Defender Td5 Fuel Filter

[numpty]

I filled up the Defender the other day, drove to the shopping centre and discovered a trail of diesel following. There is a screw in plug in the bottom of the fuel filter, which , I assume, has been overtightened and fractured, allowing fuel to leak past. Once the engine is turned off, of course the flow stops. An easy fix, requiring either a new plug, or in this case, a 10mm bolt and rubber washer to seal it off.

Has anyone else encountered this? It is the second time it has happened to ours.

[CraigE]

Yep. Stupid plastic design. Mine has a water sensor so broke this. Very easy to do and mine actually broke undoing it, not over tightening. Needles to say I had a 10mm bolt in it for a couple of months.

[numpty]

The 10mm bolt will live in the car from now on, just in case.

[Jojo]

This little plastic screw to drain the fuel filter can be a real pain, especially after a while when it has become brittle. Thankfully, a 10mm bolt can often be salvaged from elsewhere on the vehicle, if one doesn't happen to have a fitting sample in the cubby box.