Xantia fuel filter - Tank end

Penguin · Post by **Penguin** » 08 Jun 2009, 13:13

Hi all,

Can anyone tell me where the fuel filter is at the tank end of the system (I assume there is one)? Is it easy to get at? Over the weekend I emptied 10l of suspect WVO into my tank and I just want to be prepared, should the worst happen!

Cheers

Penguin..

Post by **CitroJim** » 08 Jun 2009, 13:21

It's a strainer on the end of the pickup pipe inside the tank. Lift the back set up and remove the big bung to expose the tank sender/pickup unit. Undo the big ring nut holding the unit into the tank and then lift the whole shebang out of the tank, taking care not to damage the fuel gauge float assembly. The strainer will then be seen.

The ring nut can be a bit of a devil to undo and being plastic, some care is best exercised in the persuit of undoing it.

Penguin · Post by **Penguin** » 08 Jun 2009, 13:24

Cheers Jim. So relatively easy for a novice like myself then (famous last words!)

George · Post by **George** » 08 Jun 2009, 13:36

Here's how it is on mk1 Xantias

Access is under the back seat, take out the black rubber disc, you'll need a small hammer and a big flat bladed screwdriver to loosen the top. It's a while since I've done this job so you may need a couple of jubilee clips handy for the fuel lines. You'll need to ease out the assembly that includes the float, the fuel strainer is on the bottom.

Be careful not to knock off too many of the lugs, when loosening the top.

On mk2's it a bit trickier as the strainer is at the bottom of a tube.

Keep the hammer, screwdriver and clips in the boot, you'll be readier than I was.

Penguin · Post by **Penguin** » 08 Jun 2009, 13:41

OK George now you are beginning to scare me a bit! Why will I need jubilee clips? Do I have to undo the fuel lines?

I hope I don't actually need to do this job, but I fear I will!

Edit: The rubber disc/bung just lifts out (with persuasion) as opposed to screwing in?

Penguin · Post by **Penguin** » 08 Jun 2009, 14:00

OK, just found it in the BOL. I must say that it sounded much easier when Jim described it! It says in the BOL that I should use a new sealing ring and that the old one MUST be discarded. Is this the case in people's experience?

Cheers

bonnyman750 · Post by **bonnyman750** » 08 Jun 2009, 14:32

Hi Penguin,

This is a copy of an earlier post of mine...

To get the black ring off mine I used the time old method of using a broad flat bladed screwdriver and a hammer. Once the ring starts to move, apply pressure downwards on the sender unit as it is under spring pressure and it will make the ring unscrew easier.
Before unscrewing the ring undo the two clips on the fuel pipes, ease the pipes off the sender unit carefully as the white plastic they are made out of tends to grow brittle as it ages! I find that putting a flat bladed screwdriver in between the white inlet/outlet shoulder and the end of the pipe and pushing the pipe off the easier and better way. Put some paper tissue down to soak up any fuel spillage.
Once the pipes are off, take the clips off the pipes and store them somewhere safe as you can guarantee they will fall off and end up somewhere on top of the tank where you just can't get to them! I put mine on the nearest seat fixing stud welded to the floor. Then tuck the pipes out of the way.
Unclip the electrical connector block and stow out of harms way then undo the ring. To get the ring out of the aperture, press the sender unit down and ease the ring out. Have a bowl ready and ease the sender unit out and drop into the bowl. Tip it upside down to inspect the filter.
I cleaned mine out in a parts washer so that I could get all the small rubbish out from behind the filter and flush it out of the feed pipe at the top of the sender unit.
While it is out check the circuit board that sends the empty/full message to the fuel gauge. Any damage may cause false readings on the gauge in which case a replacement unit may be the way to go.
Before replacing the unit back in the tank, check down the hole in the tank for any debris that may be lurking in there. My filter was completely clogged in jelly like stuff and there were more large pieces of it inside the tank, which I had to remove with long nosed pliers as I had just refilled the tank before reading the original thread.
When looking into the tank take note of the white plastic peg sticking out (on the right hand side of the aperture looking towards the front of the car) as this locates in a space in the side of the sender unit main body. To make the locating of the unit easier, turn the unit so that the pipe outlets are pointing towards the pillar between the right hand doors (B pillar) and the peg/space location will be easily seen. Locate the sender in the hole and push down against the spring pressure. Fit the ring and screw it down as far as you can just by hand first. Then tap the ring round until the web on the ring with the arrow on it lines up with the arrow moulded into the top of the sender unit and no further! Fit the pipes, clips, electrical block connector and large rubber grommet into the floor. Start the car to reprime the system...job done!

Just for further info, I found it easier to take the seat cushion(s) out...depending on what level of trim you have, as they tend to keep falling down and it also makes it easier to keep the carpet up and out of the way. Also make sure that the large floor grommet is put back properly as it will let water in which will sit undetected under the seat carpet.

Hope this helps...
Glyn

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » 08 Jun 2009, 14:44

When you say suspect WVO what do you mean? I'd say that its unlikely you would need to tankt eh sender unit out just for 10L, i took mine out after a year of the stuff and it wasnt too bad and my filtering methods are by no means stringent, literally filter + large bucket = fuel. If you are worried just have a look at your main fuel filter, i replace mine once a month because it becomes severly blocked!

Post by **Paul-R** » 08 Jun 2009, 15:03

I don't run WVO, or even SVO, as I have an HDi but surely it can't be good for the pump to have large (or even medium!) amount of crud passing through?

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » 08 Jun 2009, 15:14

Well i dont put crud in lol, but its not exactly premium grade, hence the regular filter change ( although it should need changing less now ive put an inline fuel heater on it!) 8)

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 08 Jun 2009, 18:37

You might not put crud in intentionally but it's well-known that bacteria can thrive in diesel and will produce crud over time.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » 08 Jun 2009, 18:48

True, for that purpose i bought some special biocide stuff from ebay, usually used for fuel systems on boats. Seems to have worked thus far and was pretty cheap and highly concentrated so lasts an awful long time!

Penguin · Post by **Penguin** » 08 Jun 2009, 21:14

Thanks Glyn, very informative.

As for putting crud in, well it wasn't deliberate! Hopefully I won't need to do all of this, but I put 10l of WVO from one container in yesterday via a filtered funnel and it went in easy. Then I opened the second 10l container and tried the same thing, this time it took forever to get through the funnel fiter. It didn't seem to pour right either. Couldn't put my finger on it but every now and then it seemed to 'gloop'. Stupidly I persevered. Should have stopped and refiltered. When I had finished I needed to clean my funnel filter as it was pretty blocked. Hopefully all the crud was caught in my funnel and didn't enter my tank at all but I thought it prudent to find out what I will need to do should it all go pear shaped.

davetherave · Post by **davetherave** » 08 Jun 2009, 22:10

The gloop you could have experienced could be due to weather changes! I.e i filtered a lot of fuel when it was really hot last week, if i were to use that now without mixing it with a thinner, then it would be extremely thick!

jgra1 · Post by **jgra1** » 08 Jun 2009, 22:22

hi Penguin, I had that scenario with one batch of WVO.. I had a wire mesh on funnel which caught the stuff, and also some glooping going on..

It was cold, and maybe a different batch to my normal..

on my TD, I just persevered adn all was well