A friend of mine had a fuel filter go bad in a 1999 Chevy Suburban 1500.
Replacing the fuel filter should be part of regular maintenance, but in this case, it was blocking fuel from going to the engine.
In this tutorial, I will go through the steps we went through to change it.
I would rate this job fairly easy but don’t do this unless you feel comfortable working on a vehicle. And remember, gas is very flammable, which we will be dealing with.
Tools Needed To Change a Fuel Filter On a 1996 to 2001 Chevy Suburban
- Crescent wrench
- 5/8 wrench
- 1/2 inch socket with ratchet
Some basic tools and of course, the fuel filter will be needed.
1996 to 2001 Chevy Suburban Fuel Filter Location
The fuel pump is located on the driver’s side of the truck under the frame.
Once you are under the truck, locate the filter. Two lines will go into the filter, one out and one in.
How to Replace the Fuel Filter 1996 to 2001 Chevy Suburban
The two lines need to be removed along with the bracket. Watch out for any pressure still in the lines by loosening them up slowly.
Also, watch out for any fuel that will leak out of the lines. It is a good idea to have a bucket to catch the leftover fuel.
Before inserting the new filter be sure to get the direction of flow right. This is usually done with an arrow or by saying in and out at the tips. The arrow should point to the front of the truck since gas is coming from the tank and going to the engine.
Fuel Filter flow Arrow On a 1996 to 2001 Chevy
At this point, everything simply needs to go back together. The two lines are tightened into place, and the holder bracket is tightened to hold it in place. Simply be careful not to strip any bolts.
After the new fuel filter is bolted into place, the line needs to be primed since all the fuel has drained from the lines. To do this, turn the key to the on position, wait 2-3 seconds, then turn the key off. This should be done 2-3 three times and basically allows the fuel pump to build pressure back into the fuel lines.
Once the pressure is back in the line, the truck should start right up.
This is a basic overview of how to change out the fuel filter on a 1996 to 2001 Chevy Suburban.
Remember, there are always little things when doing such a job that can be unique to that vehicle, so be sure to have patience.
Can someone please tell me how to find out if a 2001 Chevy suburban has a fuel filter or is it in the fuel pump and the fuel pump is what needs to be replaced? I don’t have access to the vehicle to physically look and we are trying to see if its something we can fix ourselves or if we should take it to a shop. Thank you in advance.
I got a pot hole with water in it and my truck just died. It hasn’t started since. I’ve changed the fuel pump, checked the fuses and am about to change the filter. Any more suggestions. Oh, also new spark plugs and ground wire. The water wasn’t deep
Thank you very much! Very clear and thorough.
Thank you very much for this helpful tutorial, fixing Dad’s Tahoe will be a breeze now.
Father & son time.
Why Is the Arrow on the New Fuel Filter pictured facing backwards towards the tank if the fuel flow is coming from the tank to engine which is at the front of the truck? Is that a misprint on the filter itself? One of my friend came across this problem once and when I inspected it to trouble shoot the problem, I told him the arrow was facing the right way of flow, but the filter was on backwards!
It’s a self help article, dude, and a helpful one at that. The pictures are for general, visual reference and fairly well explained. You shouldn’t personally feel obligated to troll these posts and pick them apart just because your life sucks. If you genuinely don’t know the answer to the question you just asked, you need to either get a new hobby or get bent, whichever comes first. SMH. windbags.
Do you need to drain the fuel before changing the fuel filter?
No, just make sure to catch/watch out for the fuel that will come out of the lines when you change the filter.
I hit a pot hole with water in it and my truck just died. It hasn’t started since. I’ve changed the fuel pump, checked the fuses and am about to change the filter. Any more suggestions. Oh, also new spark plugs and ground wire. The water wasn’t deep.
It was having previous problems, would die three times if no gas. (Not actually a problem) the gas gauge didn’t work, someone took my catalac converter off then check engine light came on, was going up a hill a small poof was heard hit a pot hole and down he went.
Thank you, very helful, good detailed preview.