Change the fuel filter on a Volkswagen Polo car yourself

Clean fuel is the key to long and trouble-free operation of any vehicle. This rule also applies to the Volkswagen Polo. The car is extremely picky about the quality of gasoline. Even minor problems in the fuel cleaning system can lead to serious engine malfunctions. Can you change the filter yourself? Yes. Let's figure out how this is done.

Purpose of the fuel filter on the Volkswagen Polo

The fuel filter is the most important element of the Volkswagen Polo fuel system. It does not allow dirt, rust and non-metallic impurities to enter the combustion chambers of the engine. The quality of gasoline offered at domestic gas stations often leaves much to be desired. In addition to the above impurities, domestic gasoline often also contains water, which is detrimental to any engine. The Volkswagen Polo fuel filter successfully retains this moisture, and this is another indisputable advantage of this device.

All filters on Volkswagen Polo cars are made in a durable steel case

The device and resource of fuel filters

Volkswagen Polo, like most modern gasoline cars, has an injection system. The fuel in this system is supplied under enormous pressure to special gasoline injectors. Therefore, all fuel filters installed on injection vehicles have a durable steel housing. Inside the housing there is a filter element made of paper impregnated with a special compound. The filter paper is repeatedly folded in the form of an "accordion". This solution makes it possible to increase the area of ​​the filtering surface by 26 times. The principle of operation of the fuel filter is as follows:

• under the action of the fuel pump, gasoline from the tank enters the main fuel line (here it should be noted that a small filter element is built into the fuel pump of the Volkswagen Polo car. At the time of fuel intake, it filters out large impurities with a particle size of up to 0.5 mm. Thus, the need for a separate filter rough cleaning is eliminated);
  

  The fuel filter on the Volkswagen Polo is capable of retaining particles up to 0.1 mm in size.
• through the pipe of the main fuel line, gasoline enters the inlet fitting of the main fuel filter. There it passes through several layers of paper in the filter element, being cleaned of the smallest impurities up to 0.1 mm in size, and goes to the outlet fitting connected to the main fuel rail. From there, the purified fuel is supplied under pressure to the injectors located in the combustion chambers of the engine.

Fuel filter replacement intervals

The manufacturer Volkswagen Polo recommends changing the fuel filters every 30 thousand kilometers. It is this figure that is indicated in the vehicle operating instructions. But taking into account the operating conditions and the quality of gasoline, the specialists of domestic car services recommend changing the filters every 20 thousand kilometers.

Location of the filter on the Volkswagen Polo

On the Volkswagen Polo, the fuel filter is located under the underbody of the vehicle, next to the right rear wheel. In order to get to this device, the car will have to be installed on an overpass or inspection pit.

To get to the fuel filter on the Volkswagen Polo, the car will have to be parked on an overpass

Causes of malfunction of the fuel filter

There are several reasons why the fuel filter on the Volkswagen Polo becomes completely unusable. Here they are:

• the filter has undergone internal corrosion due to excessive moisture condensation on the inner walls of the housing;
  

  If there is too much moisture in gasoline, the fuel filter will quickly rust from the inside.
• due to low-quality gasoline, tar deposits have accumulated on the walls of the housing and in the filter element, which interfere with high-quality fuel cleaning;
  

  The filter element primarily suffers from low-quality gasoline, clogging with viscous resin
• the water contained in gasoline freezes in the cold, and the resulting ice plug clogs the inlet fitting of the fuel filter;
• the fuel filter has just worn out. As a result, the filter element became clogged with impurities and became completely impassable.
  

  The filter element is completely clogged and can no longer pass gasoline

Consequences of a broken fuel filter

The above reasons that disable the fuel filter on the Volkswagen Polo lead to a number of consequences. Let's list them:

• the fuel consumption of a car increases by one and a half, and sometimes even two times;
• the car engine works intermittently and jerkily, which is especially noticeable on long climbs;
• the engine ceases to respond in a timely manner to pressing the gas pedal, tangible power failures occur in its operation;
• the car suddenly stalls, even at idle;
• there is a "triplet" of the engine, which is especially noticeable when picking up speed.

If the driver observes one or more of the signs listed above, this means only one thing: it's time to change the fuel filter.

About the repair of fuel filters

Fuel filters on Volkswagen Polo vehicles are single-use devices and cannot be repaired. This is a direct consequence of their design: to date, there are no proven methods for cleaning clogged filter elements. The option of replacing a clogged element also cannot be taken seriously, since the fuel filter housing is non-separable. Therefore, the filter element cannot be removed without breaking the housing. Thus, a clogged filter can only be replaced with a new one.

Replacing the fuel filter on a Volkswagen Polo

Before changing the fuel filter for a Volkswagen Polo, let's decide on the tools and consumables. Here they are:

• new original fuel filter for Volkswagen vehicles;
• flat-blade screwdriver;
• Phillips screwdriver.

Sequence of work

Before replacing the filter, you should remember: all manipulations with the Volkswagen Polo fuel system begin with depressurizing the fuel rail. In principle, it is impossible to change the filter without this preparatory step.

1. In the cabin, under the steering column of the Volkswagen Polo, a safety block is installed, closed with a plastic cover. It is held on by two latches. It is necessary to remove the cover and find a 15A fuse in the block and remove it. This is the fuel pump fuse (on later Volkswagen Polo models, it is numbered 36 and is blue).
   

   Before replacing the filter, fuse No. 36 must be removed
2. The car is now set up on the overpass, its engine starts and idles until it stalls. This is necessary in order to completely relieve the pressure in the fuel line.
3. Two high-pressure pipes are connected to the filter fittings, which are attached using steel clamps with special clamps. First of all, the clamp is removed from the outlet fitting. To do this, use a screwdriver to press on the latch, while pulling the tube off the filter. Similarly, the tube is removed from the inlet fitting.
   

   The clamp from the Volkswagen Polo fuel filter is removed by simply pressing on the blue retainer
4. The fuel filter housing is held on by a large steel bracket. The screw holding the bracket is loosened with a Phillips screwdriver, then unscrewed by hand.
   

   The mounting bracket on the Volkswagen Polo fuel filter is loosened with a Phillips screwdriver
5. The filter, freed from the attachment, is removed from its regular place (moreover, when removing the filter, it should be held horizontally so that the gasoline remaining in it does not leak out onto the floor).
   

   When removing the fuel filter, it must be held strictly horizontally so that fuel does not leak onto the floor.
6. The new fuel filter is installed in its original place, after which the fuel system is reassembled.

Video: change the fuel filter on the Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo Sedan TO-2 fuel filter replacement

So, even a novice car enthusiast who has held a screwdriver in his hands at least once in his life can replace the fuel filter with a Volkswagen Polo. All that is required for this is to consistently follow the recommendations given above.