This a follow up to the post a while back by Unbongo, for T30 owners in the HowTo section who have the earlier filter https://www.x-trail-uk.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3716

Even with modern fuel, it is recommend you fit the fuel filter at least once a year, that is up for debate and depends on mileage, etc. It is important remember that the filter does act as the water seperator as well, so it is not a fit and forget item. The effectiveness of your fuel filter will effect the engine performance including diagnostic readings from the fuel system.

I written a short discription of how I did it, and make no claims that it is better, just for me easier. Depending on your skill level and tea breaks the job should take under two hours for a first timer

The only two changes that I made that you need to be aware of are that you do not need to move the air cleaner/air filter cover or filter hose, instead you remove the Intercooler to EGR hose. The other change is removing filter protector or protection bracket which is now after the filter bolts are undone. Read on to find how I did this....

Items needed :
1/4 Drive socket set including 10 and 12 mm deep sockets
Large adjustable spanner or pipe grips
Snub nose pliers
Container big enough to take whole filter, old icecream box, or similar. No holes as diesel will spill out of the filter
Throw away cloth
Terry cloth or old bit of toweling used to protect the bracket filter face once seperated from the filter.
Paint for the protection bracket, rust proof paint and black enamel, I used Plastikote which is an acrylic.
Copper grease lube, not spray.
Have a copy either on the computer or printed of the HowTo thread above courtsey of Umbongo

Make sure handbrake is on. The engine is off. Ensure the bonnet is properly held open. Please remember when working on the fuel filter, no smoking, trying to light a fire, etc As coming in to contact with diesel fuel, use safety gloves and safety glasses if you feel the need. As always no warranty is given or implied.



The diesel fuel filter is fitted on the bulk head and it is a little difficult to access all apart from the priming pump which is the grey flat knob on the top of the filter. See picture above. It is a low pressure fitting, and generally fuel spillage is the major concern while servicing.

Firstly I undid the two straps using a 8mm socket on the Intercooler to EGR hose, and remove the hose. This now gives room to work. If you feel the need, put a bit of gaffer tape over the EGR intake opening, and secure.



The filter is held on to the black filter protection bracket by two 12mm nuts, these are at the back of the filter and I found it best to use a deep socket on the 1/4" drive ratchet. Remember as you are undoing the nut it is effectivley upside down, so to undo it is clockwise! Once you have lossened both nuts off, it easier to use your fingers to remove them, but either way do not drop the nuts.



Hold the filter in position to make it easier to undo each nut, no pressure on the nut. Then remove the rubber fuel hose which connects to it on the left hand side, out flow, using the 8mm socket and lower the filter. Unclip the hose attached to the front of the protection bracket as well.



To remove the filter protection bracket use your 1/4 drive ratchet with an extenstion bar and a 10mm deep socket. The retaining studs stick out of the bulkhead at the top of the bracket, the one on the right is partly obscured by a hose that it is held on to the bracket by a small white clip, it should lift out quite easily. Once the two nuts are loosened off, as before use your fingers and don't drop the nuts, they will be gone never to be seen again



Now you can pull the bracket forward and out completely. Check it for rust as it is a bit of a moisture trap on the inside of the bracket Treat and paint if you want to, before you continue and it will be dry by the time you get to put it back. I applied a bit of copper grease to the studs on the bulkhead and on the bracket too.

Put container for the filter and throw away cloth with easy reach. Using snub nose pliers grip the spring strap on the hose going on to the filter, move it down the hose about half an inch. Then holding the filter in your left hand, keeping the filter up right, pull off the hose, it should come of easily. You may have a small, teaspoon of diesel come out of the delivery tube. Cloth to hand and mop up, no further diesel should come out.

You can now take the filter unit being carefull to keep it as upright as possible as diesel will spill out, put into container. Now the simple bit, turn filter so the right hand tube, or in flow tube down to wards your container, diesel will come out, and keep coming out. Now unscrew the filter from the bracket, use your toweling to grip it, diesel will come out, yes you though it was empty too. Put filter in container, and put filter bracket somewhere safe with the toweling around the face.

Why no wrench ? If the filter was put on properly you will not need it. Should there be an issue with the filter, you have a choice, either get a second pair of hands to hold the bracket and twist away or reattach filter bracket to protector and stick in a vice. Frankly you should not need to do this, but some peeps over do it when re fitting

So now you have the filter with the white drain plug attached, and drain hose. The drain hose can stay put, I had to replace mine as I did not have one. I used standard petrol hose, available from good chandlers or motor factors. You may be able to get the drain plug off by hand, but unlike the filter it's self you may require a large pipe grips or adjustable wrench. Part of the problem could be the O ring or just plane over enthastic over screwing, either way remember the plastic is not as hard as it looks.

If you refer to the sheet from Umbongo's post you will see the torque setting for the drain plug, as a guide I would say it is a 1/4 turn beyond hand tight. The way I did that was to install the new O ring, which came with the filter, this sits at the bottom of the plug so it is between the thread and the "head" of the plug. Then turning up by hand the plug is fitted in the base of the new filter, then I backed it off several turns so I could see the O ring was sitting properly and not twisted.



Refitting the filter to the filter bracket, I inspected the filter bracket inlcuding the thread that goes in the filter and the face which the filter sits up against. The bracket is alloy, and hence the need to treat it carefully, being wrapped in toweling. I used the towel to clean the face, and then screwed in the filter. I did not use oil on the seal as suggested by the instructions, not sure of the logic of that, but I used a dab of clean diesel to wet the seal. See above.

I then tighened up the drain plug and returned the filter to engine bay. Now for refitting....



I reattached the inflow hose, that is to the pipe face down, and rested it there. See above. Note do not connect the other side yet, out flow hose. Then getting the protection bracket reattached that to the bulk head, I used stainless nylocs and washers, see undoing, starting them off by hand, then using the 1/4 ratchet to finish. Refit the now complete filter unit to the protection bracket, using the orginal nuts, as before holding the filter in one hand to ensure it is up against the bracket and stop the chances of cross threading. Finishing off again a 1/4 turn with the ratchet.

Then fitting the out flow hose using the 8mm socket, put the two hoses that fit on the protection bracket back in place and you are now ready to prime the filter. For priming and running the engine, see page two of the download or your ESM. Started first time

Thanks for taking time snowy in this How To thread it should help a few members.