Subaru Fuel Filter Replacement | Subaru Forester | Internal Fuel Filter Change

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How to change a Subaru internal tank fuel filter that many new Subaru's have including the Outback, Crosstrek, Impreza, and Legacy. The process will be similar to this which is being replaced on my 4th Gen 2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i non-turbo. / @mtsubfly
Filter P/N: 42052SG120
Spendy Gasket P/N: 42025AG050
I recommend purchasing parts for a decent price from Lithia Subaru Oregon City, I also recommend calling them instead of online.
Their Website: www.oregoncitysubaru.com/
In my past, I have seen dirty fuel filters cause rough running engines, and even led to misdiagnosed engine lights. So I am surprised our Forester has run just over 100k miles with no issues. Subaru recommends replacing it every 72k miles, I will be going another 100k before doing it again unless I have fuel pump issues by then.
The process may seem daunting, but is not that difficult, it mainly requires patience. If you are ok spending more money you could pay the extra money and buy an entire pump and filter assembly, but I see no reason for that.
Check out my other Subaru Maintenance Videos.
CAUTION Gasoline and Vapors are highly FLAMMABLE! Avoid static electricity, electronics that spark, no smoking. You are responsible.
Keep in mind this is an aid to performing the general process, you are responsible for undertaking this task, researching, and performing all steps correctly. Torques, material requirements, processes and procedures could change by the manufacturer. So do your best to do it right! For the ultimate accuracy follow the latest revision of the Service Manual published by the manufacturer. If you are not mechanically inclined, it's not recommended you attempt this.
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[@user-xs6ux4dk9y]

You should be doing 100's of videos. Never seen anything this good before Thank You!!!

[@MTsubfly]

Thank you! I need more time to pump out more content! Hopefully soon!

[@jamesgaudreau8315]

Wow man I gotta say - OUTSTANDING job on this video. I’ve watched a lot of car tutorial videos, and yours is one of the best, in not the best. Very thorough, great camera angles.. well done.

[@colleenh2501]

Y’all did a very good job with your video and your explanation for each step! However, my husband who was an auto technician for over 40 years and he was like… No thanks!

[@natecurrier]

To hell with this 🤣. Kudos to you for doing it and sharing!

[@C0R365]

The inlet screen is an $18 part. I would replace it at this point, why not. I have yet to have a Subaru fuel pump fail last Forester was 15 when I sold it still running strong.

[@donaldwigglesworth5885]

I agree, especially since fuel is filtered every step from the refinery, to the tanker,from the tanker and from the gas pump at the station.

[@vincentlabruzzo3535]

In your video, is this the same fuel use in a 2017 Subaru Legacy Limited sedan 6 cyl. 3.6 L

[@bryanbrown3369]

Well done!! Super clear explanation and detail. There should be KZbin awards for stuff this well done 👍

[@krisweiss6172]

Just convinced me that a dealership will do ours!!

[@joebklyn8458]

Extremely well done in a friendly straight forward manner! Well done young man, well done!

[@StrictlyGenteel200]

To answer my own question, I got a basic 4 piece "hook and pick set" from the hardware store that worked just fine. The rest of the tools list is Philips and flathead screwdrivers, needle nose pliers, and an 8mm socket wrench. To echo another commenter, save yourself some difficulty by noting the position of everything once you remove the access cover: some combination of direction of fuel lines, position of plug-in receiver, and location of side-by-side gasket spike and bolt. Or just take a picture of it. Really a superb video though. Anyone thinking of doing this shouldn't be afraid. The instructions and shots were good enough to make it pretty easy to follow along. It took me 2-3 hours. Thanks for the help and $ saved.

[@MTsubfly]

Totally Awesome! Nice work and thank you!

[@k2wo1]

Another great video. You do an unbelievable job on the step-by-step process. It seems like the Suburu engineers could have done a MUCH better job on the design. George in FL

[@jonsteffenlarsen1846]

You know what you’re doing, that’s for sure. Pleasure to watch!

[@sekaf4125]

Love your up close detailed how to’s. Keep up the good work. All forester Maintance really helpful

[@nizki121]

Awesome video, thanks! Cutting open the old filter finally made me understand where the filtering actually happens :D

[@RoadTravelVlogs]

This is my project tomorrow. Thank you for showing how to replace a new fuel filter.

[@RonaldLeiva]

Thank you! I cant believe they are putting the filters in the tank. I took notes and I'm looking forward to tackling this project next week. Thank for making this amazing video!

[@elinzmeyer3550]

That is the video I wanted! Looking at the manual, it seemed more confusing than it actually is. Coming up on 100K miles and this needs to be done on my 2015 Outback. A thousand times, thank you!

