Fuel Filter shelf life?
 

What's the shelf life for a fuel filter? I've got about 35K miles and on my soon to be 7 year old car.
and should I change my spark plugs every year or longer?

Hi,

Personally, I'd change the Fuel Filter every 5 yrs. or 30k mi. I like to do Plugs every other year. This allows you to inspect everything, keeps them from seizing, and, it's maybe the cheapest maintenance you can do to the engine - replace with OEM Plugs. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Where IS the fuel filter
 

ON 02 models, where is it, how easy is it to change- I have herd it's in the gas tank, and you have drop the tank?!

I think you get to it from an access point just under the battery. You need a special Porsche tool to remove this cover though.

thanks
 

I'll snop around that area.

I think it was in 02 or 03 that Porsche put the filter in the gas tank. They changed the fuel system to a non return set up which according to Porsche allows the filter to last the life of the car.

For a 2000 it is 60k miles for the filter and 30k for the plugs. 30k for the plugs makes no sense as Porsche also says 30k for a 2001 and a 2001 has the same engines and plugs as a 2000.

Per service manual for 1997 - 2001 models it's 60,000
 

Per the Boxster / Boxster S service manual for 1997 - 2001 model years it's every 60,000 miles. Which sounds like a lot but that's what it says.

2002 - 2004 have Life Time fuel filters
 

True it's in the Tank. False you have to drop the tank.

On the 2002 - 2004 Boxster the fuel filter is in the tank, However, the service manual says that Porsche specifies this as a "Life Time" filter and no replacement is necessary. This is apparantly "due to the reduced volume of fuel flowing through the Non-return system."

You lucked out.

Hi,

It's definitely not Lifetime. The very nature of a Filter is to clog at some point. Now, the lack of a Fuel Return System in the later cars will push this point further out on the timeline.

But eventually it'll need to be addressed. It will progressively clog and become restricted, work the Pump harder, and/or reduce Fuel Flow and Volume to the Injector Rail.

Either that, or it's not doing any filtering at all. I do not believe the Filter is available separately, IIRC, you have to replace the whole stalk - Pump, Filter and Fuel Level Sender, a hefty hit I'm sure.

I wouldn't worry about it at all until 85k mi. or so (depending upon how much Gas you put through it and/or how much accumulated Storage time the Car's had). By then, I'd start thinking about a replacement and perhaps look for one at a good price and shelve it for when the time comes, rather than having to pay through the nose Retail, because the Car is stranded. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Thank you
 

thanks- I think I'll wait this one out untoll I hit 90K or so.

Fuel Filter common sense
 

Of course just because Porsche says it's a "Life time" fuel filter doesn't mean you will never need to change it. If it clogs at 50,000 miles then that was it's life, if it clogs at 75,000 then that was it's life... as the old joke goes. So of course use common sense and your senses. Be aware of what is normal for your car. If it doesn't seem to have the pep it once had or you sense hesitation or surging at idle or on acceleration then you might need a new fuel filter. Preventative maintenance is a wise policy so change it at 75k or 80K as that probably is the Life of the filter. Porsche caters to an upscale crowd and they figure owners probably trade their cars long before 75K anyway.

I would say that 50k is about right as well. It's a cheap and rather easy maintenance issue, and plugs as well.