V9X STX550 2012. Fuel filter change can cause injector damage.

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JLA

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Nov 2, 2013
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Location
Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia
I was recently advised by a Nissan mechanic that there are serious precautions to observe when changing the fuel filter/s on the V9X engine.
I have two fuel filters, a Fuel Master pre filter (after market) and the standard factory filter. After these filters are changed it is necessary to prime the system removing as much air as possible firstly by filling the new filters with diesel before fitting. Also by plugging/clamping the filter hoses to avoid bubbles in the hoses when replacing the filters. Then manually priming. Nothing new so far.
When the engine is cranked it takes some time before it will start. The mechanic told me don’t let it crank for longer than 15 seconds or injector damage will result. After each attempt reprime the system again with the manual primer.

The inference is perhaps that the injectors overheat when running dry after 15 seconds. They need diesel flowing through them to keep them cool. Allow time between each attempt. He assured me that he has been caught with this himself by damaging a customers set of injectors by cranking too long and needing to replace the set.

Take care or it could cost you $9,000 for new injectors!
 
UPDATE:
After watching the YouTube below, it seems the best approach in NOT to pre-fill the fuel filters with diesel. If you do it will potentially allow small particles to directly enter the injectors without passing through the filter. These small 2-5 micron particles can do damage.

In the YouTube example they use an electric fuel pump to prime the system. In our case we prime with a hand vacuum pump. If we can’t pre-fill the filters then that’s a lot of air to shift which will travel through the hoses too.

Does anyone used a sensible solution to this, perhaps an electric vacuum pump in place of the hand vacuum pump.

 
Great research JLA, hope someone has an affordable solution. I have always thought an in-tank 12v pump would be good, Nissan use this on some of their other utes.
 

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