[@richardview1281]

Awesome video like always. I've done all the maintenance on my 2014 Forester with the help of your videos.

[@ednovak6060]

Thanks for taking the time to share

[@mauriciocortes7415]

Thank you very much for your video, I have a Subaru Liberty 2016 and I did the fuel filter replacement following your tutorial, step by step, everything worked out really well.

[@stanschloesser6725]

Video was super informative. Thanks so much. It wasn’t as much of a hassle as I thought it would be. My tank was almost full, but that didn’t really pose any significant problems. I also disconnected the negative terminal, just to reduce spark possibility.

[@pr0n3]

Thanks for this video mate. My mom just bought a Forester of this year and needed the 70k maintenance on the fuel system. Helped me immensely in getting the job done.

[@lzh3131]

This was one of the better fuel filter replacement videos. 👍

[@MichaelPSmith-mp1fk]

Great timing... i've been wanting to do mine.. watched a few videos on it here on youtube, but yours is very thorough and easy to follow. thanks!

[@MTsubfly]

Thank Michael! For me it didn't seem as hard as I thought it would. Just take your time and you got this!

[@amartrivedi537]

Awesome Video. Planning to do this on a 2014 Forester and XV Trek. Thank you!

[@jessyoung9417]

Thank you so much! Very helpful and I followed along while replacing my filter. Couldn't have done it without ya!

[@MTsubfly]

Thanks, & good job to you!

[@jumahl47]

Excellent job, well explained with accompanying video, all steps and tips included in methodical order.

[@jasonroberts2249]

Just asked my dealer and they said they don’t do this because it’s “eight hours of labor”. Looks like I’ll be doing it myself. Thanks much for the vid.

[@ornatusltdjakypilo8146]

Perfect tutorial. Done the replacement work in less than an hour with the help of this video. Thanks

[@JohnBaker3000]

Awesome video! Expertly done. Thank-you!

[@garybrady7392]

This is an excellent video! I just went through the disassembly process before I watched this video, and found that I took loose a couple of parts that I didn't need to. Shame on the factory service manual for leading me astray. I was also unable to determine which part was actually the filter until I watched you and your post mortem that you did on the filter. I have it figured out now and have the right part ordered. Thanks for that part number, too.

[@emiliog.4432]

Excellent video. Well produced. Thanks

[@TheWickerrob]

Thank you for sharing, I am a BIG fan of your Subaru Maintenance Videos.

[@Eduardorules777]

With all my heart, thank you from Guayaquil Ecuador I have a Škoda Rapid 2019 that has the same internal fuel filter system and the agency told me that this car does NOT have a filter and they never knew how to give me a technical explanation of where it goes and how the filter works.

[@rexmackenzie5746]

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[@aleksey_84]

Спасибо! Все просто! Завтра заменю фильтр на своём Forester )

[@you96ca]

Very professional , excellent

[@jermainemorgan171]

That's a lot of precise work

[@daltonlaboskey6940]

Your videos are very helpful. Keep them coming.

[@MTsubfly]

Dalton LaBoskey Thank You very much! I appreciate this greatly. This video took 15 hours approximately to edit...yikes.... I've put off much of this maintenance on the Suby for so long, i thought if I'm going to tackle to full maintenance list, I ought to make a play list out of it to help others because it can be hard to find info on such stuff. The dealer tends to be a rip off. I am a DIY fan. Thank you again.

[@rays8743]

Kudos to you! Thanks for sharing!

[@asamorgan]

Superb video. Concise and very well explained . Thank you.

[@warped-sliderule]

Great video! Couple of points: Have fire extinguisher handy in garage. Soak up any spilled gas on top of tank before commencing with repair to reduce chance of combustion. Clean screens only from the inside out, thus pushing dirt outward, not inward. All good...

[@Spivonious]

Amazing video. Slowed down in the right parts, very clear explanations. There's no way I'm spending 3 hours changing a fuel filter though. :)

[@MTsubfly]

I agree, and it is intimidating seeing the process. But I have to say I wouldn't be afraid of doing it again, and probably could do it in 1.5 hours. Definitely not a 15 minute changeout like other older vehicles, bummer they designed it that way.

[@pf465]

Great video and detail.

[@stephenmarshall5529]

Thank you for guiding us through a big job, and thank you for the effort of producing the vid! Convinced me to avoid this job if possible, but since my vehicle is stuttering, I guess the time has come for some repairs. A small recommendation: Since the filter isn't just a filter, I was confused about what I was watching. A flash of the filter at the start "This is what the filter looks like when you buy it", would have helped.

