I stopped into my local Advanced Auto to pick up new fuel filters. Gave the guy the car's info and he said he could not order the original style primary filter but found it's replacement and ordered it. He showed me a pic of it and it looked like the one I have on it except it had a third line coming from the bottom. I told him there is only two lines with my filter.

 

What would the third line be for?

 

I told him what I had and would be happy to replace it with a like version but he told me that was the only ones for the model. He directed me to the back corner where the OEM filters were.

 

As I tried to pull up a pic of the one he ordered I pulled the filter I have before the carb. If the website pulls it up, why didn't the clerk?

Okay, first a model and year would help.

 

But it sounds like you've got an 82-84 GL with an EA81, and the two filter setup.

 

 

There is one filter under the car, in front passenger side rear wheel. This one has only 2 lines,

 

The second filter, is in the engine bay, near the strut tower. this one has 3 lines.....Fuel in, Fuel out, and a vent out the top, and is probably the one he gave you. This one may have been removed and replaced with a non vented one......the vent hose comes out of the firewall just to the side of the Vaccum booster for the brakes.

While both of them do have filter elements inside, the front filter is actually a "vapor seperator" and the rear is the actual filter.

 

The front filters rarely fail from being clogged, though age can sometimes soften the glue and plastic they are put together with and cause problems..... it's the rear that is usually the bad one and you CAN get the correct replacement two-line filter for it. I've bought tons of them - go to a different parts store.

 

Or just replace it with a generic in-line filter. That's all it is. I like to use the glass one's with the replaceable elements in them - EMPI makes them for old VW's, etc. They are nice because you can see what's going on inside them and clean the filter element with compressed air, etc.

 

GD