Fuel filter replacement interval: 2.0L diesel

[ABCD]

Hi all.
Hoping the diesel owners might be able to share their experience with replacement intevals for the fuel filter.
My service handbook (car purchased mid 06) indicates that the fuel filter is replaced at the Inspection Service (which is described as being due at 30000km or 24 months). However in the Additional Work section it indicates "fuel filter renewed" at 60000km.
I would have thought replacement and renewal are one and the same?? Confused? So am I!! Replacing the fuel filter every 60000km sounds about right to me (for petrol engines at least), but is 30000km replacement interval too frequent for typical driving? How frequent ie what time/distance intervals have you guys been going with?

[Transporter]

I would change the fuel filter every 2 years or 30,000 - 40,000km regardless.
I also replaced air filter on our Golf5 at 20,500km and yes it was dirty (I could keep it in for another 10,000km, but already bought it), very often the maintenance schedule would be saying check at 20,000km replaced at 40k or 60k, but if it is dirty replace it earlier, the worst think that may happen is that you get better fuel economy as a result of less restrictive air flow.

[peter]

My manual gave an interval of 4 years / 60000km so that's when I got it done.
30000km does sound a bit soon but as Transporter says, it couldn't hurt -- except for your wallet maybe.

The part cost around $55, I vaguely remember, and comes with all the replacement seals. Many thanks to detailed instructions with pics available on Dan's Blog (and probably somewhere on this forum too) I was able to confidently do it myself. Turned out to be even easier than on other cars which often have the filter under the car near the fuel tank.

[jets]

At my last 3 year service [car had done from memory around 26,000km] I spoke to the dealer about changing the fuel filter. My book says 30,000 but they said that it's now 60,000. My guess is that VW have found the 30k change is unnecessary.

[Transporter]

Hmm,…26,000km in 3 years that could be driving under severe conditions.
Our golf done 20500km in 2 years. I put diesel additive in the tank at least once a month and I will change the fuel filter at 30,000km. It is a cheap insurance against water in fuel related problems further down the track.
We plan on keeping the car for more than 5 years. If you keep it only 3 to 4 years, than do the minimum maintenance, don't waste money on it.

[Spoddy]

I put diesel additive in the tank at least once a month

Hi Transporter, What diesel additive do you use?

[Transporter]

Hi Transporter, What diesel additive do you use?

There is a few products I would use over the years. The one I use every time I fill up my T5 is the Moreys Diesel Engine Smoke Killer.

http://www.moreyoil.co.nz/details.php?&name=MOREYS++DIESEL+SMOKE+KILLERcatID=11&productID=2

My long term fuel economy in my T5 is around 9.5 L/100km that's mainly city/hills driving and very short trips fully loaded. Always with BP Diesel.

More on diesel additives in this thread:

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=14355