Occasionally it doesn't start with the first crank of the key and I have to restart it and then it cranks and cranks and cranks and it finally starts. I had it replaced about 7-8 thousand miles ago, but not sure what brand they used and I used fuel cleaners which I think clogged up the filter quite a bit as my MPG has dropped 2-4 mpg depending on my driving. Most noticeably I only got 24.5-25.5 mpg on an hour and. A half trip on the parkway going 70-75 when I used to get 26-28 doing that speed. I'm thinking get the fuel filter and then bring it to my step dads shop to avoid the labor cost at the dealer.
Fuel Filter Clogged?
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Unlikely that your starting issues are filter related, nearly impossible your mileage issues are. While it's never harmful to change the filter (unless you screw something up) doing it shy of 50,000+ miles is a waste. VW says it's "lifetime," and I've put over 200,000 miles on a B5 fuel filter. No affect on the car when I did change it.
On top of that, engine starting is the one thing that a clogged filter won't affect, unless totally blocked. At start, fuel flow is the lowest it will ever be, except for deceleration with your foot off the gas. A clogging filter will first be evident by lowered pressure when wide-open throttle at max RPMs.
I checked the levels with it on VCDS lite while idling and it was in the normal range it specifies.
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