fuel filter removal, heater stopped working, slow starter!

just a few nagging questions about things peeing me off at the moment...

tried to turn the valve on the base of my fuel filter tonight (to change the filter) and it wont budge for ****, its only a little plastic valve, didnt want to snap it incase i did irreversible damage! can i just remove the filter and put a new one in, or do i have to go through the process of draining this valve

secondly, my heater/blower has stopped working all together. it used to only work on full blast, but now its shot. the cable works fine, my question is: is it likely to be the motor inside the heater/blower unit? is there anything mechanical abou the unit or is it just a series of vents, ducts and baffles?

thirdly. since buying my 90 in June its started to take longer to start. its now taking around 10-15sec. when i had it, it took around 5. does this sound like a glow plug problem or is my battery on the way out? battery was new around 3years ago according to previous (2) owners records/receipts.

think thats about it.no doubt more questions while i continue to service my 90

cheers for everything once again, you are a careing bunch!

G

That little valve is to let any water drain out, that won't remove your filter. Grab the whole can and twist it off, you may need a filter removal tool. Put the new one on with some good quality grease... If its not a screw on can version then its the two end sections that lock a can in place, undo the bolt from the top and the bottom will drop off.

If you only used to get full then I think that may have been the resitor that slowes the motor burnt out or it was the switch and now its completly given up the ghost, meter job, see if you are getting 12v to the heater motor, if not its a switch/control problem.

I would check your glows, take the wire off the top of them and put an ammeter in, should read a fair old current, repeat process for each, if its drawing little or no current its dead, replace it. Could be the battery, get it checked at a place that does them for free, or get hold of a battery tester (proper one, not those little ones with 2 tiny leads that could not even take 5amp)

Hi Griffdowg, i did my fuel filter last weekend same problem as you, so i ended up just taking it off without undoing it, cleaned it all out put new one on works ok, only trouble i had was the new seals, the 2 big ones easy to see where they go then there were 3 sml ones found where smallest & largest went but middle size one i had to leave counld'nt see where it went at all.i only had my 110 for a short while not looked at glow plugs yet, but did start to get a few problems starting this one was only 3 yr old as well, took it to ATS they check battery, alternator was pumping charge in it ok but it was'nt holding it cost me £80 for a new one starts like a dream now
catch you later Brownie

Yeah wot Disco sez. Though if the engines turning over OK it's more likely to be the glowplugs than the battery, and I used to check my glowplugs with an ammeter but found that even though they may be OK with a continuity check they didn't get hot enough when I put 12V through them.

i might go about replacing all 4 then. and tearing off the fuel filter... only after this weekends off roading near honiton though

cheers boys.

For the record my glows current (all of them together) showed in the high 60's.