Fuel Filter Price

[slihp]

Just been to lr parts department to pick up a TD5 fuel filter (ESR4686) and was charged £37.5 inc VAT. dose this sound ok, these guys are known to make errors?

[Eightpot]

Paddocks sell genuine ones for 27.90+vat, coopers ones for 10.50 +vat or britpart for £5.50+vat

Dont do themselves any favours do they.

[slihp]

you assume using genuine lr parts equates to best quality is this the case, or are britpart etc just as good. Also i oil & filter change every 6 months, diffs, transfer & gearbox every 12 months what interval should the fule filter be changed?

cheers guys :-)

[JimAttrill]

We use Coopers or Britpart, depending on what our supplier has in stock. We've never had any trouble with either. We pay the same price for both, about the equivalent of £6. Maybe they average it all out.

[BogMonster]

The Genuine Td5 filters are expensive and always have been. I guess they are a higher grade of filter than the Tdi version as it is basically the same unit but the thing is much more expensive - maybe better to filter the fuel better for the electronic injectors. The Tdi filter will fit, but whether it is wise to use it is another matter.

[silvio]

Bogmonster is entirely correct: actually, the original fuel filter for the Td5 is manufactired here in Italy by Ufi Filter (if you look closely at the label on the cardboard box, you'll read "made in Italy").

So, when I was asked quite a lot of the old Liras from my stealer, I started looking for this filter through the aftermarket channel: surprise, you can certainly spare some money, but the OEM filter by UFI (sometimes branded as "Sofima") costs much more than a standard diesel fuel filter, nowhere near the £6 quoted above. When I made notice this fact to the retailer, he replied saying that that filter was listed as a "high water separation filter", a different kind of product.

Considering the price of the 5 EUI's, I think that saving a few euro/pounds on a filter you normally replace every 40k km is the typical false economy; everything might always go well, but sometimes things might go wrong (filling tank with low quality fuel, for instance), and a better filter might do the difference.

PS: the part code for the UFI filter is 24.525.00

[BogMonster]

Interesting info - I didn't know that it was a water separating element but it makes sense. It also explains the water sensor on the bottom of the filter (which usually doesn't work - but that is another matter!)

[Ex Member]

2 micron aftermarket. Higher quality, better filtration, more options AND less cost (than genuine).

http://www.stanadyne.com/new/ppt/ppt_dffs.asp

[SteveG]

Interesting info - I didn't know that it was a water separating element but it makes sense. It also explains the water sensor on the bottom of the filter (which usually doesn't work - but that is another matter!)

Were yours still shipping with the water sensor? Both of my 05 TD5 Defenders didn't have a sensor fitted anymore.

What's the interval for a fuel filter change? is it 48,000 miles?

Cheers

Steve

[BogMonster]

I haven't looked for a while to be honest, not interested in Td5s! Perhaps the ROW spec ones do have one though due to fuel quality.

[JimAttrill]

If your water thingy doesn't work, you can fit the standard TDi 200/300 filter. It has a drain on the bottom. If you are even tighter you can fit a version of the same filter without the drain. Found out about these because the ones with drains became hard to get for a while.

The GUD numbers for those in SA and Oz, are Z108 for the Tdi filter and Z75 for the drainless one.

We have to look at TD5s, the workshop is full of stuffed ones! Rebores (sorry resleeves), cracked cyl heads, ECU's that dont C, blown oil coolers, you name it. Not a Tdi in sight except mine, and there is nothing wrong with that one.

We change the fuel filter on every service along with all the other filters. So it depends how often the owner wants to bring it in.

[robbie1717]

I've always bought Genuine Parts Filters for my '06 Td5 Defender, i noticed with the last 2 i bought they seem to have suffered a drop in quality/packaging.

Previously they always came shrink wrapped in hard clear see-through plastic with all the seals/washers in place and a Water Drain Plug inserted.

The last 2 arrived with some ill fitting plastic caps either end, which fall off more easily than they stay put, no Water Drain Plug on either and missing seal/washer for the Water Drain Plug on one........

....they are both UFI manufactured and are stamped Landrover Genuine Parts on the Filters and Boxes.

Needless to say, the price hasnt dropped off to match!.......

[smallfry]

For a long time i worked in the agricultural and plant industry, and one of my interests was oils and filtration.

Cant even count the number of times guys came in wanting fuel filters (and pumps. and injectors) We would as a matter of course offer genuine parts or Lucas ones, only to be told........................

"Nah mate, they are too expensive. And they are Ploppy Plop Plops because they block up too easily"

What price cheap filters ? How much is your pump and injectors worth to you ? And the downtime ?

Just because suppliers and fitters say things like "we have no trouble with them" does NOT mean they are any good. Of course it will fit and work of a fashion, but its a gradual process, and when your pump fails 11 months down the line because of dirt or whatever, you just TRY and any sort of admission of poor quality OR any recompense. You will just be fobbed off with something like "Nah mate, nothing to do with us. Must be something YOU have done". And you will pay, because as sure as hell they wont.

So do yourselves a favour. Good oil, good filters, and good brakes. Its cheaper in the long run