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No Fuel Filter On 2003 Model Year?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John Mayer
  • Start date Start date Nov 5, 2017
J

John Mayer

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#1
  • Nov 5, 2017
  • #1
Just bought this pony, and all tuned up now but cannot locate a fuel filter under the car on the passenger side where the fuel cap is on this model year, OR on the drivers side.


Is this the only model year without a fuel filter?

Thanks!
 

Bullitt347

I have been doing it wrong this whole time
15 Year Member
Mar 23, 2007
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Nov 5, 2017
#2
  • Nov 5, 2017
  • #2
Google strikes again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68-tJajLCT0
 
Reactions: Neuron

Neuron

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#3
  • Nov 5, 2017
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If it has fuel injection it will always have a filter or two, would not want to own one without.
 
J

John Mayer

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WOW. What an unattractive job that was.

Does anyone know for certain which direction the arrow should point? my old filter didnt have any arrows so i just installed the new one with the arrow pointing towards the drivers side where i think the fuel line going towards the engine is.

-Thanks!!
 

Adieu

Easy there, this ain't a dating site.
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#5
  • Nov 6, 2017
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Neuron said:
If it has fuel injection it will always have a filter or two, would not want to own one without.
Click to expand...
Most modern fuel injected cars don't have a serviceable fuel filter.

John Mayer said:
WOW. What an unattractive job that was.

Does anyone know for certain which direction the arrow should point? my old filter didnt have any arrows so i just installed the new one with the arrow pointing towards the drivers side where i think the fuel line going towards the engine is.

-Thanks!!
Click to expand...

Arrow points in the direction of the fuel flow. Install the filter with the arrow with it pointing at the section of fuel line leading to the engine.
 

Neuron

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  • Nov 6, 2017
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Stand corrected, last year of Mustang with one was 2014.
 

IIGood

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#7
  • Nov 6, 2017
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74stang2togo said:
Most modern fuel injected cars don't have a serviceable fuel filter.
Click to expand...

Okay, this is news to me. Pardon my ignorance...but care to enlighten me on how that works? Is there a fuel filter IN the fuel tank now that's supposed to last for eleventy billion miles or whatever? Or has the need for a fuel filter been eliminated (which I seriously doubt)? Don't mean to sound like a smartass...I'm genuinely curious on this, given that the vehicles I own are of 2003 vintage, so obviously the technology has evolved since then.
 

Adieu

Easy there, this ain't a dating site.
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IIGood said:
Okay, this is news to me. Pardon my ignorance...but care to enlighten me on how that works? Is there a fuel filter IN the fuel tank now that's supposed to last for eleventy billion miles or whatever? Or has the need for a fuel filter been eliminated (which I seriously doubt)? Don't mean to sound like a smartass...I'm genuinely curious on this, given that the vehicles I own are of 2003 vintage, so obviously the technology has evolved since then.
Click to expand...
Each manufacturer has just slowly done away with them. Now you have fuel pump "modules" where the pump, strainer, sending unit, filter, and regulator are all one assembly. Part of it is because everyone has gone returnless (using pulse-width-modulated pumps) and most have gone direct injection (with camshaft driven high pressure pumps turning the 50psi or so of pressure supplied by the electric pump into 1000+ psi).

I once in a great while still see a serviceable filter on Fords (but nothing past 2015 or so), but other than that, if it isn't diesel, it doesn't have one.
 
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Neuron

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#9
  • Nov 12, 2017
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Went the way the spare tire did I guess.
 

Adieu

Easy there, this ain't a dating site.
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#10
  • Nov 12, 2017
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Neuron said:
Went the way the spare tire did I guess.
Click to expand...
Those are actually making a comeback.

The outcry from customers when they had a blowout or a large puncture that the "inflator kit" wouldn't seal was so large that there are now new compact spare designs showing up in trunks using alloy wheels instead of steel, and smaller jacks and lighter tools. Hyundai and Kia were two of the biggest to reverse course, even the base model Rio/Accent is equipped with a spare again more often than not.
 
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Kurt G.

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#11
  • Nov 28, 2017
  • #11
I noticed when I changed my filter on 03 GT that the bracket is designed so arrow points opposite way than it should. The one I took off was that way and to fit snuggly in bracket it must be backwards.
 
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