How do you drain the diesel fuel filter of water

[chrisvectra]

how do you drain the diesel fuel filter of water? i have a warning light that comes on when you turn on the ignition but goes off when you start the car but sometimes comes on whilst giving the car some welly checked the manual and it says drain the fuel filter any ideas anyone?

[blues n twos]

Well i'm no expert but I would take out the filter, Then get a large syringe with a small length of tubing attached and draw out the water.

Refill halfway with some deisel and put a new filter in.

Mine was a ****** to start after changing the deisel filter

Jon

[Daywalker]

but when you put filter back in make sure you fill filter housing FULL to the brim HTH

[chrisvectra]

isnt there a drain plug or something

[chrisvectra]

guys??

[wickedwillie]

isnt there a drain plug or something

I read ages ago how to do it. If you go onto the Vauxhall web site and register, I'm sure you can then download all the handbooks for the Vectra C of various vintage years. I seem to remember it was the 2003 addition handbook that gave the procedure and I seem to remember it was as easy as releasing a bleed valve until diesel started to appear.

It may be water but it may also be a fault in the car electronics. Does your car go into limp home mode i.e feels gutless? If so, its unlikely to be just water in the filter IMO.

[Ste]

The water / fuel separator needs draining periodically. I seem to remember my old Vec B handbook mentioned every 12 months.

On the bottom of the assembly there was a drain. Loosen the big nut and catch about 1/2 a cup full. That should be more then enough.

Obviously this relates to the B, so I can't be sure the C is the same, but I would be surprised if it wasn't. The wife's Mazda is also the same, as is every diesel car I've ever seen.

Water in the fuel filter / separator will happen, that's why it has the separator.

[poves]

omg guys lol - on the underside of the fuel filter housing there is a drain plug , undo this and let the water drain away until diesel appears - the theory is the diesel will be in the top of the filter as oil floats on water , so the water will be in the bottom of filter anyway.

[mattolly86]

however if you have water in your fuel system light will be on all the time hows your smoke levels sounds like something more sinister to me

[craigbarlow18]

any pictures? of where to look? dti lumps and cdti lumps please