I am sure I missed something but I changed the two fuel filters in the 1998 E300D TurboDiesel today, along with the oil. I am pretty good at getting the oil done without getting any on me or the rest of the car (I use a Topsider like device to suck it out the dipstick tube), but I made the biggest mess doing the fuel filters.

For some reason the fuel just started pouring out when I opened the system up, and kept pouring out until I had it all buttoned up. I was working pretty fast but it still spewed about a quart on the driveway. Is there some way to prevent this? I spent an hour washing the driveway off, and the yard still smells like Diesel fuel.

The good news is the prefilter was pretty clean, a little discolored but not full of junk. Another observation was the hold down mechanism was so loose I thought I had the wrong size wrench. It takes a 10 mm wrench, but when I put it on the bolt head it felt like it was too big and just spinning over the corners and flats. So I tried a 9 mm socket and that was too small. So I tried it with my fingers and it came right out. I snugged it up at reassembly and it is a 10 mm hex head.

Well, if anyone has changed their W210 fuel filters with the prefilter integrated in the main filter housing bracket, let me know if there is something to do to avoid having Diesel fuel run all over the place. Or what you do to avoid the problem. Thanks, Jim

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Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)