In case you've been wondering where the fuel filter is at here are a few pics. The pictures are of me laying on my back with my head pointing towards the front of the car and the left front tire next to my right shoulder.

This is a 2009 XF 4.2 NA.

I changed mine from underneath the Jag but I suggest you be smarter by removing the front left wheel and removing the wheel well liner, eliminating the need to get under the car. Also you wont get fuel in your armpit like me

Have a cup or something ready to catch the fuel that will pour out.

I didn't exhibit any symptoms related to a clogged fuel filter but I wanted to change it for peace of mind, plus I'm sure my fuel pump will thank me with longer life.

I don't know the year or miles since mine was last changed but looking at the dirty fuel that came out of the IN side of the old filter I would say it was about due.

I would love to see you guys post up your pictures of the dirty fuel that comes out of your old filter IN side, especially if you know the age of the old filter and/or miles on the old filter.

 

HOLY SMOKE!!!


You must have the patience of Job, and maybe a little bit of a "contortionist gene" too. I've changed the filter on our '09 XF, with 32,000 miles, twice, just as general maintenance, but I've removed the inner fender liner.


I came to the XF, after 9 years of Lincoln LS ownership, so I was very familiar with the location of the filter (they're "platform cousins"). However, the "retention" of the filter to the line has greatly improved, as the Lincoln, and the "S Type" Jag, used the Ford design "hairpin clips", and the XF has a button to push, which releases the line from the filter. Makes it easier, but one has to exercise care, as the piece of plastic that retains the button CAN be snapped off. (ask me how I know.....)

 

The only reason I was under the car was because that's where I'm used to finding the fuel filter. I started looking by the fuel tank and following the fuel line to where i finally found the filter behind the wheel.

After finally finding the fuel filter I was too tired/lazy to crawl from under the car, so I changed it from there no one ever accused me of being smart.

On a side note I thought it was interesting that Jag has the plastic cover covering most of the bottom of the Jag but stop short of covering the fuel tank bladder. I would of thought the extra protection of the plastic cover would of been more important there than anywhere else on the bottom of the car.

 

Did you happen to notice the condition of the fuel on the IN side of your old filters?

 

It was generally pretty clean. I change the filters in my cars generally, every 2-3 years, but on the other hand, I don't put that many miles on my vehicles, so it's probably a waste. However, I'm big on preventive maintenance.


I noticed that you mentioned that your gas wasn't all that clean. It's a good thing that your filter caught the "crud", but it sounds like your car had gotten a bad tankful of gas, at some point during it's life. There really isn't any good reason for the gas in your tank to be "dirty". Sadly, because the XF has "saddle tanks", it isn't all that easy to drop them, and flush them out.


You could open the access ports on top of the tanks, by removing the bottom cushion of the back seat, which gives you access to them, then removing the fuel pump and the transfer lines, which would give you access to the insides of the tanks. However, you'd then have to draw the fuel out, and then somehow or other, clean out the bottom of the tanks. I don't think a "shop vac" would be too safe to use....