Originally Posted by turboawd

ok, i replaced my filter/sending unit today.
i pulled fuse 30 out behind the glove box to disable the fuel pump, and i ran the engine a little bit after pulling the fuse to relieve some pressure.
the ring holding the unit down was tough to loosen on my car. i tried banging with a punch and hammer, but it wasnt budging.
i used a straight flat piece of metal and some pliers and wrench to make my own jerry rigged spanner wrench that grabbed the tabs on opposite ends of the ring. this worked pretty good. i really wouldnt recommend banging with a hammer and punch, since the threads on the tank itself seem to be the same brittle plastic as the sending unit. but you can do what floats your boat.
i lubed up the ring threads a little bit to make install a bit easier.
overall, the biggest challenge was removing the ring for me. just be a bit careful when disconnecting and reconnecting the sending unit connections.

i drove the car for a bit afterwards, and i cant really say it made a huge difference like some others have said. my car ran pretty good beforehand, and it may seem a bit peppier now.
my car had 101k miles on the filter. here are some pics of my old filter.

Originally Posted by scottalexander

Here's a tip I forgot to ad in the last post. It has to do with not letting the 3 connections drop in the fuel tank and having to fish them out of the gasoline.

When replacing the fuel filter you might optimally:

- loosen the metal collar
- pull the old one out while its still connected with the 3 connections (fuel and electrical)
- while your holding the old one, someone is holding the new one right next to you
- when you disconnect the electrical harness on the old one you give it to the other guy who connects it to the new one right away
- this way the old connections don't drop in the tank and get criss-crossed and tangled (making the fuel sending float inoperable)


In reality we'll have to do this job with only one person. So here's another tip:

- go into your closet and get 2 wooden hangers. Find a hanger that has the 2 metal clips on the metal bar that will clip on to your pants
- when you remove the old filter connection use the clips on the hangers to clip it to the hose you just removed to support the hose to sit above the tank
- this will reduce your time to do the entire job and it won't be so messy fishing hoses out of the bottom of the tank
- it will also keep the connection from being tangled because you now know the sequence of how you removed all three connections

With this method its quick and easy to change the fuel filter. It might be a good idea to change your fuel filter around every 25,000 miles now that its so easy. Why?

You can't help but think that changing a fuel filter at 25,000 miles can potentially prolong the life of the fuel pump (since its likely to die at the worst possible time).

How often does a dirty fuel filter clog fuel injectors and generate misfire conditions?

Originally Posted by scottalexander

Yes, when I finished the job there is a major hissing sound coming from that area.

Once the rear seat is put back in place you can't hear it (from the drivers seat).

Originally Posted by scottalexander

I invested in the special tool that allows you to remove the aluminum ring.

I got it on eBay for around $15.

There is a reason why you want to invest in this tool.

It allows you to torque the aluminum ring to the proper ft lbs.

Many people on this forum have done this job and the aluminum ring leaked gasoline.

Originally Posted by scottalexander

The BMW TIS database says the torque is 33 ft lbs (plus or minus 3 ft lbs).

I torqued it to 33 ft lbs for the following reason.

When I went to look at the fuel filter I noticed a paper sealing piece of tape on the aluminum ring.

That piece of tape was put on at the factory. The filter had never been changed when I changed it at 42,000 miles.

I put a paint hash mark on the aluminum ring and aligned the mark with the outside gas tank.

Fast forward:

After installing the new filter, when it came time to torque the ring I torqued it to 33 ft lbs.

Lo and behold 33 ft lbs was exactly where the hash mark was placed.

So the factory originally torqued it to 33 ft lbs.

One more thing:

When I do this job again I will order a new aluminum ring. Its only a few dollars and here why you might get a new one.

When you watch someone on youtube take a hammer and chisel to the ring while trying to remove the ring, it gets all boogered up.

Its best to have a new one handy.