Is it easy to change a fuel filter in a 2005 VW Jetta ?

Question

My car has been "missing" a lot lately, and I just got a few things ($420 worth) done at a VW dealer. It's still missing. I wonder if it could be a fuel filter, and if so, can any neighborhood motorhead do it ?

Answer 1

Easy DIY - check the free community VW website below for DIY with pics and description. Most important:

1) remove the fuse for the fuel pump first

2) have container under the fuel filter area to catch gasoline

3) DO NOT BREAK THE CLIP holding the fuel filter to the gas line (they are iffy to take off, and if you break it, you'll be replacing the whole gas line)

Answer 2

Have you changed your coil? They're known to go bad in VWs and will cause your engine to miss.

A clogged fuel filter would feel like a governer, that is you car will feel like it's limited to 50 MPH, for arguements sake.

Answer 3

Not likely to be a fuel filter.  But it does need to be replaced every 40,000 miles.  Right rear of the car, under a black shield that you can get out of your way removing 2 10mm nuts.  The shield won't come completly off but you can move it out of your way at that point.  Then there are push pins on the lines that retain the hose to the filter.  Be careful as it will squirt a little gas when you relieve the pressure.  Then take out the two 10mm bolts that retain the filter bracket.  Then slide the filter out.  Put it back in the same direction or your car while really have problems.

I really need to know what size motor you have.  If you have a VR6 then you have one coil.  A 1.8 has 4 coils. Coils go bad all the time. You could have a bad sparkplug (cracked, from over tightening, or dropping it, wrong brand)  You could have a bad plug wire.  You could be putting 87 octane gas in it.  Or there is even a software flash available at the dealer for misfires.

At night open your hood and with a spray bottle, spray your coil/coils and sparkplug wires.  If one is bad you will get a small blue arc and a noise as it shorts to ground (misfires)

Answer 4

I'm sure a neighborhood motorhead could do it, although I doubt it's in a convenient place.  I don't know where it is on your car so I may be wrong, but if he/she can reach it, it shouldn't be tough to swap it out.

I would call your VW dealer and complain that you're still having problems with the car and you just spent $420 at their dealership to fix it.