Just got off the phone with my Audi service rep at the local dealer, and I mentioned to him that I didn't see anywhere in the 8 years they've been servicing my car that they had replaced the fuel filter.

His response was that because of the difficulty of accessing the filter(having to drop the subframe and gas tank), they don't replace the fuel filter unless there is a proven restriction in the filter. Furthermore, he said that Audi considers their original fuel filters to be permanent.

Now, in this DIY http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng49.shtml, the guy says that you should replace the fuel filter every 15k miles.

My thinking on this is that both viewpoints are highly extreme. While I can't see myself changing this every 15k, I certainly can't believe that my fuel filter is pristine after 120k miles!

Since I'm a new DIY'er, I'm looking for excuses for things to replace, and this has my attention. Am I better off waiting until I'm having "issues" with the performance of the car, or should I just do it?

 

Do it... its not really that hard...

 

At 120k, it should have been done by now.

 

Alright, I'm in. Do I really need that 8mm triple square allen socket tool, or is there a hex tool I can use as a substitute?

 

A regular 6pt allen wrench may work, but I give no guarantees on that.

 

i have the same engine, and actually just did this myself. here are some things that i wish someone had told me (sorry that it's so long):
-make sure that the auto parts people give you the right filter (if you have banjo bolts, make sure that your new one is the right type) and another thing that would have saved me some time is if you can find one, get the filter with the lip on the "in" section not on the "out" section (tough enough to get the stupid thing in there).
-as for the tools, i would strongly suggest going with the t-40 and the ratcheting wrench which will fit EXACTLY around the bit of the t-40. i bought a new 8mm and it turned out my bit was bigger around than 8mm. the reason i say go with the bit and the wrench is because i didn't even have enough room to fit an allen wrench in there, and if i could, i wouldn't have had enough room to turn it.
-if you have any questions with it, you can also pm devilman, because he is super smart and has the same engine.
-the 1.8t'ers have a different type of fuel filter as far as i know (so keep that in mind when searching for answers).

 

Excellent advice, thank you!

Because all of the many different types of fuel filters out there, I decided to buy the filter from the Audi dealer. The parts guy wanted my VIN so that he made sure it was the correct part.

If I understand you correctly, you used a T40 bit and a wrench? If the 8mm wrench was a bit too small, what did you use? 9mm?

 

i did mine with just a couple of wrenches, a saw blade and wire cutters.

 

Yes because theres no room to get a ratchet on there. Bits are generally 1/4 inch.
Macguyver

 

Yu, it helps that your hands can fit in there. We looked like elephants trying to f*ck a football when changing mine.

OP, the service guy is wrong - they're not permanent filters and I'm pretty sure that obstruction in my filter caused my fuel pump to have to overwork. That is what I think killed my pump. Definitely change it. I needed a hacksaw blade to cut some parts away, and the plastic square nut that the clamp bolt threads into is a pain. Had to use needlenose visegrip pliers to hold it, and ended up replacing it with a metal nex nut and new bolt.

Oh and the subframe does not have to be dropped. Undo the tank straps and wedge a 2x4 between the subframe and the tank and force the tank down. Use a crowbar to wedge in and hold it down to buy you some room. Also, make sure you get new washers for the banjo bolts with the new filter. On the OEM setup one of the four washers was a dissimilar metal which caused the banjo line fitting to corrode somewhat and seize up. It'll come free but you may have to swear it off.