Locations of the pre-filter and fuel filter on the 300TD?
Hi,
I am trying to do the 60,000 mile maintenance on my 1999 E 300TD, but I cannot locate the 2 fuel diesel fuel filters listed for replacement in the maintenance manual.
Any help??
This is 97 300D, so I hope you have the same setup. They are right on the front top of the engine slightly on driver side. The big, gray thing between oil cap and PS pump is the main filter. Prefilter is under the small screw on the top of main filter bracket, toward the engine.
When you take the small (10 mm I think) bolt off, you need to pull the fuel line from the center of it and than the thumb-sized prefilter will come up.
Good luck.
When you put in the new prefilter, be sure to install a new O-ring. The old one comes out with the old prefilter, and it's not obvious that you need to put a new one back on. It doesn't come with the prefilter; you need to order it separately.
I guess that it is a good idea to fill the new filter partly full of diesel fuel before you put it on the car. I installed a filter and it now my engine catches erratically, but will not come up to full speed.
Prefilling the filter is generally bad idea and most manufacturers advise against it.
The reason is, that the shop dishes are usually contaminated and putting dirty diesel on clean side of the filter risk injectors damage.
One trick people do is finding a nipple, that fit into the center hole and fill the filter via outside holes. This is one good way, another is make sure you have good battery and just crank it with gas pedal on the floor.
If you have engine hesitation after reving it high, there might be another problem, than air buble.
Your idea about getting contamination inside the filter is a good one. Didn't think of that. So, I did as you suggested. Put the pedal to the floor and let it crank.
Location of the deisel fuel filters 
Linear Mode
