The 5-pin style fuel filter used on many of the Mercedes OM642 engines has a port that can be used to drain water out of the fuel. Sprinter Vans come equipped from the factory with a drain hose for this purpose. The passenger cars do not have this hose and the drain port is capped off. Some models may even have a filter that has that port sealed from the factory.

A common question is why do manufacturers like Mann have so many different numbers for what appears to be the same 5-pin fuel filter? One of the main reasons is the clip and cap. Companies like Mann will offer a version with no drain port, one with a cap and clip, and one with an open drain port. When you buy a Genuine Mercedes fuel filter it does not include the clip and cap. You either can reuse your old ones or purchase them separately.

For Sprinters, this is a little more complicated. Of course, you can use the old one as well, but if it gets damaged or lost Mercedes does not list the clip as a separate item. According to their parts diagrams, the only way to get a new clip is to purchase a whole new drain line. Of course, we know that isn’t true. Just buy the clip and cap and throw away the cap.

In order to make things less confusing and more convenient for our customers we do our best to only offer the versions that come with the clip and cap. It’s there if you need it and it probably isn’t a bad idea to replace the clip when replacing the filter.