Just a word of warning really, I started up my late 2000 B5 Passat 4Motion 2.8 V6 last Friday morning, and reversed out of the garage - and left a trail of wet stuff on the garage floor and drive - petrol! Dumped it back in garage, could see that there was a spray of fuel coming from the I/L side of the fuel filter. Anyway, to cover all bases, I ordered up a new filter, seals and banjo bolts (one went funny as I tightened it at previous filter change so I thought that I had over done it). Picked up the parts this Friday and fitted them, there was a breach of about 2mm across the sealing face at the filter I/L - ie something, probably winter road salt, had corroded the aluminium of the filter - proper VAG one - manufactured by the usual Kneght(sp?). So, why did the original filter, same manufacturer, last about 8 years 60,000 miles without any signs of corrosion, and this one failed at about 4 years 20,000 miles? Maybe VAG had sprayed some under body wax about and some of it protected the original filter. So, if any of you have a 2.8 V6 petrol engine in your car, and the filter has been replaced, then maybe clean the ends up and coat with Waxoyl to prevent you having what happened to me!

By the way, the original banjo bolts were still servicable, but I was just playing safe, and for those that do not know, the fuel filter on the 2.8 V6 petrol engine is located just in front of the O/S/R wheel and slightly inboard of it - so it gets lots of road "stuff" thrown at it and it's aluminium and it has not got any environmental protection.

Edited 11 March, 201214 yr by rum4mo

despite what service schedule says, it is good practice to change fuel filter every 2 years - they only cost a fiver anyway

despite what service schedule says, it is good practice to change fuel filter every 2 years - they only cost a fiver anyway

True, though these big filters fitted to this car do tend to cost more like £20 and need ordering in, its not too good when a filter's life is limited by what it sees getting thrown at it in normal service though. Derv engines do need regular filter changes, but petrol engines, if you are picky about where you fuel up, will last for 60,000+ miles without showing any reduction in flow, well to the amount that you would notice a drop off in performance due to starvation. Years ago, with petrol engined cars, pre-pump screens and filters (if fitted), needed cleaning replacing every year - but quality control on fuel supplies and filling station storage management has improved, meaning that very little crap/sediment will ever get into the car's petrol tank. Though you might just end up getting DERV in with the petrol or the other way round, but that tends to be limited to Asda, Morrisons etc - I stick to ESSO, BP and SHELL.

Edited 11 March, 201214 yr by rum4mo