Over priced fuel filter?

Hey guys, need your help.....

Yesterday I took my truck in for new plugs and wires....also asked about having the fuel filter replaced because to my knowledge it has never been changed...at least I haven't done it....and the guy who owned it before me had no record of it eventhough he had receipts for everything he ever had done to it including tires, air filter and oil changes...

anyway....I have ran seafoam through my tank before....most recently about a month and a half ago.....and maybe earlier this year or late last year before that. Having said that I'm positive my truck needs a new fuel filter. The dealership said my fuel system had quite a bit of carbon build up and it would definitely benefit from a new one as well as a complete fuel system cleanup. My issue is does my truck have some special gold plated fuel filter?....cause they said a new one is $120 !!! WTF! Really? and then said the fuel system cleanup with an "additive" would be an additional $130.

I have a 98 Taco ext cab V6 TRD with 238,700 miles.....other than that they said my truck looked great...engine compression was excellent even with that mileage. The only other thing they said I needed was a new valve cover gasket which is starting to leak which I was already aware of.

I have considered using the seafoam in the vacuum hose this weekend if you guys think that would help....needless to say I got out of there with only the plugs and wires. I couldn't afford all that fuel system stuff they suggested right now.

Do I really need a $120 fuel filter...or maybe that was with labor...I'm not sure...but still. Any suggestions would be great.

 

I have a 2004 V6 TRD and have been trying to get a mechanic to change mine but the Dealers tell me its a lifetime filter I got 103K miles I do all other maintainence but am afraid to tackle the fuel filter myself,some say its easy to change some say it leaks and is a bitch to change. I would use an Toyota OEM filter but there are people that have used a Fram and seem to be content,I would like to change mine also.

 

hell where in nc are you? if you drop your truck off id change it for you, but you cant stick around cause i doubt my ladyd be happy bout it

 

I asked the dealership to change my fuel filter...The service manager...technician...and sales person all said that I don't have one...only a filter/screen attached to the pump which basically is a maintenance free part...I said yes I do...crawled under my truck...took a picture and emailed them it haha...

 

uber easy diy kinda thing. i got mine from the dealership for $35 and did the work myself.

 

changed out my fuel filter a couple weeks ago costed me 40$ with the bracket that holds the filter from Carquest. only took about 15 mins to change out,all ya need is a couple of wrenchs and a small jug and you can do it.sounds like someone might be rippin ya off a bit.

 

For work, we went to a Toyota class taught by a Toyota trainer and he said that they are lifetime filters and they need to be over 90% clogged to even start causing problems. On a sidenote, he said Toyota is the only manufacturer not to have a fuel pressure specification, that is how reliable their fuel pumps are.

But being a mechanic, I would still replace it every 100-150k miles just because its cheap and easy.

 

ya, for $30 who cares, change it out like kumawrx is saying

just a question though....do you need to release the fuel pressure prior to removing the fuel lines?

i my honda and vw's, i've always had to disable to spark/efi and run to the motor and let it die out so lower the fuel pressure in the system

 

I would depressurize the fuel system...

 

where's the EFI fuse for the truck?

 

All 2nd Gen trucks have their fuel filters in the tank, it's called a "lifetime" filter by Toyota, and they say it shouldn't ever be changed but I have heard from some that it should be changed every 100k.

All 1st Gen trucks (04 year and below) have a filter that is attached to the fuel line (usually under the drivers seat), just what Chris4x4 put up.
There are very different opinions on when it should be changed, I have heard every 25k. I have also heard Shorter intervals for it and longer, but I would recommend every 25k-30k. It's cheap, so who cares.

OP go to any auto parts store and pick one up, and change ASAP. $120 for a fuel filter is too much, sounds like he also put in labor for that too.

 

I've also heard if it's never been changed...be careful because you could break the lines...

 

True, but not so much the trucks, the Camrys were famous for this. The Toyota trainer said that they overtorqued the lines from the factory supposedly to discourage people from replacing them because they are a supposed lifetime filter.

As far as depressurizing the fuel system, its better if you do but I usually dont because Toyotas don't use that high a pressure system. Just let the vehicle sit for a few hours or better yet, overnight and most all the pressure will be gone.

 

ok, fair enough....thanks

 

like has already been stated, there's no such thing as a lifetime fuel filter regardless of what toyota says.

 

Whenever someone says "lifetime" ...as they did for the transmission fluid in my beemer,

...I am reminded of someone trying to sell a pair of "lifetime underwear" ...never needs to be cleaned


.

 

lol ya lifetime fluid is the best

 

Food for thought: My father's 1988 Toyota van has almost 300,000 miles and still on the original fuel filter and still runs fine. To me, that's pretty much lifetime worthy.

 

That doesn't really mean much though. He may have just been lucky. It might be fully clogged in the next 5k miles. Who knows. my friend waited nearly 30k miles to change the oil on his taco and it still runs fine. Doesn't mean he should have done it.