1. Welcome to 4Runners.com!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all 4Runner discussion topics
    • Transfer over your build thread from a different forum to this one
    • Communicate privately with other 4Runner owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

DIY Fuel Filter 5th Gen

Discussion in '5th Gen 4Runners (2010-2024)' started by ChloeF, Feb 10, 2019.

  1. Feb 10, 2019 at 3:18 PM
    #1
    ChloeF

    ChloeF [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2019
    Member:
    #8763
    Messages:
    2
    Anyone have a link to DIY instructions for replacing the fuel filter in a 2018? Thanks.
     
  2. Feb 10, 2019 at 3:53 PM
    #2
    HoBoDanny

    HoBoDanny Dude...

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    Member:
    #8697
    Messages:
    966
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2004 SR5 V6 4WD 4Runner
    RCI Skid Plate CBI Ditch Light Brackets Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10 265 70R17 113T Tires 1.25” Wheel Spacers TPMS Bypass Mod Hydrocarbon Filter Removed Merca decal 2” leveling kit front only Black headlights
    Out of curiosity why are you changing it so soon?
     
  3. Feb 10, 2019 at 4:53 PM
    #3
    ChloeF

    ChloeF [OP] New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2019
    Member:
    #8763
    Messages:
    2
    Precaution due to some trash gasoline
     
  4. Feb 10, 2019 at 5:00 PM
    #4
    HoBoDanny

    HoBoDanny Dude...

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    Member:
    #8697
    Messages:
    966
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2004 SR5 V6 4WD 4Runner
    RCI Skid Plate CBI Ditch Light Brackets Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10 265 70R17 113T Tires 1.25” Wheel Spacers TPMS Bypass Mod Hydrocarbon Filter Removed Merca decal 2” leveling kit front only Black headlights
    Not sure I would really mess with it 220k on my Tacoma and no filter change and I’m sure it’s had some questionable fuel. If you really want to the only info I could find referred to an in tank filter which would most likely require dropping the tank.
     
    WallyT4R likes this.
  5. Feb 10, 2019 at 5:34 PM
    #5
    Braves95

    Braves95 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2019
    Member:
    #8519
    Messages:
    402
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    David
    Vehicle:
    2019 Nightshade Special Edition MGM
    None Yet!!
    I'm pretty sure all fuel filters are inside the tank now.
     
    LandCruiser and WallyT4R like this.
  6. Feb 11, 2019 at 4:06 AM
    #6
    DGP1961

    DGP1961 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 17, 2018
    Member:
    #7154
    Messages:
    983
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2018 SR5 Premium
    I wouldn't F with it personally, on a 2018 bring it to the dealer. One tank of gas isn't going to do anything.
     
    2016Pro, Rocko9999 and LandCruiser like this.
  7. Feb 11, 2019 at 5:39 AM
    #7
    TN_FunRunner

    TN_FunRunner New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2018
    Member:
    #5502
    Messages:
    444
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jay
    W. TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 TRD ORP, 2007 SR5 4WD
    Like others have said, the filter is in the tank now, gone are the days of an in-line filter.
     
    LandCruiser likes this.
  8. Feb 11, 2019 at 5:40 AM
    #8
    HoBoDanny

    HoBoDanny Dude...

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    Member:
    #8697
    Messages:
    966
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Daniel
    Kentucky
    Vehicle:
    2004 SR5 V6 4WD 4Runner
    RCI Skid Plate CBI Ditch Light Brackets Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10 265 70R17 113T Tires 1.25” Wheel Spacers TPMS Bypass Mod Hydrocarbon Filter Removed Merca decal 2” leveling kit front only Black headlights
    And sad days they are....
     
    jgcaps and TN_FunRunner[QUOTED] like this.
  9. Apr 22, 2023 at 5:19 AM
    #9
    slmobile

    slmobile New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2023
    Member:
    #32347
    Messages:
    4
    Vehicle:
    2012 4Runner SR5
    Just bought a 2012 4runner. Shocking news re. location of the fuel filter - are they insane. On my Ford Superduty I have two fuel filters: water separator/filter 10µm and a 5µm filter just before the fuel injection pump, both accessible without removing body parts. So far the DIY experience between the two vehicles is not in favor of Toyota.
     
  10. Apr 22, 2023 at 5:43 AM
    #10
    Agent_Outside

    Agent_Outside A Guy A Girl and A Trail

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2018
    Member:
    #8098
    Messages:
    1,934
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    Built 2011 T4R Limited
    Sounds like your Super Douchey was a diesel. Apples to oranges.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2023
    Thatbassguy and whippersnapper02 like this.
  11. Apr 22, 2023 at 5:55 AM
    #11
    slmobile

    slmobile New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2023
    Member:
    #32347
    Messages:
    4
    Vehicle:
    2012 4Runner SR5
    This wasn't personal, as a DIY person I couldn't care less what the logo is or fuel type. Plenty of shit Ford models out there. If I need something done I need: access, parts and instructions, that's all. Superduty is an equivalent of an open-source product.
     