[@user-dz2hr7qx9y]

first of all thank you very much The explanation was perfect with all the little details, thank you!!!!

[@ahmadeshish5878]

Thank you Bro, it's very helpful

[@danmcgee4734]

Great video! You made that look easy.

[@josemiguelfreirerios8891]

Well done , very nice job, I did to my Forester 2011, Thanks 😊

[@h.h.3102]

OUTSTANDING job on this video....Salute and respect....Great indeed.

[@MTsubfly]

*Salute returned* Thank you very much!

[@DL-cu4qk]

Thanks for the clear explanation and clear video. 👍🏾

[@1scottburns]

Nicely done

[@Franco-vq7xw]

Thanks for the video. Great detail regarding the process. Not a shining moment for Subaru, however. Some engineer did not think this through vs the total cost of ownership. I replace tank and injector filters on other cars for less than $25 for both. This unit is over $100 for the filter and the labor will kill you at the dealership. This was not well thought out. Keep it simple Subaru.

[@bmwrules28]

Dude great video!!! Thanks for sharing! The setup was identical for the WRX 17 model year and your video definitely helped. May I suggest wear some gloves for the next time and definitely change the gaskets for the fuel pump, pressure regulator, and the tank. It’s worth the piece of mind knowing the good old Subie will be good for another 72,000 miles with a new fuel filter. Only use OEM parts too. At 71,895 this good old Rex is good to go! Thanks again and Happy easter!

[@HARLEYMAL]

Great video mate, really well put together and explained perfectly.

[@akhmedikdaniyarovich]

Thanks bro! It was pretty clear!👍

[@ekowentsie3440]

Very educative video thanks man

[@martinprather1103]

Awesome instructional vids man! So helpful l. Hoping you do brake pads/fluid flush and coolant flush next.

[@MTsubfly]

I should huh? I've even got footage for an oil change, and planning to do a fuel system cleaning video. I have been slammed with getting a business going. Our car is at 106k now I think coolant is due at 120k so getting there!

[@p0rq]

I'm gonna do my 2008 Forester soon. I'm a bit nervous, this looks very finnickity, but I think I'm confident enough to do this now having seen your slow, methodical explanation. Wish me luck!

[@MTsubfly]

You got this! It's not as bad as it looks! You've got determination and that will get you to the finish line 😃

[@p0rq]

@@MTsubfly Thanks, haha. I'm still pretty green. I've swapped brake pads, rotors, suspension, changed oil, but all that stuff feels relatively easy and stress free compared to anything involving the engine or internals of the car. I get very nervous going anywhere near that stuff!

[@thayakarthi1503]

thank you for posting.

[@scottphillips181]

Outstanding - Thank you!

[@hkeyu3139]

Thanks for sharing great information.👍

[@newengland8126]

My 1978 Ford Fairmont had the fuel filter next to the air cleaner on the top of the engine. Took about 2 minutes to change.

[@kathylewis7543]

Great job ! Not sure everyone could do it but great job I love you did it step by step made it look easy ish! Lol! Thank you!

[@ronodowd9760]

Thanks! Great vid!

[@dannywills9339]

Great job!

[@johnreese3762]

Very well done! Great video!!!

[@MTsubfly]

Thank you!

[@Vidales1711]

Great video and thank you for the info, now I'll do it next weekend, My question is what symptoms had your Forester?

[@tonyl.771]

amazing i will try it on my forester xt thanks 🙏

[@BlueSky-uz1tv]

Great video. 2016 Forester with 125K miles would hesitate going from a stop. Changing the filter fixed the problem. I followed the video with no major issues. A couple of minor points though 1) After pulling the pump fuse, run the car until it dies. Then crank some more, wait, crank some more until there is no tendency to start. Doing this I only had a couple of dribbles of fuel when I pulled the hoses. 2) Before you loosen the ring use a sharpe or paint marker and mark the position of the clamp ring on the body and also the position of the small inner ring and the big gasket in relation to the clamp ring. Also mark the orientation of the fuel filter/pump in relation to the clamp ring. This will make putting everything back in a lot easier. 3) Have the correct tools. Dont try this using a crescent wrench and a pair of needle nose pliers.

[@dougbrown6983]

Very well done!

[@mdparvez8053]

Very nice video. Everything explained. Subscribed.....

[@MTsubfly]

Thank you!

[@nelidalopez9842]

Great video. Thank you really, you saved me a lot of time!

[@CarlosLopez-tm7bp]

Grate video, thank you so much for your time ans work.

