Hi

Just changing the fuel filter on 05 reg vRS at 34,000 miles. Chssis TMBWU46Y164423402. Dealer has supplied filter 6Q0 127 401 B which has a drain.

OE fitted is much shorter, no drain, Bosch part 0 450 906 426, 6Q0 127 401 H (could be 'A').

I much prefer the version with a drain. It looks as if this might be fitted by cutting off the plastic lugs in the filter carrier which is inside the main body holding the filter assembly.

Has anyone tried to do this? Any other comments, or ref to previous posts?

Thanks in advance

timber

Don't touch the drain - you're referring to the white screw-fit plug in the bottom of the fuel filter.?

There's no cutting involved, you can simply pull the white ring/housing off, leaving the plug in-situ.

Given the choice, i'd have the bosch http://www.eurocarpa...980.jpg

I've had a nightmare in the past with the other one as the drain leaks (i eventually bought the bosch, end of nightmare)

http://www.eurocarpa...0/503440781.jpg

The second image sort of shows a white plastic drain/plug on the right hand side of the filter.

To drain it, you simply unscrew it slightly and that breaks a simple rubber o-ring seal, and the fuel can drain out.

That seal is a major design floor.

You can't tighten it properly, as the thread is plastic, and you can't actually gauge how tight it is before the whole thing snaps, and you end up with a pointless filter.

Get the bosch one. No drain = no leaks.

ALSO - make sure you're supplied with a new rubber o-ring seal for the large plastic t-pipe thing that inserts into the top of the filter.

It should come supplied in a small plastic bag as part of your purchased filter.

Edited 12 July, 201213 yr by fuey

Hello fuey

Thanks for your help. The change to the shorter (130mm) filter with no drain had already happened on our car. I got the shorter one from Euro car parts, chose Bosch make (not listed on Euro website) which is exactly the same as the one I removed.

Come to think of it, I've had various diesel cars - Citroen, Peugeot, Audi - and never found much (if any) water to drain from the filters.

So well done Skoda for removing a possible source of trouble whe it appears there is no longer any need for a drain.

Thanks again

So just to clarify, it's OK to fit different types of fuel filters?

I've just bought a no drain one from ECP. And gone to fit it, but I have a drain one fitted. It's shorter and therefore only held in place by the hoses and pipe connected to the top, otherwise it looks like it would slip further down.

This OK?

Hi TimFok

I think you should have the filter properly supported in the "carrier".

You have 4 choices:

1. Change the filter for the long one

2. Cut the correct length off the old filter and put it in the bottom of the "carrier" so as to support the short one at the right height. The Euro catalogue gives the heights so subtraction should give an idea of what length you need. Cut on the long side; you can always reduce, but can't put back! Don't know how handy you are - large vice to gently grip the old filter, some sort of scribing method to mark a line right round the old flter. It would be a messsy job, gloves preferred.

3. Devise a spacer to raise the filter up as in 3. Could be several bits of blockboard/plywood/hardboard stuck together to give the right height, cut to say an 8 or 12 sided figure. Only the bottom piece would need to fit closely enough to be held up on the suipport clips. If I remember correctly there were 3 such clips equally spaced. Again, how handy/determined are you?!

4. Replace the carrier for the later type. I considered this (in reverse since I was fitting the long filter in the short carrier) but didn't pursue it - might be quite expensive.

So 1 is the easiest if ECP will credit the other one.

If you go for 1 there will be no need to operate the drain after XXX miles - Skoda have decided no longer needed!

Good luck!

timber

Done, just used a bean can and cut it down.

Thanks mate.

Genuine Heinz I hope - none of your supermarket own brands! A Warhol installation?

Like your website - nice pics and very pro-looking gear.

Ha! I believe it was a supermarket brand.. I won't tell if you won't!

Thanks mate, pics are a little outdated now. Need to get some current ones up, but rarely have the opportunity to have decent BTS pics taken!