  12. Apr 22, 2023 at 7:16 AM
    #12
    Agent_Outside

    Agent_Outside A Guy A Girl and A Trail

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2018
    Member:
    #8098
    Messages:
    1,934
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    Built 2011 T4R Limited
    As a DIY person it sounds like you don’t know much about cars. The fuel absolutely matters and my point is fuel filters are a frequent routine maintenance item on diesels because the fuel itself is the lubricant for the high pressure pump internals. Diesels are extremely prone to the high pressure pumps eating themselves from the inside and distributing metal shrapnel thought out the fuel system when water or debris is in the fuel. That’s not a thing on gasoline engines. There’s a reason gasoline fuel filter changes are, for the most part, a thing of the past. It’s just not necessary anymore, the fuel system isn’t that fragile. If you have a problem that requires the filter to be changed it’s typically outside influence/vandalism. Your tank would filled with shit anyway so you’d need to drop it and clean it out regardless which is where your access the internal filter. They have found an internal filter before the pump on gasoline engines to be a much more permanent solution than the pump eating debris and pushing it out to an external filter. So again, apples to oranges.

    It’s like complaining that Toyota doesn’t give you a way to adjust hydraulic lifters that don’t need to be adjusted, in the extremely rare event of a failure, they are replaced.
     
  13. Apr 22, 2023 at 8:06 AM
    #13
    whippersnapper02

    whippersnapper02 New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2019
    Member:
    #8982
    Messages:
    2,044
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Christian
    Vehicle:
    2019 4Runner TRD Offroad Premium
    Pretty much all gas vehicles are this way now, it has nothing to do with the brand.
     
    Redwood likes this.
  14. Apr 22, 2023 at 8:33 AM
    #14
    Foothills

    Foothills New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2022
    Member:
    #29388
    Messages:
    274
    https://www.redlineoil.com/si-1-complete-fuel-system-cleaner
    A bottle of Red Line SI-1 every few thousand miles will keep the truck running without problem, I usually put a bottle through last gas tank before oil change, been doing that for about 20 years and 500K miles on various vehicles and never had a fuel or injector related problem. I have had rough idle on a couple of vehicles which may have been dirty injectors but SI-1 cleared the problem in less than a day, always carry a bottle in the tool box when we leave town. Locking fuel cap goes a long way to keeping unwanted crap out the tank.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2023
  15. Apr 22, 2023 at 8:50 AM
    #15
    2ndGen22re

    2ndGen22re Goldie, my 1st love & my new kid…

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2022
    Member:
    #26045
    Messages:
    730
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    CR
    Carson Valley, NV
    Vehicle:
    1990 22RE & 22 AG ORP KDSS
    One-at-this-price stripper. Bought new 34 yrs ago, a $13K leftover. Added Detroit TruTrac, 1”rear spring spacer and “pinstripes”… Factory AC kit and roof rack bought at dealer cost at time of purchase, still blows ice cold 32yrs later. 2022 AG ORP all stock.
    Curious, how much do your SD filters cost?
     
  16. Apr 22, 2023 at 10:31 AM
    #16
    Captain Spalding

    Captain Spalding . . .

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2022
    Member:
    #25492
    Messages:
    1,620
    @ChloeF, welcome to the forum.

    This thread has been fairly typical for this board. OP asks “How do I do X?” And the the replies start coming in.

    “No no. You don’t want to do X.”
    “Don’t do X. Do Y.”
    “Do a search.”
    “They did X better on the Tacoma.”
    “Only an idiot would do X.”
    “My buddy did X and then [enter catastrophe here].”
    — and finally on the second page someone will say —

    “Here’s how you do X.”​

    This thread is different than most because in this particular case you really don’t want to do X. My advice is to diilute the bad gas with good gas when you can.
     
  17. Apr 22, 2023 at 10:45 AM
    #17
    slmobile

    slmobile New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2023
    Member:
    #32347
    Messages:
    4
    Vehicle:
    2012 4Runner SR5
    If you traveled outside of your "town" once in a while - like South America - without EPA overlooking quality of the fuel you'd know a thing of being able to resolve fuel system issues on your own. Experience gives perspective, big mouth.
     
  18. Apr 22, 2023 at 10:55 AM
    #18
    Thatbassguy

    Thatbassguy New member? Really??

