Anybody done this?
I know that the fuel tank needs to be dropped in order to access the fuel pump.
I plan to do it this weekend, after I get my RX back.
Any tips / suggestions?

 

Why? Unless something contaminated your tank it is probably a waste of time.

 

I can tell you I had this done several years ago at Lexus and I also want to do it once more when I leave or after I am back in the U.S. When Lexus took a look at it, it was absolutey gross, and the mechanic mentioned that it looked like it had gotten very bad gas (no .hit)

My uncle has dealt with clogged fuel filters and the results are consistent with what I saw up at the dealership in San Antonio.

As far as U.S. gasoline, probably not much of an issue there.

 

Yes, gas stations in the US have filters so the one we have is a backup. Costco used to put up advertised sign that it periodically checked gas flow to make sure filter at the pump is not clogged. So unless some guy P into the gas hole in your RX no need to go through the hassle.

 

7900 gallons of gas went thru that strainer on my RX. You think it is still clean?

 

Meetya, access to the pump and the strainer is actually through an access cover under the rear seat and doesn’t require dropping the fuel tank. Make sure you disconnect the battery and keep all doors open for proper ventilation. I’m very interested in seeing what it looks like, please take some pictures for us. Also, you will need a new cover gasket when you put everything back together. Good luck.

 

Unlike the typical in-line fuel filter of yesteryears that requires a change every 60K miles, the RX's filter is a much larger unit that can last the lifetime. No need to change it.

 

ROFL, good one.

 

i too am interested about this and maybe even try it. please post pics!

 

I doubt that it can be accessed from under seats. I remember removing them, there is no such covers under them. Also, removing rear seats is pain the butt. I suppose that dropping the gas tank is even easier.

 

You can do it either way. Down here, they would take the tank out. I saw a mechanic at one of the Toyota dealers here do it that way on a Sienna.

The manual does show to remove the rear seats, but yeah that can be a PITA.

 

Interesting, I was browsing Russian Club Lexus forums, and it turns out there are TWO (2) fuel filters, one is nylon strainer (Part #23300-21010) and another one that looks like a big cup (Part #23300-0A020). This is for 2001 RX, not sure how it is for 99-00.

Update:
Correct part numbers for RX300:
up to 05.2000 is #23300-74330
after 05.2000 is #23300-21010 or 23300-0A020


This is how the second filter looks like:

The cost is ~$35

 

Even though I remember seeing something like that, to be sure as far what is involved, I could check my 99 manual when I get home and let you know.

For anyone else who can give a sooner answer, I know this is in the SFI section of Volume 2 of the manual toward the beginning of the SFI section.

 

It's really difficult to plug up that filter, but it can be done - particularly when your fuel source is badly contaminated. A friend of mine once managed to plug a large marine filter on his boat and had the 70-gallon main tank pulled. He found about four cups of small rubber chips in it - evidently from the service hoses that ran from the tanks onshore to the dispenser on the marina's floating dock some 150 yards away. His on-engine filter was a spin-on type, slightly larger than an RX's oil filter - and clogging it wasn't easy - but it happened, and I wound up towing him across Corpus Christi Bay in a fairly heavy sea.

I once helped friends salvage over 1600 gallons of diesel fuel from a sinking barge to fuel bladders on a sportfisherman's deck. We figured it would be contaminated, but it was a gift of the owner who couldn't sell it. After several days of hand pumping, filtering and testing, we had a clean product - and about eight pounds of sludge, rust, sand, and dirt - plus a few gallons of sea water. We left nearly 5000 gallons behind - having limited capacity for clean fuel in the boat's tanks - and not wanting to pump from anywhere near the bottom of the barge's hold. You never know what might have been in there - or how well it's been maintained. There could have been a dead mule in there for all we knew.

Water can be another problem in your fuel. Leaking underground storage tanks let groundwater IN as well as gasoline out. Condensation can also be a problem, particularly in tanks that are not heavily used. Using water adsorbing fuel treatments like alcohol help . . . or for serious contamination, a water knock-out filter can provide real protection. Once upon a time we filtered aviation gasoline through a large funnel with a chamois lining to pull out entrained water from the fuel. If your engine quits on the highway, you pull over to the shoulder. At 7,500 feet, your options are slightly more limited and can involve a rather sudden stop.

Fuel contamination is not uncommon - especially if you fill up from a gas station well off the beaten track. While it can be critical to a carbureted engine, it is deadly to a FI system. A few years ago, after finding several teaspoons of clay mud in my Suburban's filter, I had the tank removed, steam cleaned, and replaced - adding a good marine in-line filter under the hood. I'd been clogging the little filter at the carburetor about every six weeks, but after adding this fist-sized addition to my fuel system, I never experienced another problem.


Photo courtesy Maesco http://www.maesco.com/products/racor/r_gas/r_gas.html

 

I saw a lot of folks have shared their valuable experience. I like Lil4x writing of his fuel filtering adventures. Since you already bought a new filter, go ahead and change it.

IMHO, the transmission filter/strainer is a more critical issue than the fuel filter because 1) tranny is a source of containmentation, tranny filter is the sole filter 2) one can not control the rate of metal debris, for fuel at least you can change the gas station 3) tranny repair is more expensive than a dirty fuel tank.

FYI. When I change my factory installed tranny filter, except a few metal debris, it looks in decent shape after 68K miles.