To start the process, first de-pressurize the fuel system (can be done by removing the fuel pump fuse and letting the car run itself out.) Next, disconnect the car battery to cut off any chance of sparks.

Next, grab the following tools from your toolbox:

- 1/4" Drive Rachet
- 8mm Deep Well Socket
- 10mm Open End Wrench
- Flathead Screwdriver
- Needlenose Pliers
- (OPTIONAL) Golf Tees (to plug the hoses and prevent fuel from leaking everywhere)

For years, 9/1994 - 12/1999, you will need Mahle Fuel Filter (Part #: KL 66)

http://www.thebmwforum.com/images/picvault/e36fuelfilter1.jpg

http://www.thebmwforum.com/images/picvault/e36fuelfilter2.jpg
Write your mileage and date on the fuel filter so the next owner (or yourself if you forget) knows when it was replaced. Write the mileage and date on the filter AFTER it is installed because any fuel that gets on it, will remove it.

http://www.thebmwforum.com/images/picvault/e36fuelfilter3.jpg
Start off by removing the shield which covers the fuel filter and its electronics. The shield is located under the car, almost directly under the drivers seat. If you look closely enough, you can see the filter behind it. There are four small 8mm bolts holding the shield in place. Two of them require a deep well socket so you might as well use the deep well on all four. Be careful removing the bolts as two of them have a plastic clip which can easily break off.

http://www.thebmwforum.com/images/picvault/e36fuelfilter4.jpg
To loosen the retaining bracket, use your 10mm open end wrench to loosen the nut on the top of the bracket. You DO NOT need to remove the bracket, just loosen it enough to get the old filter out and the new one in. Now, using the flathead screwdriver, loosen the hose clamps securing the hoses to the fuel filter. If the hoses are still tight once the hose clamps are removed, carefully use the needlenose pliers to break the hoses free.

Now, install the new fuel filter, tighten the hose clamps, tighten the retaining bracket, WRITE YOUR MILEAGE and DATE on the filter, and lastly, bolt down the shield.

That's it!

Total time: About 20 minutes at a casual pace.
Cost: About $25 for the fuel filter.

Hey, thanks for the write up. I was going to replace my fuel filter and this came just at the right time. Anyway, I just have one question. When you take out the fuel line going into the filter, did you get a lot of fuel leaking out? When will be the best time to replace the filter, when the fuel at low level? Thanks.

Hey, thanks for the write up. I was going to replace my fuel filter and this came just at the right time. Anyway, I just have one question. When you take out the fuel line going into the filter, did you get a lot of fuel leaking out? When will be the best time to replace the filter, when the fuel at low level? Thanks.

I de-pressurized the fuel system so the only fuel I got was the old fuel leaking out of the old filter when I removed it. I have done this before without de-pressurizing the system and I got a little fuel coming out of both the in and out tubes. That was with 3/4 tank of gas too. I would just de-pressurize the system, that way you can take your time and not smell like fuel when you're done!

great write up, but how do you go about de-pressurizing the fuel system. Do you just take out the fuse for the fuel pump?

damn, I wish my fuel filter was there, instead it's up by the engine. retrofitting to the spot under the car should be easy, no?

great write up, but how do you go about de-pressurizing the fuel system. Do you just take out the fuse for the fuel pump?

To depressurize the fuel system, remove the fuse for the fuel pump while the car is running. After a few seconds, it will stop running and at this point, your fuel system is as close to depressurized as it's going to get.

There may be other more "professional" ways to do it but that's how I do it and that's how your local Stealership would do it. Make sure you disconnect your battery before working on the fuel filter or any fuel related components to avoid fire/explosion.

damn, I wish my fuel filter was there, instead it's up by the engine. retrofitting to the spot under the car should be easy, no?

It seems like it could be done fairly easily but I'm not familiar with the underside of the 325 and there may be other components in the area where the 328's fuel pump is. If not, then yes, retrofitting could probably be done. The filter is held in place by one 10mm nut, holding a metal band which wraps around the filter. You would also need the metal shield as well to cover the filter once installed.

Has anyone retrofitted their fuel filter to the underside of the car? If so, it would make a great DIY write up!

It seems like it could be done fairly easily but I'm not familiar with the underside of the 325 and there may be other components in the area where the 328's fuel pump is. If not, then yes, retrofitting could probably be done. The filter is held in place by one 10mm nut, holding a metal band which wraps around the filter. You would also need the metal shield as well to cover the filter once installed.

Has anyone retrofitted their fuel filter to the underside of the car? If so, it would make a great DIY write up!

haven't really checked it out but I think all that's in the area are the fuel lines which obviously would have to be cut and maybe bent a little, and yeah it would be a good diy.

Thanks for the info, it was a big help!

Thanks for the info, it was a big help!

Not a problem, let me know if you have any other questions.

I just did this tonight -- great DIY!

One thing to watch for -- the old filter may still be full of fuel like mine was; when I was trying to remove it, the filter slide suddenly and shot gasoline into my face. Thankfully I wear glasses and only a little got in my eye.

Also, mine was in so tight that I had to remove the 10mm nut entirely and wiggle the old filter back and forth to free it.

