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This morning I dove right in, expecting to be done before the sun hit me around noon. Wrong! But, now I know how to do it and next time it will be a snap.You can do this at the side of the road as long as you have your tools – regular screw driver; torx 25, 27 and 30, and split ring pliers |
| The new filter (different number than the one replaced) comes with 0-rings to replace those on the WIF sensor. | |
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Disconnect the WIF (water in fuel) sensor electrical connector (connected to flat part on top) – just slides apart.Remove the in and out hoses. (careful – you’ll bust a knuckle here). You can reuse the clamps if you take them off carefully or use the Mercedes tool #9539. I used a small screw driver to release and split-ring pliers to replace. Be sure to have some back-ups hose clamps available.You can also remove the screws holding the WIF sensor in place. |
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Loosen this bolt but do not remove it. You can put your finger behind it and tell when you have loosened it all the way. (You can remove but it is just another thing to put back – you’ll see the filter is in a great spot to loose bolts, clips, small tools, etc.) |
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Slide the filter up and in doing so you will have to lean it towards the WIF tube as it is very tight. Place some rags around as you will spill diesel.Now you can remove the WIF Sensor. It just pulls out – it is tight because of an o-ring holding it in place. |
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Here the filter is out and you can see the WIF Sensor. If you want, you can reroute it now over the tube behind it instead of underneath. This will give you more slack.Replace the o-rings (put some diesel on the new ones before sliding them on). |
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Put the WIF Sensor into the new filter and slide the filter into it’s bracket. Replace the hose clamps, the screws for the sensor, tighten the bracket bolt, and plug in the WIF Sensor electric connection. |
| I did not prime the filter with fuel. I knew I’d spill most of it getting the filter in and I don’t have any fuel stored anyway (although I intend to take care of that soon).Leaving all the other parts off, I got into the Sprinter and turned the key on to the position where all the warning lights show. Listen – you can hear the filter being primed. Turn the key off for a couple of seconds and then back on. Listen – you can hear the filter being primed. I did this a third time and heard nothing. I started the Sprinter – started just like normal – and checked for leaks.No leaks so after turning the engine off, I put the rest of the parts back on as shown in part 1. | |
Tags: fuel filter, Sprinter
September 5th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Thanks for the posting and the fuel filter instructions.
Do you know what the arrow on top of the oil filter indicates? Direction of removal or installation.
Is it clockwise or counter clockwise to remove?
Thank you.
Ed hengler
September 5th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Hi Ed,
I am pretty sure the arrow is the direction to tighten. Mine has a bar code over it so I can’t see it all. Looks like it has a torque number for how tight it should be.
It should be counter clockwise to remove – lefty loosy, rightie tighty.
Regards,
Keith
February 8th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Hello Keith
Great write up/PICs on changing the fuel filter. Made the job pretty straight forward and took some of the fear out of screwing up away. One suggestion. The hose that connects to the top of the filter (water removal line I think) makes it real difficult to get the filter up and out of the clamp bracket. Just for yuks I decided to see if I could disconect it first by pressing on the little white button and then pulling the hose fitting upward. Walla, it worked. The filter was then much easier to remove and I was able to remove the center part and put into the new filter easily and without spilling diesel fuel all over. Any reason you can think of that this would not be a better approach?
Thanks again for your effort!
Boyd 08Nav J
February 24th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I’ll have to check that out. You are correct, it is difficult. I did mess with the white thingy but I recall I broke one part of it so I left it alone. Guess I better figure out what part that is and get it ordered. Then I can try it your way!
March 1st, 2009 at 12:30 am
Has anyone found a place to purchase the Mercedes special tool #9539.
March 1st, 2009 at 10:04 am
This is one place, http://www.etoolcart.com/fuellineclamppliers9539.aspx but is pricey. This discussion talks about alternatives, http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=863&highlight=tool+%239539.
I just ordered new clamps (they are different sizes), at $2.63 and $3.15 each. Expensive for clamps and maybe that is why Mercedes says to reuse them.
Regards,
Keith