[@mikegarner8150]

What a wonderful video , so cool, your good & Thank you so Much

[@yunus_aros]

Such an excellent video! Thanks! I saw that Subaru Canada recommends changing the fuel filter every 120000 km or cirka 75000 miles or 6 years. I guess I got to change my fuel filter 2022 when my Forester turns 6 years old in April 2022. Happy holidays and my best regards from Sweden! 🇸🇪

[@MTsubfly]

Thank you! After 100k miles I thought it would be good to look at it. After dissecting the filter media it seems every 100k miles would work for me. Depending on where you live and fuel quality I guess. I never had engine running issues either, that can indicate a full fuel filter. Thanks Jonas! From Oregon!

[@yunus_aros]

@@MTsubfly My pleasure. We have 95 (E10) and 98 (E5) gasoline here. I mainly go with 98 octane due to the better starting (cranking) performance, higher gas mileage and power. I’ve talked myself into the notion that is better for the engine too. I’ve read and heard that gasoline over here, in general, is of higher quality than in North America. Then again we pay more for the fuel than Californians too. Currently 12/16 2021 we pay $7,69/US gallon here in Västerås. I’d like to keep up with maintenance, if it’s due time wise/mile wise, regardless of the conditions.

[@EAADetailing]

Thank you for this video! Looks a little annoying but nothing too crazy!

[@nadirlivuqar]

Good work

[@emiliog.4432]

The FSM recommendation is to replace the o rings and circlip. Probably not necessary, but it’s a lot of work so I will replace them. Thanks

[@owenja7708]

Great tutorial.

[@ash-winprasad7639]

Great job one the job and footage. I wonder how much the whole unit cost rather than filter.

[@roberthoward3469]

the best I have seen great

[@emiliog.4432]

Nicely done! So this is the fuel pump filter on the passenger side correct? We have two filters. One on drivers side as well yes? Do you change that one also? Why two units in one fuel tank? Also, why not replace the sock filter as well? Thanks

[@mvg2x34]

Nice vid. When you think about it, 100,000 @23 mpg avg is 4,300 gallons of fuel put through the filter.

[@britonmarrett796]

Your step by step guide makes it look doable. You're truly a gifted teacher. Greetings from Jamaica. I truly enjoy DIY mechanic jobs as I intend to learn more about my vehicle and also save money! Great job man. I have an impreza 2017 sedan, I hope it's the same procedure as I'll be using your guide. I have 102,000km so far so I guess it's going to need to be changed one of these days.

[@DDB168]

Great video. Curious to know if your car had been suffering performance issues beforehand, and this led you to replacing it, or if it was just routine maintenance as you had reached the suggested mileage limit.

[@prograde81]

Excellent video. One of the best step by step videos on KZbin. Thank you. I will comment on how moronic it is to have a service item located in the fuel tank? Love where they put the oil filter also. Will never buy another Subaru after this experience.

[@milesscott8364]

Great video. How relevant is this to a 2012 forester?

[@mothers22]

Great video, I did the Fuel Filter Assy, so It was an easy switch out.

[@dali2133]

This is my plan as well. 175k miles on the entire unit so might as well swap all of it and put the old one on the shelf just in case I need parts from it in the future.

[@bobmcl2406]

Does the assy include a new pump? If so, how much more expensive was it than just replacing the filter as in this video? Thanks!

[@dali2133]

Just finally replaced my assembly a couple weeks ago. Assembly included pump, filter, sending unit and I believe the pressure regulator is part of it as well. I didn't change the gasket, old one looked ok and was having trouble figuring out the part number for it. Assembly was 340 before Shipping. Could've had it for something like 250 or 280on a different site but I didn't follow through and actually order it before they sold out. (Facepalm) If you have a naturally aspirated (aka non-turbo) the challenge will be finding an assembly in stock anywhere. Took at least 5 or 6 websites to find one when I ordered in late September or early October '21. Looked like the pumps for turbo engines were well stocked most places. I found a Hitachi with a website description of "actual oem" and when I pulled the old one it had a Hitachi sticker on it and looked to be completely identical. Had minimal leakage when disconnecting the hoses from the pump, but I had so little gas in the tank at that point that it started stalling out during a 1 mile test drive haha. I have two '10 foresters so I'm considering "rebuilding" the assembly I took out and putting it on the shelf for when the second car needs a swap. You might be able to resell a rebuilt one for a decent amount on Craigslist or FB. Hope that all helps.

[@dali2133]

@Bob McL

[@David-mo5hg]

Excellent video, all around. Great delivery on the steps, and the footage was superb. I especially like the last part with the dirty filter, nice finish. I have an 2018 Outback, and this is probably very similar, if not the same project. Don't know if I want to deal with it though....as said in a different comment, a lot of work for a filter. Might have to weigh the time/money factor. How long did this take you? Kudos, for both doing it, and producing a great how-to video for those who want to tackle it themselves.

