DIY: I-CTDI Fuel Filter drain and bleed procedure

It's not necessary to bleed the filter, but I do it for good measure and to remove any water collected at the bottom. Many dealers are known to do this in servicing, instead of changing the filter (but they still charge the customer for a new filter :huh: )

If you have a pre facelift car like mine then you have a Bosch filter.

You can unscrew the bottom by hand (probably from under the vehicle) let it drain all the water and fuel out.

Then tighten it back up, hand tight - do not over tighten or it will break the plastic screw.

Then go to the top of the filter (you will need to remove the front metal brackets first). On the top of the filter, you will see a small nut (about 10mm) this is the bleed screw.

Use the priming bulb - the rubber hand pump, and start pumping it to bring new fuel into the filter.

When the bulb goes hard, just loosen the nut a little. When you see a little fuel escaping from the nut, tighten it back up and then keep priming the pump until it goes hard again.

Then slowly loosen the nut again and listen for any air escaping. When you see fuel trickling out, tighten it and repeat the procedure.

I repeat the procedure a couple of times to ensure there is no air left in the system.

Make sure the priming bulb is hard to ensure it's fully primed and the filter is full of fuel.

Put everything back together, and start the engine.

That's it

p.s. if you have a post 2006 car (facelift) then you have a Denso cartridge filter. I would imagine the process is similar in principle but it's best to wait for one of the facelift drivers to confirm.

Very useful guide Fahad. Hopefully you'd never get any water!

The only thing that I do differently is I undo the bolt first, then start priming, wait for clear fuel to come out of the screw (i.e. no air bubbles) and retighten (this was the procedure I had from the workshop manual for the old car and the filter was very similar in design to the bosch).

Great tips!
Too bad about the location of the filter. Not easy to get to it.

Stephen you can do it either way as you're going to bleed it anyway so any air will come out.

Hopefully you won't get any water but it is quite normal for some moisture to get in to the system and the water rests at the bottom - that's why the facelift cars have a water sensor on the filter..

Nuno, it's actually very easy to do. I did it from the top by removing the engine cover, but I know my way round the filter..

If you've never done it before, it's probably easier to jack it up and access the drain from underneath so you can see what you're doing. You don't need to remove the undertray to do this by the way..

Good write up Fahad very good info.It might be a good thing for the club if someone needs a FF change at HH face lift or pre.We could then do a write up for the diy section.

Sth for the "to do list" me thinks.
Thanks mate

Hi I am trying the priming procedure now, whilst I'm at work . But am a bit stuck.

I have undone the outer bracket and trying to pull out the priming bulb. Do I have to remove the holder too, because the bulb wont come out and I dont want to break the little plastic hinges by putting excessive pressure.

Also right underneath the priming bulb is the fuel filter? If so which one is the bleed screw?

Sorry for the dumb questions in advance!

Kashim, I can't remember exactly but as long as you can get your hand around the bulb to squeeze it, there should be no reason to remove the whole thing entirely.

The bleed screw is at the top of the filter, a little 10mm bolt.

Cheers Fahad, got it out. Now the inner bracket screws are being difficult and hard to access.

Found a 10mm bolt but again due to being a dummy dunno if thats the FF lol :blush:

Kashim said:

Hi I am trying the priming procedure now, whilst I'm at work . But am a bit stuck.

I have undone the outer bracket and trying to pull out the priming bulb. Do I have to remove the holder too, because the bulb wont come out and I dont want to break the little plastic hinges by putting excessive pressure.

Also right underneath the priming bulb is the fuel filter? If so which one is the bleed screw?

Sorry for the dumb questions in advance!

Click to expand...

Kashim,

If I recall yours is a facelift Accord so has the Denso filter and the bleed nipple is at the bottom and feels like a butterfly nut.

However you need to drain water off, before pumping the priming bulb.

As Fahad has said there is no need to take the priming bulb out of the carrier unless you are doing the whole filter change, which I don't think you are at the moment.

Yes just want to let it bleed
would it require me to go underneath the car? Wish my workplace had a ramp lol

Kashim this thread is for the Pre Facelift Bosch filter - you should have been more specific mate, I don't want to give incorrect advice.

Do what Paul says..

When I did the fuel filter on the 7th gen, I hooked up all the pipes apart from the one leading to the engine. Then gave the priming bulb quite a few squeezes until a steady stream of fuel flowed through. I didnt use the bleed screw at all. Then hooked up the final pipe and the engine started up first time no problem. Been fine ever since. This is a pre facelift and just what I decided to do. Its up to you ultimately how you do it.

F6HAD said:

Kashim this thread is for the Pre Facelift Bosch filter - you should have been more specific mate, I don't want to give incorrect advice.

Do what Paul says..

Click to expand...

Sorry Fahad, my bad. I'm really testing everyones patience. Apologies.

It's ok - it just made any advice I offer you totally confusing :lol:

Kashim said:

Sorry Fahad, my bad. I'm really testing everyones patience. Apologies.

Click to expand...

Kashim, mate,


Don't be hard on yourself, don't think your testing anyone's patience, plus Fahad's one of the most easy going guys I've ever met.

At least your giving it a shot, everyone would rather you did OK.

It's a bit confusing but you need to know whether or not your car is a face-lift model or not, as there were some internal engine changes, such as fuel filter, so some methods are a little different.
Basically if your car is register 2006 onwards that it is a face-lift (as a general rule) I seem to recall that yours was an 07, unless I've got it wrong and confused matters!

if you haven't done it yet, you can access it from above, but depending on your build, you will probably need to remove the air box

Hope all went well today if you had a go.

Hoping this isn't a silly question; when you bleed the FF, do you take the top nut/screw completely off and pump?

Sorry just re-read the post, it says a little in Fahads' guide.

Pressurise it with the pump, then crack the bolt to bleed the air till pushes diesel out past the threads.