lpalme

I had to replace the left low beam in my 2007 Journey last month. I also found 2 screws on the top of the fixture that, once removed allowed barely enough room to get the lamp back in fixture. However, with the limited space provided, it was extremely difficult to to get the bulb in the socket and aligned in the internal deflector in the low beam housing. I could find no other screws or connections to allow complete removal of the fixture. There has to be a better way to do this job, i.e. some way to pull the whole fixture out for bulb replacement.

Thanks for the responses, they've been helpful. To update my learnings and current situation: 1. Tank removal and cleaning option is more costly than I thought. After further investigation it involves about 4 hours to remove tank ($95/hr), sending tank to separate shop for cleaning ($300) and 4 hour reinstall, plus loss of fuel, so about $1500. 2. Found one fuel polisher in the Raleigh, NC, i.e. my local area. They looked at RV and found no good way to circulate and filter system due to physical set up. 3. Same company recommended shocking tank with a biocide to kill suspected biological growth and dispersant to "dissolve" resulting deposits and sludge. However, they first recommended analysis of fuel for bacterial growth (30 hours wait) and fungus (72 hours wait). Both tests were negative, suggesting sludge on my filter was not "algae", but fuel decomposition products (asphaltenes). 4. Bought some additives (Power Service Diesel Clear) to clean up tank by dispersing deposits. Have added this and will now embark on 3,000 mile trip next week, sure hope it works. Just in case, I will also carry 2 spare primary fuel filters. 5. On trip will meet up with friend from Baton Rouge, LA. He left home 2 days ago, with an 8 year old diesel MH that never had a fuel problem. Before he reached Dallas, TX he experienced severe power loss. Took the unit to a shop in Sherman, TX and computer checks showed the problem was a fuel restriction. A filter change solved the problem, at least temporarily. He went on to Santa Fe without further problems. Of note, the shop in Sherman said they have seen numerous RV's this spring with fouled fuel filters, which they attribute (based on speculation only I'm sure) to RV's sitting over the winter with ULSD fuel in them that apparently is less stable and forms decomposition products more readily than LSD used to do. I don't know if this is fact, but it's interesting that my buddy saw no problems for 8 years and now has a fouled filter, and I have a 3 year old unit that also had a fouled filter, both RV's being on an ULSD diet since 2007. We'll travel together to the Rockies over the next month and compare experiences. On my return I'll update this note. I also plan to use a fuel stabilizer between trips to try to prevent further problems. Any comment from others having experienced similar problems will be appreciated. Thanks, Larry

When the Cat Service Center performed the annual engine PM on the 350 Cat engine in my 2007 Winnebago, the mechanic reported that I had deposits on the primary fuel filter inlet that indicated there is algae in the fuel tank. I looked at the filter and it had some serious sludge-like deposits on the inlet face. He said the best way to correct the problem is to remove and clean the fuel tank, a job that he estimated to be about 8 hours. The labor, plus scrapped fuel, would run about $1000. I'm considering just carrying a couple of spare fuel filters until I determine how frequently the filters are fouling. Further research suggests that the "algae" sludge is actually fuel decomposition residues, due primarliy to aging fuel. The unit has 24,000 miles, or about 8,000 miles per year. I keep the 90 gallon tank nearly full between trips and refill at about 1/2 to 2/3 empty, usually at Flying J, Hess or other well know suppliers. Seems this problem, which just showed up this year, is happening awfully early in the life of the vehicle. Is this a common problem? How likely is it to result in being stranded on the road side if not cleaned out of the tank? Are there "proven" additives to clean up the problem and/or stabilize the fuel to prevent sludge formation? Anyone have experience with in-line fuel conditioning devices such as Algae-X?