E30 318i Repair -
Fuel Filter Replacement

It is recommended that the fuel filter be changed every 15K miles. It is an easy job to overlook and many people don't do it for 50K or more miles. These same people run to change the fuel filter when the car begins to hesitate when accelerating or the idle is bad.

I've had my car for over 25K miles now and I still hadn't gotten to this job yet. I don't know what kept me because it is a very easy and inexpensive procedure.

Require Parts and Tools :

Part	BMW Part Number
Fuel Filter	13 32 1 270 038
Philips head screwdriver

Let's begin the procedure! Remember that my 1991 318i may be slightly different than your car. Double check that the part numbers are the same for your exact car.

Click on the thumbnails for larger pictures.

	The first step is to depressurize the fuel system. The last thing you want is gallons of precious gasoline soaking you and your garage. Start the car and pull fuse number 11. Fuse 11 is the fuse for the fuel pump.
	Once the car dies, open the gas cap. Jack the car up and place securely on stands or a ramp. The extra room makes the job a lot easier. Remove the negative battery lead and insulate the battery post so there can't be any accidental shorting. You don't want sparks when working with fuel.
	On the 1991 318i, the fuel filter is located just in front of the driver's side rear wheel and rear sub frame mount bushing. It is held on by two clamps. On my car, the hose clamps that secure the rubber hoses to the input and output of the fuel filter were rusted solid. I used a pair of diagonal cutters and cut the hoses right where they meet the fuel filter. Some fuel leaked out but in total, it was less than a 1/2 cup. The most fuel was lost inside the filter, not leaking from the hoses.
	Here is a picture of the new fuel filter. Notice the arrow? The arrow shows the direction of flow of the fuel. The input is fed by the gas tank and the output feeds the engine.
	Luckily there was enough spare rubber hose for me to hook up the new fuel filter without having to go get new hoses. I bought a pair of new hose clamps at the local parts store for $.50.
	This is a picture of the input side. Many people report a nasty gray sludge exiting their fuel filter. People have been trying to create correlation between this sludge and location in the country, age of fuel tank, and brand of fuel but no one has anything definitive. I typically fuel up at BJ's Fuel because the price is the best but I'm sure the quality isn't as good as a name brand such as ExxonMobile, Shell, BP, etc. I also typically mix in a 60:40 ratio 93 octane and 87 octane since the M42 engine in the 1991 318i requires 90 octane gasoline and BJ's fuel only sells 87 and 93. Yes, I'm a cheapskate. Still.the fuel running out of my old filter was clean.
	When I put the car back on the ground, plugged the battery in, and turned the car on, it has it's customary rough idle for a few seconds while either the fuel filter became saturated and the fuel lines pressurized or the ECU got back up to speed. After several second of driving, the smooth idle returned. Perhaps it is a placebo effect or an effect of having the ECU reset, but the idle feels smoother.
Date Performed:	Mileage:
9/24/2005	179,800

Difficulty:
1 /5

Disclaimer: I am not a professional mechanic. Information this page should be used at your own risk and discretion. Different models and model years may be different than my 1991 318i. Read: If you screw your car up following my instructions, sorry. Isn't it sad that in this sue crazy world you have to put a disclaimer on your web page?