I'm glad it worked out for you. Yes, be sure to wear safety glasses. No matter how much you depressurize the system, there will still be a little fuel that will come out.

it doesn't seem right to let the car die from getting no fuel... wouldn't that mess something up? How do you go about getting the car to start again? Wouldn't there be a dry spot in the fuel lines making it hard to get it started again? :dunno

No problems, just that the ECU will try to compensate and hit its limits -- but it will re-compensate again once the filter is replaced. It might be a _tad_ harder to start after replacement, but that's fine and won't hurt.

damnit i hate the location of my fuel filter, such a pain in the ass to get to

you guys dont know how good you have it ;)

Do i need to have and empty gas tank or can i just change the fuelfilter direct?

Do i need to have and empty gas tank or can i just change the fuelfilter direct?

No need to empty the tank -- just have a large coffee can or oil catch pan to catch the fuel that will come out at first.

This is sweet. my buddy is trying to do this right now

An alternative to this DIY is to take your car through an automated drivethrough carwash. Tears all that off in a few seconds.










:shifty

Two questions:

1. Did you have to jack up your car? or did you crawl under and do it?


2. Both Bentley and Chilton Manuals only say replacing the filter at intervals is necessary for BMW E36s up to 1994? After 1994 year cars nothing is said. I have a 1995 318i with 160,000 on the clock. I got it when it was at 113,000 and never changed the filter so should I be doing this for my car?
Also how can you tell when you need a filter change? What are the signs that would tell you your filter is clogged or in need of a change?

Thanks

any way of getting pics back up

Okay...I'm grateful and thankful that this dude put up this DIY, but there is somethings that need to be cleared up and corrected.

1. You do need to jack up your car properly. The OEM BMW Tire Jack will not do. You will need to either buy a pair of 3 ton Jack Stands at your autozone (about $10 to $20) and use the BMW Tire Jack to set the car properly and securely on the 3 ton jack stand before you can even get access to the filter's shield screws.

2. Also the filter is not exactly "directly" under the driver's seat. It is more towards the middle of the car. Especially in terms of the direction you will need to get to it. Some of the retaining screws on the filter's shield and clamps are easier to see and get to from the direction of the passenger side. Unless you have a full hydralic lift in your driveway you wll need to jack stand both sides of the front end so you can tackle it properly. This will take about 10 minutes to get it right if you are a normal guy like me.

3. I will give this guy the benefit of the doubt and assume various model year E36 and perhaps even body types (Sedan vs. Coupes) would have their fuel filters set up very differently. Firstly...my shield did not have "4 8MM hex screws with plastic clips holding it up. There was only one lonely rusty ass star point screw (on the drivers side) and the passenger side of the shield has one head less bolt that was impossible for me to get off...until I figured out the shield must pivot on it and rotate out of the way so you can access the filter. They are retaining clips at the end of the shield that come off easily.
see pictures.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/1-2.png
My filter and shield was set up exactly like the realoem parts show for my year car and type. Except Part#3 was where the rusty star point screw was holding the shield in place and Parts#5 were actually 4 sets of clamps two at each end and Parts#4 was a steel tube leading into a rubber hose that somehow connects it to the filter. So my Parts 4 and 5 were more complicated than this diagram shows. My shield is also much much bigger than as shown in this daigram.

The following three pictures shows the actual set up I have. I got as far as this and this was after 1 hour of trying to get the shield off (looking for 4 8mm Hex bolts that weren't there), I stopped killing myself when I realize I needed to do this project in the daytime and with a pair three ton jack stands jacking the entire front end of the car up, not just the OEM BMW Tire Jack holding the drivers side front end up.
Also after 30 minutes trying to get my headless bolt off I figured I could rotate the shield out of the way without actually taking it off and without having to break the bold completely off.

As you can see my set up is different than this DIY would lead me to assume.
Also this is NOT a 20 minutes project. That is not saying that it is a hard to do DIY, in fact its very straight forward, but you gotta go into expecting more than this DIY assumes. Give yourself at least 1 hour tops to do this "safely" if this is your first time changing the filter.

Jack Stands are a must and if this is your only car you may want to drive to the dealership before hand and buy a set of steel clamps and rubber-connector hoses for the new filter, because I expect one of these components to break in the process of this DIY. Also as you can see in my pictures the original steel clamps can be rotted with rust and should be replaced anyway.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/DSCN9578.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/DSCN9579.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/DSCN9580.jpg

Those "headless" pivot bolts are actually retainers that hold down the shield piece. They're supposed to have tiny flats so that an 8mm socket can, with proper positioning, take them off. It looks like yours were so corroded that this was impossible...

There's metal stud screws welded to the undercarriage of the car that protrude down, and these small retainers screw over them. It's a strange setup for sure!

Okay... Attempted the DIY today again and boyeee was I in for a surprise!
This time I learned why BMW carries the rep for "over engineering"

I found an extra inner retainer shield that I had not seen before, and realize that you should only remove the clamps closest to the filter and not all four clamps.

Because pictures are easier to read than words! pre 1994 E36 drivers please go to the Pelican Parts website for your version of this Pictorial DIY.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/1-3.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/2.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/3.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/4.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/5.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/6-1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/7-1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/8.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/9.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/11.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/10.jpg

For Reference here is the parts explosion picture from Real OEM.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Delmarco/1-2.png