Changing Your Fuel Pump
Disclaimer: The procedure below is to be done at your own risk. I have changed my fuel pump using these procedures with positive results, but may not work for you. The instructions below were performed on a 1997 528i. Other years and models may differ, but I do not know for a fact. I will not be held accountable for any mishaps or accidents. Again, please perform these procedures at your own risk.
Make sure that this is the problem. Your fuel pump would most likely be the culprit if one of the following has been checked:
A. Check for spark (do the spark plug wire test)
B. Make sure battery is good (check voltage)
C. Check the Crank Angle Sensor (most common problem)
D. Make sure starter isnt dead (the usually diagnosis, if you can bump start your MANUAL car, your starter is bad. If you hit the starter with a blunt object and your car finally starts,then your starter is bad.) If your car dies out while you are driving, then your starter is NOT bad.
E. Check your fuses (Fuel pump fuse mainly)
F. Check your fuel pump relay (for a quick check, have a friend put his finger on the fuel pump relay located in the fuse box above the battery. I think it is the 2nd one down if you are starting from the front relay towards the front of the vehicle. With the key in the off position, have your friend touch the relay housing on the top, and turn the key to ACC position. There should be a light click. If not then, guess what. Your relay may have taken a dump.)
G. Make sure your fuel filter is not clogged (change it since it is a cheap fix anyway.)
H. Make sure your car is in Park.
I. Make sure you have gas.
1. First of all, you may want to disconnect your battery. This will prevent any un-wanted problems (I did not actually disconnect battery, I just removed the fuel pump fuse. But I was just being lazy).
2. Remove rear bottom seat by pulling straight up. It may feel impossible to remove, but you will have to use some brut strength in order to pop them off the seat off its holder.
3. Locate the location of the fuel pump on top of the “rear” seat on passenger side. It looks like a round black padded cushion with wires going into it. Lift the padded cushion. You will have to disconnect the wires and the hose going into the top of the location of where the fuel pump is.
4. The top part is being held by a large round screw type ring. You will have to remove that ring. I used a flat head screw driver and a hammer to remove it. Place the screw driver on one of the ridges and hit the large ring counter clockwise to loosen.
5. Once loosened and removed, be sure to carfully lift the plate off. The fuel leveler is located right under that plate and if you pull it out with too much force, you can snap it. Again, this is not that difficult and I may be scaring you a little. But, I just want you to be careful. Lift the plate straight up. Y ou will need to cut the zip ties off the hose going to the pump(your new OEM pump should come with this) and ONE metal clamp that is attached to the pump (your new OEM pump should have ONE new clamp). There are 2 metal clamps on that hose. One on the hose that is attached to the pump and one that is attached to the plate. Cut the ONE clamp,that is attached to the plate, off. (If you are wondering what the clamp looks like, go to your power steering resorvoir and look beneath it. That is exactly how they look. That’s only if you have an OEM clamp on your car.)
6. Reach in with your hand and locate the 2 LARGE plastic clamps that are holding the fuel pump (If your tank is full of gas, get ready to get your hands “wet”. My suggestion is NOT to use gloves, just use bare hands. Rubber gloves will tear). The large plastic clamps are located on the side of the fuel pump and when you squeeze them, the pump will lift out. I would recommend you to view your “NEW” pump because the plastic clamps on their (on OEM bmw pumps that is).
7. When you lift up the fuel pump, there are 2 wires at the top. Remember which wires are which (i.e. brown is negative…etc). Remove the female plug wires. Cut the last of the zip ties off the fuel hose.
8. Replace the fuel pump in reverse order with all necessary zip ties and the one metal clamp. Replace the fuel pump in its “home”. Make sure to feel that the little “nubby” hits the little hole down in the “home”. If you look straight down into the home of the fuel pump, you will notice a hole about the size of a penny. Look at your new fuel pump and you will see which way your fuel pump should go.
9. Replace the ring gasket include with your new OEM fuel pump.
10. Replace everything in reverse order.
That’s it! Once you replace the battery connection (or the fuel pump fuse, which is what I did), then your car should start right up!
To prevent your fuel pump from pre-mature failure, please do not run your car with fuel light on! Trust me, it happened to me.
