant pages of the BOL. The procedure they describe for changing the filter seems straightforward enough, but the procedure for repriming the fuel system looks to be a right faff. Is it really that bad?

As a bit of a mechanical novice i'm looking for reassurance here guys.

Cheers
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
User avatar
Kowalski
Posts: 2557
Joined: 15 Oct 2003, 17:41
Location: North East, United Kingdom
My Cars: Ex 05 C5 2.0 HDI Exclusive 145k
Ex 97 Xantia 1.9TD SX 144k
Ex 94 Xantia Dimension 1.9TD 199k

Post by Kowalski »

To prime the system after you've changed the filter, all you need do is squeeze the priming bulb until it goes hard, no more than that.
Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Penguin »

Thanks Kowalski, that's reassuring. The BOL process makes it seem much more complicated than that!
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
User avatar
Xaccers
Posts: 7654
Joined: 07 Feb 2007, 23:46
Location: Milling around Milton Keynes
My Cars:
x 184

Post by Xaccers »

the whole process takes about 5 minutes.
unscrew the 4 allen bolts, pop the lid off the filter housing, extract the old filter (have a plastic bag handy to put it in), drop in the new one, do up the allen bolts, prime grenade shaped bulb along fuel line by driver's side of the engine, have a cup of tea.
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
Laguna II 2.0dCi Privilege (Monty)

DIY sphere tool
citroenxm
Posts: 8061
Joined: 30 Dec 2004, 23:10
Location: Somewhere in North Wales, Anglesey
My Cars: M reg Xm S2 2.1td Auto Exclusive. 269k and rising
L reg XM S1 V6 12v Manual SEi
L 94 XM 2.1 TD auto total resto

2008 Peugeot 207 Sw 1.6 16v hdi. 217k and rising
2010 Peugeot 207 SW 1.6 8v HDi 161k and rising
x 70

Post by citroenxm »

Xantia TD fuel filter changes are an absolute doddle!!

remove the 4 screws, prerpare for a small amount of fuel spillage, remove the old filter, MAKE SURE THE RUBBER SEAL IS ON THE EDGE OF THE NEW FILTER, pop it in , DRAIN the fuel out of the old filter into the filter house!!

Put the top back on, and as said squeeze the bulb on the drivers side engine mount, start and away!!

Paul
Sharing a pug 207 1.6 hdi Sw 16v.
M reg Xm 2.1 td auto exclusive S2 269k and rising
L reg XM V6 12v SEi auto .. Light project

A very sad...
1994 XM 2.1 d auto
Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Penguin »

OK, this is all sounding ridiculously easy (famous last words!). The BOL says to open the drain screw and allow the fuel to drain completely (from the housing). Is this a total crock or have you chaps just not mentioned it?

Cheers

(this is a job for lunch break so I hope I get it right else I'm stuck at work!)
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
KP
Posts: 3980
Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 12:11
Location: Warrington
My Cars:
x 27

Post by KP »

When youopen the drain screw not much ever comes out until you let air into the system by undoing the allan bolts and opening the lid up a bit.

This makes the job a little less messy, and if there is water in there gets rid of that. Always found the only way to really drain it is have the car facing down a half decent incline or have the rear of the car jacked up and set the car to LOW suspension level and then the water is the first thing that comes out. Once its it stop the drain screw and swap to another container to avoid wsting the fuel, then proceed to drain rest off, swap the filters over, screw lid down, screw in the drain off, and prime away until the grenade feels nearly like it is a grenade :)
Penguin
Posts: 252
Joined: 04 Apr 2008, 09:35
Location: UK
My Cars:

Post by Penguin »

Well, managed to get it done thanks guys. Hopefully that will have cured my problem. I see what you mean about the drain KP, had the screw wide open and nothing came out until I opened the housing and then I got oil everywhere! Good job its at work and not on my drive, the mrs would have gone mental.
95 Xantia 1.9td SX
User avatar
Kowalski
Posts: 2557
Joined: 15 Oct 2003, 17:41
Location: North East, United Kingdom
My Cars: Ex 05 C5 2.0 HDI Exclusive 145k
Ex 97 Xantia 1.9TD SX 144k
Ex 94 Xantia Dimension 1.9TD 199k

