2004 c5 plastic fuel filter housing will not open. is there a knack to this? try,d soaking in warm water, had filter wrench on wont budge.

Darrin, April 2007

use a chain type oil filter wrench...you will find it comes off easily with one these..

big bob, January 2013

I have just changed the diesel filter on my 2.2hdi C5. Thanks for all the help. I had to resort to the screwdriver and hammer method but a few light taps freed it. A couple of tips that might come in handy. The feed pipes can easily be pulled off if you push in the light coloured segment of the fitting with a screwdriver at the same time that you pull off the pipe. Do the same when you push it on again. Also there are two types of filter. I was advised to buy one which proved to be the wrong one having given my reg number etc. So this is worth checking. As I had it in 'bits' when I discovered this, my only option was to go to the local Citroen dealer. That cost me dear, £22 instead of £8 for the Bosch bought online.

Eddie, November 2009

Screwdriver and hammer is the best way, gentle persuasion rather than brute force over ignorance. It should however be done by hand.

Brian, October 2009

I have snapped one of the plastic bit where one of the pipes connects at the top, any one got any idea's where i can pick one up cheap

kash, November 2008

try hiting the ridges on the right with a flat screwdriver and hammer. did mine yesterday and it worked a treat.

simon, August 2008

how do you change a deisel filter in a c5

sean, August 2008

Check to see that this is not a complete replacement unit as fitted to the Citroen picasso 04 onwards,should this be the case ,about £20 to replace.Parts or dealer should be able to tell which one is fitted

aughton w, October 2007

Firstly, you should seriously consider replacing the whole housing (you can buy one with a pre-fitted new filter cartridge). Sub micron dirt particles will damage your diesel injectors. If you replace only the element, you need to clean everything around the filter housing extremely thoroughly and
be extremely careful not to introduce dirt.

Make a careful note of which pipes go where (or take a photo) and then remove them by disengaging their quick-release catches. They are all self sealing so you won't spill much diesel. Use poly bags and elastic bands to prevent dirt ingress into the pipes.

Now to the actual housing:
I'm 100% sure about this particular car, but there are two types of filter housing on the hdi. One is opened using a (17mm?) socket on the top of the housing. The other type is a more basic type which has a notched upper securing ring which (theoretically) just unscrews. The second type are often much too tight to unscrew by hand or even with a filter wrench. You could try hammering the notches round with a large wrench. Obviously it could break and you will wish you had just replaced the whole housing. Once you have removed it, fit the new cartridge (be prepared for it to be the wrong type) and re-assemble. No special priming is necessary, but you might want to turn the ignition on for a few seconds three or four times to allow fuel to fill the filter so you don't need to crank the engine excessively to start it.

Have a look at the fuel that came out of the housing. If there are shiny bits of metal in it, you might want to seek expert advice as this could mean expensive repairs are around the corner.

Good luck

alex, April 2007