I am in the prcess of cleaning the fuel system after I put diesel in by accident... I even chose the pump carefully, looking for fancy petrol! It is the second time I have mistaken fancy diesel for fancy petrol - at least it gives things a bit of light oil lube!
If you do put diesel in by accident, you will need to do this, but it is also part of the 'major service' schedule, yet when I first did mine the filter was 10 years old, obviously charged for but not changed, ever! Mine was an ex dealer principle's bike too, bought off him at 7000 miles ish and 9 years old.
Access is under the steel ring under the seat on the top of the tank.
Copied from my FB post on the X Country page. This was doing my first x Country, a yellow one with alloy rear subframe, but the fuel tank and fittings are identical.
Despite so called dealer serviced from new... the date on the old filter was 08. 2006. Easy job. This is what lurks beneath your seat and where the fuel filter is to be found:
Take off the electric plug. A pair of pliers helps if you don't have strong fingers. On my black one it just pulls out but there is a rubber seal that holds it quite tight.
Next, take off the fuel delivery pipe by unscrewing the two screws, lift the fitting complete with line off the lid of the housing. Trying to take the fuel line off the plastic fitting is likely to break the fitting. There is a rubber sealing ring that holds the plastic fitting into the hole - it needs a little persuasion each side to lift it out.
That leaves you with this:
The lid holding the fuel pump assembly and filter is held in by the metal ring. Tap the ring gently to unscrew it, it will turn by hand eventually.
Prise the rim CAREFULLY not to catch the rubber seal, lift out entire fuel pump assembly. Try levering a bit each side to ease it out gently and as square as possible.
The entire assembly will lift out attached to the lid.
Work the prestrainer, a nylon mesh bag, off and clean it with carb cleaner and blow through with an air line. Or, if like me you don't have an air line, leave to air dry.
Undo the clamp on the fuel line to the filter carefully. Pull off the fuel line. I emptied the residual fuel back into the tank, cos I'm tight. (Not if you have put diesel in, of course!)
Unscrew the two screws that hold the grey earth wires and filter bracket in place. The old filter then just pulls off, gently work it off.
Put your new fuel filter on the stub, it is a simple hole in the bottom of the filter that goes over the stub on the housing, then put the bracket on and screw in the 2 screws - with the wires in place!
Attach the fuel line, I used a jubilee clip in place of the fancy pliers type clip it comes from the factory with. There is little pressure on it and a jubilee works perfectly well, 10mm - 11.5mm one.
Run out of picture space - to be continued below!
Put new filter on, reattach bracket and earth wires. I used a jubilee clamp to reattach the fuel line. Put strainer on. Replace the whole lot in the tank, rubber filter first, then top lid. It will only go back one way, the large tab at 6 o'clock locates in a gap. Put the ring back on, screw up, tap tight. Put fuel line back on with the 2 screws. Plug wire in. Ready to go!
If you do put diesel in by accident, you will need to do this, but it is also part of the 'major service' schedule, yet when I first did mine the filter was 10 years old, obviously charged for but not changed, ever! Mine was an ex dealer principle's bike too, bought off him at 7000 miles ish and 9 years old.
Access is under the steel ring under the seat on the top of the tank.
Copied from my FB post on the X Country page. This was doing my first x Country, a yellow one with alloy rear subframe, but the fuel tank and fittings are identical.
Despite so called dealer serviced from new... the date on the old filter was 08. 2006. Easy job. This is what lurks beneath your seat and where the fuel filter is to be found:
Take off the electric plug. A pair of pliers helps if you don't have strong fingers. On my black one it just pulls out but there is a rubber seal that holds it quite tight.
Next, take off the fuel delivery pipe by unscrewing the two screws, lift the fitting complete with line off the lid of the housing. Trying to take the fuel line off the plastic fitting is likely to break the fitting. There is a rubber sealing ring that holds the plastic fitting into the hole - it needs a little persuasion each side to lift it out.
That leaves you with this:
The lid holding the fuel pump assembly and filter is held in by the metal ring. Tap the ring gently to unscrew it, it will turn by hand eventually.
Prise the rim CAREFULLY not to catch the rubber seal, lift out entire fuel pump assembly. Try levering a bit each side to ease it out gently and as square as possible.
The entire assembly will lift out attached to the lid.
Work the prestrainer, a nylon mesh bag, off and clean it with carb cleaner and blow through with an air line. Or, if like me you don't have an air line, leave to air dry.
Undo the clamp on the fuel line to the filter carefully. Pull off the fuel line. I emptied the residual fuel back into the tank, cos I'm tight. (Not if you have put diesel in, of course!)
Unscrew the two screws that hold the grey earth wires and filter bracket in place. The old filter then just pulls off, gently work it off.
Put your new fuel filter on the stub, it is a simple hole in the bottom of the filter that goes over the stub on the housing, then put the bracket on and screw in the 2 screws - with the wires in place!
Attach the fuel line, I used a jubilee clip in place of the fancy pliers type clip it comes from the factory with. There is little pressure on it and a jubilee works perfectly well, 10mm - 11.5mm one.
Run out of picture space - to be continued below!
Put new filter on, reattach bracket and earth wires. I used a jubilee clamp to reattach the fuel line. Put strainer on. Replace the whole lot in the tank, rubber filter first, then top lid. It will only go back one way, the large tab at 6 o'clock locates in a gap. Put the ring back on, screw up, tap tight. Put fuel line back on with the 2 screws. Plug wire in. Ready to go!