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2019
    Member:
    #9314
    Messages:
    12,420
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    James
    S/E Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2019 TRDORP, KDSS, MGM
    RSG sliders, Yakima offgrid basket, Pro-Comp wheels, SOS Streamline bumper and skids, Warn VR EVO10S winch + Ultimate Sidewinder, Bilstein 6112 + 5100 + rear lift coils, Rigid Dually SS ditch lights w/Caliraised brackets and OEM style dash switch
    Are most gasoline vehicles' fuel filters located outside of the tank on vehicles in South America? Or, are most of them in the tank, like the 4Runner's?
     
    08TXRunner likes this.
  19. Apr 22, 2023 at 12:29 PM
    #19
    slmobile

    slmobile New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2023
    Member:
    #32347
    Messages:
    4
    Vehicle:
    2012 4Runner SR5
    For pickups, Suzuki is a popular brand with a filter outside the tank up to yr ~2012. Nissans were holding up going the in-tank route for a long too. While the high pressure pump (cp4) of a Powerstroke is particularly vulnerable to foreign elements, it's a fallacy that gas engines can tolerate bad gasoline; nether type can. 3yrs/30k km in preventive maintenance is a must outside 1st World countries. Combining a fuel pump (which can take more abuse) with a filter and embedding both in the tank implies most people cannot swap it while strangled in rural areas. I'm not against combining parts - if a sealed unit provides clear advantages - but easy access should be provided to resume voyage.
     
  20. Apr 22, 2023 at 1:32 PM
    #20
    Thatbassguy

    Thatbassguy New member? Really??

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2019
    Member:
    #9314
    Messages:
    12,420
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    James
    S/E Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2019 TRDORP, KDSS, MGM
    RSG sliders, Yakima offgrid basket, Pro-Comp wheels, SOS Streamline bumper and skids, Warn VR EVO10S winch + Ultimate Sidewinder, Bilstein 6112 + 5100 + rear lift coils, Rigid Dually SS ditch lights w/Caliraised brackets and OEM style dash switch

    It just seems that it is an overall trend making things harder to service. I don't think it is specific to Toyota. In fact, in my experience, Toyotas are usually easier to work on than other brands I have dealt with.

    I think the point being made earlier was that it wasn't a Toyota versus Ford situation , but rather a gasoline versus diesel situation. I would think that most of Ford's gasoline vehicles have the filter and pump located in the tank just like most manufacturers.
     
  21. Apr 23, 2023 at 7:22 AM
    #21
    Agent_Outside

    Agent_Outside A Guy A Girl and A Trail

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2018
    Member:
    #8098
    Messages:
    1,934
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    Built 2011 T4R Limited
    My experience is 12 years as a dual brand mast tech and shop Forman for Audi and VW, and then 6.5 doing quality testing and development and validation testing on prototype vehicles from Audi Porsche and Lamborghini. I can guarantee that I’ve professionally delt with more vehicles with bad fuel, that have been misfueled, or have been vandalized with stuff in the tank over the years than a DIY’er will see in 50 lifetimes. I have lots of experience and perspective on the subject.
     
  22. Apr 25, 2023 at 3:37 PM
    #22
    Redwood

    Redwood New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2021
    Member:
    #23750
    Messages:
    217
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2022 4Runner TRD Off Road
    Also keep in mind that most gasoline engines today have returnless fuel systems. Meaning what ever gets pushed out the fuel tank must pass thru a fuel injector junk and all. One of the advantages of the 4Runner is an old school return type fuel system. It's always circulating and has a smaller chance of plugging injectors and is more tolerant of contaminants. The 4Runner's simplistic fuel system is one of reasons I bought one. That being no GDI with carbon buildup issues and a time proven port injected return style fuel system. What do you mean by "trash gasoline"? If it's just poor quality dumb it down with good gas and drive it. No worries.
     
  23. Apr 25, 2023 at 3:51 PM
    #23
    08TXRunner

    08TXRunner New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2020
    Member:
    #13179
    Messages:
    929
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    '20 SR5P
    But that doesn't answer his question, which I think was trying to lead you to the issue at hand.

    Also, being an asshole by insulting others will not endear you to the rest of the forum. But maybe you don't care about that...
     
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2023
  24. Apr 26, 2023 at 9:39 PM
    #24
    2016Pro

    2016Pro Why all of the Pro hate?

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2018
    Member:
    #7739
    Messages:
    1,462
    Nope, don't do it
     
  25. Apr 27, 2023 at 12:29 AM
    #25
    4Runnerloverguy

    4Runnerloverguy New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2023
    Member:
    #32594
    Messages:
    1
    Gender:
    Male
    Are you sure you gonna DIY to this?
     

Products Discussed in

To Top