[@MTsubfly]

Thanks for the kind words. This didn't take me long considering I had to film it. Maybe 6 hours with filming set up, but if I did it now, I think I could casually do it in less than 2.5 hours. Unless you are having rough running engine, misfiring, lack of power, engine hesitation, or anything concerning fuel delivery -then I would wait to do it around 100k miles. Then you could have a dealer do it for you, or you could do it by replacing the whole pump/filter assembly ($$$). But I think it's not as bad as it looks.

[@lawrencecavens5760]

WOW with all that Faffing you have to do - to disassemble - might be easier to just change the entire assembly. Of course might be a bit more expensive but a whole lot easier to change.

[@mikemike9747]

Nice video. So does the filter ordered come with replacement o-rings for the pressure regulator and the one for the body? A total of 3-rings and 1 back up ring? Or do they need to be ordered separate?

[@MTsubfly]

Unfortunately you should order those separate. I took a chance with them, the filter didn't come with them. Fortunately mine were in decent shape still, and I carefully transferred them over. Keep them wet with fuel when working with them to act as a lubricant. Great question! Good Luck!

[@jparker1823]

Pretty good step by step. Personally I would use conventional or 3-in-1 oil to lubricate seals when reassembling instead of playing with fuel, but to each his own. As long both your car and workshop/area are well ventilated everything should be fine. Thanks for the detailed video...I'll definitely hold off until 100k now. I'd also recommend waiting until you're down to a 1/4 tank of gas and venting the gas cap to release the excess pressure in the lines. I've gotten fuel in my 👀 before, definitely no fun.

[@logan5326]

Excellent idea!!! 👍🏻👌🏻

[@timjones3423]

Excellent, very well done. Do you work on Subarus at the dealer?

[@mkrbc8765]

Is it worth doing this if you don't have any fuel system issues? I noticed the maintenance schedule has this listed but I don't have any rough idling or anything like that.

[@austinbowers156]

Hi there! Thank you for the video. Where did you get the fuel filter from? Dealership? Also I noticed on a few websites that you can get the filter but then there is some $25 gasket. Do you need the gasket? Thank you!

[@MTsubfly]

The information you are asking about is in my video description. Best way to find out part numbers is to search any dealers parts system online using your VIN number. Search under fuel systems, also try calling them. I did not replace my main pump to tank gasket as it was $88, @ 5:40 and cleaning @ 13:56. Not sure what gasket you are talking about?!?!

[@veeravatkalumpanan5539]

Very very nice video thank you

[@ramanshah7627]

This is a beautiful video. Now that I understand this fiddly and gasoline-soaked rebuild job...I think I might just ask the dealership to take my money.

[@dali2133]

Just an opinion from a stranger... You may want to shop some independent mechanics as well. My dealership (and others I've heard of) won't do it. "It's a lifetime filter" they say. Well. No. Because science. If I bought new and traded in after 30k miles like some people do, then ok, it's a "lifetime" filter for its life with me. But I just rolled 175k and have been noticing some hesitation, stumbling, etc. If you do find a dealer willing to do it, they may be much higher than an independent shop.

[@ramanshah7627]

@@dali2133 That's super useful commentary actually. Thanks so much.

[@jp2246]

Awesome video. I know you can buy the entire assembly, which would be a super easy swap but I believe the whole assembly is close to 400 dollars. I wonder what the dealership does at 72K?

[@agapioskalokerinos9467]

Is this the filter or the fuel pump? It looks like fuel pump. Also, I think if you start the car and then pull the fuse it will use all the fuel in the line, car will stop and will not be any pressure when you disconnect the fuel lines.

[@MTsubfly]

Cool! That would be worth a try. I had a bit of pressure left over. So the whole thing removed from the tank is the fuel pump assembly. The filter is built in around the pump. Its a odd design. You will see in the video the actual electric pump and its components get transferred over to the new filter assembly. Hope this helps! Thanks for watching, good luck!

[@StrictlyGenteel200]

Maybe a dumb question, but is there a name or part numbers for the hook tools you used? I went to two of the major auto parts stores and a hardware store and didn't see anything like them. It would be great if you could put a list of all the tools you used in the description or as a comment. Great work though and I'm looking forward to doing this, at 74K on my 2014 Forester

[@motorimage]

2:19 I was practicing that hand motion and my wife looked at me really funny

[@rav4music247]

Спасибо за видео !