Car won't start after fuel filter change.

[ELCID86]

Can anyone verify which hose goes near the "in" stamp on the back?
(Edit, this photo has the blue line attached incorrectly. It is the return and attaches to the centered connector.)
11473

11475

I've tried both and it won't fire. There is gas coming out of the front of the filter when I loosen that clamp.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.



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[Vas]

Just cranks and wont fire?

Dumb question but vacuum line connected?

Blue line is the return IIRC.

[ELCID86]

Just cranks and wont fire?

Dumb question but vacuum line connected?

Blue line is the return IIRC.
yes. Which hose? at front of filter?

[ELCID86]

Blue line is the return IIRC.
So blue goes in the center (not offset connector)?
http://www.impee.co.uk/fuel_filter_change.htm

[QC_ZHP]

I believe the smaller line at the front of the filter. Did you prime the gas lines a bit before cranking?

[Vas]

Yeah the hose at the front of the filter is the vacuum hose. I had replaced a small section of mine because it looked really beat up. It is connected to the fuel pressure regulator which is on the filter.

[alexandre]

Make sure you plugged the fuel pump fuse back in and just keep going. There's probably just no fuel going to the engine because you relieved the pressure.

[Vas]

So blue goes in the center (not offset connector)?
http://www.impee.co.uk/fuel_filter_change.htm

Blue line is return and the other line is feed.

In the image below, #1 is the return.

#3 is the vacuum line for the fuel pressure regulator.
#4 is the feed for the engine.

http://www.impee.co.uk/fuel_filter_change/bmw%20e46%20fuel%20filter%201.jpg

How long have you cranked it for? Takes some time for pressure to build up in the system

[ELCID86]

Got it! Thanks all.


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[NorCalZman]

I didn't realize our fuel filter was under the car like that. Looks pretty easy to change. What's the interval? 100k?


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[QC_ZHP]

I didn't realize our fuel filter was under the car like that. Looks pretty easy to change. What's the interval? 100k?


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It's a pretty big filter, but a conservative interval is 30k miles, it could probably last ~60k. You should consider replacing it soon if you haven't yet. It's extremely easy and good insurance.

[ELCID86]

I didn't realize our fuel filter was under the car like that. Looks pretty easy to change. What's the interval? 100k?


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Not sure of the interval but 60k or so 'feels' right'. Others may have more empirical data. One way to do this is disconnect one of the back lines and connect it to the new filter (in the right nozzle) and then do the other. Only issue is there isn't much slack in the lines. Just be sure you follow the DIYs and remember the blue hose is a return (though both mine looked black until I got gas all over them and the grease/grime came off).

Got my filter off Amazon.


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[kayger12]

I didn't realize our fuel filter was under the car like that. Looks pretty easy to change. What's the interval? 100k?


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Old School Maintenance Schedule is 60k for our cars.

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[NorCalZman]

Oh wow. Ok. Thanks. 60k. My car is at 93k. Don't think it's been changed according to all my service/part receipts but I will double check. Interesting that something like this isn't specifically spelled out in our maintenance schedules. Car does seem to run ok though.

I remember years ago one of my cars fuel filter actually clogged up. Car had trouble running. Felt like it had a boat anchor behind it. My dad, bless him, knew what it was as soon as I called him.


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[kayger12]

^Not in the maintenance schedule because BMW started considering the fuel filters "lifetime". From the OSMS document:
"Fuel Filter: Variable every 30,000 to 60,000 miles
Replace every 30,000 miles on models produced up to 1992 (small fuel filter, including
the 1992 E30 convertible) and every 60,000 miles on models produced from 1992-on,
(large fuel filter), also replace the fuel filter any time the fuel pump is replaced. Use
original BMW filters or Bosch, Knecht, MANN, or Mahle. Note that newer Bimmers
have an integral fuel pressure regulator on the fuel filter, raising the price to $60-$80.
And you’ll need to order new hose clamps, too. Note the installed position of the old fuel
filter on the modern cars – it is possible to install the new one with the hoses oriented
incorrectly and then the car won’t run.
According to factory technicians, BMW is now teaching new technicians in school that
the new cars have “lifetime fuel filters.” The instructors say this means that when the car
arrives at the shop on a roll back because the fuel filter is clogged and the engine won’t
start, the fuel filter’s lifetime is over, and that is the time to replace the fuel filter.
Ridiculous? I certainly think so. Why wait for a breakdown to perform this simple
maintenance?
In reality, the service life of a fuel filter depends entirely on the cleanliness of the fuel it
filters. It’s possible for a fuel filter to last indefinitely if it always filters clean gasoline.
It’s also possible for a fuel filter to last a block and a half if you fill up with sufficiently
dirty gasoline. Usually gasoline cleanliness is in between those two extremes. There’s no
way to really tell how much dirt is trapped in a fuel filter without cutting it open or back blowing the fuel into a receptacle. This is why the fuel filter is best replaced as a routine
maintenance item.
Note that the fuel filters on the modern from the mid-2000s on are now in the fuel tank, a
one-piece assembly with the pressure regulator and hoses, and the cost is nearly $200 at
this writing. This is where we’ve come from the $1 inline filter for the old 2002! Is it
worth the savings to wait for a breakdown in order to replace the fuel filter? That’s up to
you."