Post by Kowalski »

KP wrote:When youopen the drain screw not much ever comes out until you let air into the system by undoing the allan bolts and opening the lid up a bit.
The C5 (or at least some versions of it) have a bleed screw on the top of the fuel filter housing to let air in, allowing you to drain the fuel from the housing before you open it to remove the filter. The filter housing is much larger than the Xantias so it takes rather longer (and wastes more fuel) to drain it.
rpaco
Posts: 101
Joined: 07 Mar 2004, 16:26
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by rpaco »

I am running my Xantia 1.9 TD on WVO and my engine suddenly cut out this morning, it was after about 20 miles and well warmed up. Just as if I had turned the ignition off, though there were no warning lights, which do come on if you do turn it off while driving, I pulled over, checked the battery terminals, oil etc to find no visible fault, then go in re started and it was then fine. Was this a fuel filter blockage? I am assuming if it was, that it was fat particles blocking the filter and that the rest with the engine off allowed them to melt in the heated filter chamber.
Any comments please from other WVO users I know there are many of you out there (like the truth)
1998 Xantia 1.9TD SX That kinda dark green that shows every spec and is an oven in the summer.
mark21td
Posts: 268
Joined: 07 Apr 2009, 13:27
Location: Heathrow
My Cars:
x 1

Post by mark21td »

Yes it could have been a fat blockage, do you cold filter your oil.

It could also of been something inside the tank blocking the stainer.
99 406 LX HDI 90 estate
99 C250TD sport estate
01 306 HDI 90 meridian estate
Brew my own biodiesel

http://www.shorewasteoil.xtreemhost.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
mark21td
Posts: 268
Joined: 07 Apr 2009, 13:27
Location: Heathrow
My Cars:
x 1

Post by mark21td »

This is a good mod for anyone running wvo.

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/for ... ?tid=10455

Great site aswell.
99 406 LX HDI 90 estate
99 C250TD sport estate
01 306 HDI 90 meridian estate
Brew my own biodiesel

http://www.shorewasteoil.xtreemhost.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
rpaco
Posts: 101
Joined: 07 Mar 2004, 16:26
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars:

Post by rpaco »

mark21td wrote:This is a good mod for anyone running wvo.

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/for ... ?tid=10455

Great site aswell.
Yes thanks I will try that when I have bought some small jubilee clips and some silicone.
1998 Xantia 1.9TD SX That kinda dark green that shows every spec and is an oven in the summer.
mark21td
Posts: 268
Joined: 07 Apr 2009, 13:27
Location: Heathrow
My Cars:
x 1

Post by mark21td »

Make sure the silicone is oil resistant.
99 406 LX HDI 90 estate
99 C250TD sport estate
01 306 HDI 90 meridian estate
Brew my own biodiesel

http://www.shorewasteoil.xtreemhost.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Xaccers
Posts: 7654
Joined: 07 Feb 2007, 23:46
Location: Milling around Milton Keynes
My Cars:
x 184

Post by Xaccers »

Be prepared to have to buy a replacement fuel filter housing after the mod as the stat can leak. Teh_Agent went through three of them I think, even trying various sealants.
Also check your fuel return line is clear and you can blow down it.
As has been mentioned, lift up the back seat on the driver's side and check the strainer on the fuel pickup, it prevents any large particles like the dust and dirt that 10 years of driving introduces into the tank.
As soon as fuel gets to something hot, it's heated sufficiently, whether that's the heat exchanger, the filter housing after the stat has shut off as it's the same temperature as the exchanger, or the pump itself.
If you're running thick fuel, ie WVO, and you're suffering fuel starvation through the viscosity being too high, then you need to look into an inline electric heater block.
DaveTheRave has one. Basically it's a metal block with one or two glow plugs in it and fuel line connectors. Fuel flows in and is either heated directly or indirectly by the glow plugs meaning it is up to temperature straight away before it gets to the filter.
1.9TD+ SX Xantia Estate (Cassy) running on 100% veg
1.9TD SX Xantia Hatchback (Jenny) running on 100% veg for sale
Laguna II 2.0dCi Privilege (Monty)

DIY sphere tool
Post Reply