Thanks for reading and good luck!
Disclaimer: The procedure below is to be done at your own risk. I have changed my fuel pump using these procedures with positive results, but may not work for you. The instructions below were performed on a 1997 528i. Other years and models may differ, but I do not know for a fact. I will not be held accountable for any mishaps or accidents. Again, please perform these procedures at your own risk.
Make sure that this is the problem. Your fuel pump would most likely be the culprit if one of the following has been checked:
A. Check for spark (do the spark plug wire test)
B. Make sure battery is good (check voltage)
C. Check the Crank Angle Sensor (most common problem)
D. Make sure starter isnt dead (the usually diagnosis, if you can bump start your MANUAL car, your starter is bad. If you hit the starter with a blunt object and your car finally starts,then your starter is bad.) If your car dies out while you are driving, then your starter is NOT bad.
E. Check your fuses (Fuel pump fuse mainly)
F. Check your fuel pump relay (for a quick check, have a friend put his finger on the fuel pump relay located in the fuse box above the battery. I think it is the 2nd one down if you are starting from the front relay towards the front of the vehicle. With the key in the off position, have your friend touch the relay housing on the top, and turn the key to ACC position. There should be a light click. If not then, guess what. Your relay may have taken a dump.)
G. Make sure your fuel filter is not clogged (change it since it is a cheap fix anyway.)
H. Make sure your car is in Park.
I. Make sure you have gas.
1. First of all, you may want to disconnect your battery. This will prevent any un-wanted problems (I did not actually disconnect battery, I just removed the fuel pump fuse. But I was just being lazy).
2. Remove rear bottom seat by pulling straight up. It may feel impossible to remove, but you will have to use some brut strength in order to pop them off the seat off its holder.
3. Locate the location of the fuel pump on top of the “rear” seat on passenger side. It looks like a round black padded cushion with wires going into it. Lift the padded cushion. You will have to disconnect the wires and the hose going into the top of the location of where the fuel pump is.
4. The top part is being held by a large round screw type ring. You will have to remove that ring. I used a flat head screw driver and a hammer to remove it. Place the screw driver on one of the ridges and hit the large ring counter clockwise to loosen.
5. Once loosened and removed, be sure to carfully lift the plate off. The fuel leveler is located right under that plate and if you pull it out with too much force, you can snap it. Again, this is not that difficult and I may be scaring you a little. But, I just want you to be careful. Lift the plate straight up. Y ou will need to cut the zip ties off the hose going to the pump(your new OEM pump should come with this) and ONE metal clamp that is attached to the pump (your new OEM pump should have ONE new clamp). There are 2 metal clamps on that hose. One on the hose that is attached to the pump and one that is attached to the plate. Cut the ONE clamp,that is attached to the plate, off. (If you are wondering what the clamp looks like, go to your power steering resorvoir and look beneath it. That is exactly how they look. That’s only if you have an OEM clamp on your car.)
6. Reach in with your hand and locate the 2 LARGE plastic clamps that are holding the fuel pump (If your tank is full of gas, get ready to get your hands “wet”. My suggestion is NOT to use gloves, just use bare hands. Rubber gloves will tear). The large plastic clamps are located on the side of the fuel pump and when you squeeze them, the pump will lift out. I would recommend you to view your “NEW” pump because the plastic clamps on their (on OEM bmw pumps that is).
7. When you lift up the fuel pump, there are 2 wires at the top. Remember which wires are which (i.e. brown is negative…etc). Remove the female plug wires. Cut the last of the zip ties off the fuel hose.
8. Replace the fuel pump in reverse order with all necessary zip ties and the one metal clamp. Replace the fuel pump in its “home”. Make sure to feel that the little “nubby” hits the little hole down in the “home”. If you look straight down into the home of the fuel pump, you will notice a hole about the size of a penny. Look at your new fuel pump and you will see which way your fuel pump should go.
9. Replace the ring gasket include with your new OEM fuel pump.
10. Replace everything in reverse order.
That’s it! Once you replace the battery connection (or the fuel pump fuse, which is what I did), then your car should start right up!
To prevent your fuel pump from pre-mature failure, please do not run your car with fuel light on! Trust me, it happened to me.
Thanks for reading and good luck!
