2003 Highlander: where is fuel filter?

After looking online it appears that fuel filter is located in the tank. That being said -- on my 2002 Corolla, the fuel filter is also in the tank. I also believe I am correct in saying that it's not part of a regular maintenance schedule. On mine, you can remove a kick panel and get access to it. It has a pickup screen you can clean. I've never bothered with mine... never needed too.

Thanks. I was afraid it might be in the tank. If it remains a low maintenance item, great!

Hopefully Ray O will spot your query and give better poop - but in meantime it is my understanding that when a typical filter is about gone, Toyota in tank filters still have 95% of their life. So as I've been told they are essentially a lifetime filter, assuming decent gasoline cleanness.

I'm not sure where the fuel filter is located, but it does not require routine maintenance or replacement. I you look at the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual, fuel filter replacement will not be listed.

Like Ray said, under normal conditions the fuel filters do not normally need changing for 200,000 miles plus, essentially the life of the car, unless you show symptoms of fuel system blockage. Or you live on a small island or in a third world country and buy your gasoline in drums, and they aren't all that careful with the storage and cleanliness of the drums.

The fuel at almost all reputable filling stations is scrubbed multiple times before it gets into your car. Once when leaving the refinery, and on arrival at the pipeline company, and on arrival at the regional tank farm, and when it's loaded into the delivery tanker, and filtered one last time before it is dispensed into your car. There's not a whole lot that gets past all that.

There's a primary sock filter on the pickup tube in the fuel tank, you have to follow the procedure for changing the fuel pump to service that one.

And a micron filter inline, usually tucked up high under the car near the framerail near the engine. Get the car up on a lift, and they are fairly easy to spot - and a bugger to change, the fittings take special flare wrenches to remove without rounding off the nuts because they are usually on there insanely 'gorilla tight'...

Unless you are ready to deal with totally rounded off flare fitting nuts, or replacing broken fuel lines because they twisted off rather than the nuts loosening, let a pro change that inline filter. Experience counts when the screw-ups get really expensive.

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