I have decided to do a little preventative maintenance for my crossfire and install new spark plugs and a fuel filter. I only have one question, where in the world is the fuel filter on a crossfire? I got under the car and followed the fuel lines as well as I could, and was unable to find the fuel filter. So if anybody has come across a fuel filter on their car, please let me know where you found it so I can just go and find it.

Also, if their are any pointers that you have for me, I'll take any advice. I would take it to the dealer, but they want $150 for a fuel filter and God knows what for the labor. I'm sick of Chrysler and their practice of ripping people off, so I'm going to take some pride in my car and do this myself. Plus I needed to get this done 10k miles ago, so the sooner I get some advice, the sooner I can knock this out and avoid a huge repair bill. So I'm looking for any help and advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Passenger side in front of rear wheel.

REMOVAL

1. Raise and support the vehicle.
2. Remove the fuel pump splash shield.

WARNING: THE FUEL SYSTEM IS UNDER CONSTANT

FUEL PRESSURE EVEN WITH THE ENGINE
OFF. BEFORE DISCONNECTING ANY FUEL LINES,
THIS PRESSURE MUST BE RELEASED.

3. Release the fuel system pressure. (Refer to 14 -
FUEL SYSTEM/FUEL DELIVERY - STANDARD
PROCEDURE).

Note: Place a shop towel around fuel lines to

catch any excess fuel during disassembly.

4. Remove the fuel filter/pressure regulator fuel line
(1).
5. Remove the fuel rail supply line (3) at the fuel filter/
pressure regulator.
6. Remove the fuel delivery hose.
7. Remove the fuel return hose at the fuel filter/pressure regulator.

8. Remove the clamp retaining screw and remove the fuel filter/pressure regulator

INSTALLATION

1. Position the fuel filter/pressure regulator into the
clamp, install the retaining screw and tighten.
2. Install the following hoses/lines in order:
1. The fuel return hose.
2. The fuel delivery hose.
3. The fuel rail supply line (3).
4. The fuel filter/pressure regulator fuel line (1).
3. Tighten the hoses/lines to the fuel filter/pressure
regulator.
4. Install the fuel pump splash shield.

5. Lower the vehicle.

 

this is a good idea, because the cars are already detuned with tiny injectors. the car will runn even leaner that it currently does.

Another improvement would be to install the m113 fuel pump, as they should have higher fuel pressure regulators built into them on the higher Hp AMG cars. this will give you more fuel into the cylinder and cool things down a bit.

this would be a good mod for preparing for a low boost SC installtion.

 

thats an interesting way to think about it, but i don't want to get more performance out of the car, im just trying to take care of it. I realize that by doing this maintenance that I will get a little improvement in performance, but that is not the goal. I changed the 12 spark plugs today which was a hassle, there is no room in that engine bay. Tomorrow I tackle the fuel filter.

 

Under the hood some where.

Or bonnet if your in England.

 

Filter is under the car - in front of the passenger side rear wheel.

 

Skilled time: 1 hour
Realistic time: 2 hours
If you're careful and just relaxing because you have a day to waste: 3 hours <-- I suggest this, as working on the fuel system can feel stressful at times.

Have new clamps ready. I wish I had sizes to give you. The old clamps seem like one-use spring type clamps. You'll want new ones. The two hoses involved are different sizes. I bought a few packs of different sizes from checker auto parts. Micro 4 or 6 will fit the smaller hose, and slightly larger will fit the larger hose.

General steps to follow and things to watch out for:

1. Drive rear-tires up ramps. Maybe jack stands are fine, but you'll be full-body under the car and I prefer ramps over jack stands. (Which makes no sense because I think stands are more stable than my autozone rhino ramps, but whatever) The front does not need to be lifted.

2. Unplug negative battery terminal. (Sure, no power is sent to the pump while the car is off, but the fuel system can be a nervous thing to work with. Play it safe)

3. Locate splash shield that covers fuel pump and fuel filter. Its a grey/black sheild in front of the passenger rear tire, underneath the car of course. Just knowing that should make you see it immediately.

4. Remove front 2 nuts off of splash sheild. You should be able to just bend the shield down and not remove the rear 2 bolts/nuts. I would've loved to just remove all bolts/nuts but I couldn't reach the rear 2. (If you choose to just bend the shield, then your best angle of attack is to slide in from the rear of the car, on your back)

5. Pull back two rubber 'boots' covering the positive and negative connections. Under these boots squeeze in sockets to un-do the nuts holding the connections. The positive nut is slightly smaller than the negative nut. Don't lose the locking washers when they fall out.

6. Clamp the two fuel lines. You have a line going into the pump on the driver's side of the pump. This line comes from straight above, about 12 inches above, straight from the fuel tank. On the passenger side of the pump you have the outlet hose which goes straight to the fuel filter. Clamp them FULLY. But, don't damage them. I used plier clamps with some cardboard wrapped around the fuel line so I could fully clamp without damaging the lines. But please do make sure you fully clamp because I messed up the first time and was drowning in fuel. Don't over-estimate your clamping skills. Make sure you do this part right. ESPECIALLY for the line going into the pump from the tank. It will pour if you don't get it fully clamped.

7. With the electrical removed and the hoses clamped, now loosen the bracket for the pump. Use a normal phillips screw driver and, from below, point it up in between the fuel pump and fuel filter and loosen a screw in the bracket. This screw is for both the pump and filter's mounting, same bracket. Keep in mind you can remove the screw all the way but in the end its only meant to loosen the bracket, not fully open it, as the only way to remove the items is to slide them out rather than open the bracket completely.

8. Now use a really small flathead screwdriver, or knife, or whatever is thin and hard, and pop open the stock hose clamps on each side of the fuel pump. Easier said than done, but thats all I can give you. Move them out of the way, or cut them off, but you're using new clamps afterwards.

9. Now the danger. Slide the hoses off of the fuel pump. Pray you clamped them correctly so gas doesn't pour out. Obviously you'll get a little gas since theres some in the pump, but trust me you'll know if you messed up. Remove the outlet hose first. You can probably point this hose up afterwards to make sure not too much gas spills out. Now, danger danger, remove the inlet hose.

Heres the deal! The inlet hose is fed from above so gravity is working against you. No opening the gas cap, pulling fuses and relays, starting the engine etc can stop this or even affect it. If you allowed any room for fuel to slip by during your clamping then the gravity will quickly cause fuel to pour out when the hose is removed. This is why you removed the outlet hose first, and why you loosened the mounting bracket first, because if you find fuel to be pouring out of the inlet hose when you remove it then quickly slide the stock pump to the left, out of the bracket, slide the new pump into the bracket, and quickly pop the inlet hose onto it. This will stop the pourage, and you can calmy put the outlet hose on now. This sliding out of the old pump, sliding in of the new pump, and popping on of the inlet hose should only take 3 - 5 seconds, so have everything ready so the disaster ends quickly.

10. The worst part is over. Now bend your new clamps so you can get them over the hoses, and clamp them.

11. Making sure any spilled fuel is evaporated, reinstall the two electrical terminals.

12. Reinstall the screw for the bracket and tighten.

13. Hate yourself for not just doing the fuel filter at the same time.

14. Reconnect battery, move everything out from under the car.


Hopefully someone finds this helpful.

 

Wow, this is a LOT harder than most other cars... Thanks for the info...