Thanks for the kind words Joseph, appreciate the feedback. If you liked this video I am confident you will be blown away by this one - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p7l3kpBzlruXln0.html Cheers!

Gosh, how many do you need? :D) This is about enough.

100%

Thanks for the comments John, sorry to hear about your accident. You definitely don't want to run that shop vac if you have any chance of fuel vapors. Another option would be to use a leaf blower since the motor should be far enough away from the fuel pump assembly and not have any risk of coming in contact with the fuel vapors. Appreciate you hanging out, Cheers!

Hope you are alright now thanks for sharing

Thanks for the kind words Tom, appreciate the feedback. We hope the video helped you out with your E46, thanks again for the support. Cheers!

Thanks for the comments Tango, glad the video helped you with your BMW project. Be sure to check out the channel for a few more E46 videos we have posted. kzfaq.info/sun/PLFnK0z3T00fUUTptx-Y4R0i9CsuNcVOBw Cheers!

Thanks for the kind words, we are glad the video helped you get your BMW back on the road again. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!

Thanks for watching, hope this video helps you get your project done, Cheers!

G20 Chasis?

Hey Ironnerd, thanks for the question. I find that large wire cutters or tin snips work the best for cutting the old clamps off. You can also try to use a small tip screwdriver or similar tool to spread the top of the clamp apart. This will give you enough slack typically to remove the fuel hose. Since you are playing around fuel, you want to avoid using any kind of cut off wheel which can create sparks. Good luck on your project, Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage Thanks for the reply. I figured I would ask since almost no videos cover the original clamp. Well, one did. It involved a grinder. I'm on the original pump at 160000 miles. Pressure at the rail is spot on. Problem is that my fuel gauge went wonky a few fill-ups ago.

Just wanted to share this with you since you mentioned issues with your fuel gauge. Both sides of the tank have a sending unit. You can check the sending units with an ohm meter. RIGHT SIDE Empty -- 70.0 +-1.2 Full -- 394.5 +-4.5 LEFT SIDE Empty -- 70.0 +-1.2 Full -- 310.2 +-3.6 With the sending units out, you can inspect the sweep and the contact. The sweep is attached to the arm with the float on it. You can use a stiff business card and contact cleaner to remove contaminants from the sweep and contact patch. Be careful to not bend the sweep. My understanding of the way the circuit works is that the two units are a parallel circuit and the average of the output is the indicated fuel level. You cannot look at one sending unit as the cause of the problem -- one unit can be the cause, but you cannot go in with the idea that it is the right one or the left one, it can be either. Let us know what you come up with on yours, Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage Thank you for the info. I am already on it. I figured I would replace the pump as a precaution and also have sending on hand unit if I need it. I think I got some dirty gas somewhere. Out of nowhere, it started acting up. Techron didn't clear it up. So, I bought both units to be sure. If I can't clean the sending unit, I'll replace it. I'll try the contact cleaner and business card. I am taking a 7 hour trip next week and hope I'll be taking the e46. I'll check the resistance this weekend when I replace the pump. Right now, both sides of the tank on the OBC fuel display are wonky. We will see once I crack it open on Saturday.

Thanks for the comments Dupre, glad you enjoyed the video. There is not really any movement under the seat but it would be a good idea to wrap any exposed wires. You don't want to have a short happen while driving, and the car would just suddenly die on you. Good luck on your BMW project. Cheers!

Thanks for the comments Bernie, sorry to hear you are having trouble with your E46. The first thing we would do is rent/borrow a fuel pressure tester that can be hooked up to the schrader valve on the fuel rail. I know you mentioned you are hearing the buzzing sound like it's working but just because you have a little squirt of fuel, does not mean you have adequate pressure from the fuel pump. Fuel Pressure Specs - All engines except the S54 3.2L M3 - Fuel pressure 3.5 +/- 0.2 bar or 50.76 +/- 2.9 PSI Residual fuel pressure after 20 minutes - Fuel pressure >3 bar or >43.51 PSI Fuel Volume Specs - All engines 1.12 liter (1.16 qt) for 30 seconds at 12 Volts or while crank Depending on the outcome of those tests, it will help guide us in the next direction. If the pressures are low you might have a clogged fuel filter. Fuel filter A clogged, or restricted fuel filter usually causes engine performance problems, but it can also contribute to no/hard start. Fuel pressure regulator On the 325i/330i this is part of the fuel filter, so by replacing the filter, the FPR will also be renewed. On the 323i/328i it's separate from the filter. These rarely fail on the E46, but it's a possibility. No start due to no, or low fuel pressure can be caused by a defective fuel pressure regulator. Let us know what the tests reveal and we can go from there. Cheers!

Hey Christian, the buzzing sound is the fuel pump itself priming when the key is cycled. That is completely normal and happens each time you first turn on the key. You can really notice it after just replacing the fuel pump whiteout having the rear seat back in. Hope this helps with your BMW E46 project, Cheers!

Thanks for the question Dave, appreciate all the info you provided. We actually just did a repair on a 2000 E46 323iT that was experiencing a similar issue. The fuel guage would move around after every drive cycle and make wild claims about the DTE. We ended up replacing the fuel pump itself because more often than not it's the passenger side that's the issue. The sending unit on the drivers side does goes out but not as frequently as the sending unit on the fuel pump itself. You can try to run two tanks of Chevron Techron Complete Fuel System cleaner to see if that frees things up. You might get lucky and that will solve your issue. But I would say if you are still running the original fuel pump, it is most likely what's causing the fuel guage inaccuracies. You can also remove both units and "clean" the sender contacts as they become corroded over time. Here's a lengthy thread that goes through all of the maintenance options - www.e46fanatics.com/threads/save-yourself-up-to-200-and-some-headaches-electric-fuel-pump-pm.929501/ Please let us know how the repair goes and what turns out to be the issue. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage Thank you so much for the indepth reply here... really appreciate it. I'll let you know how I get on with this... and thanks too for the cleaning link :) David.

@davyboy888 No worries, glad we could offer you some possible solutions. Keep us posted on how things go, Cheers!

Thanks for the comments, glad you enjoyed the video. Appreciate the tips and feedback you provided, I'm sure it will help the next guy out. With regards to the fuel level, we just recommended half a tank as to not cause any issues when doing the repair. Sometimes you may not be working on an entirely level surface and thus could potentially cause some spillage. In addition, with the tank close to full you also have to let the fuel pump assembly "drip" a bit in order to not drop any fuel in the car, or be very fast with the transfer to a bucket. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!

Thanks for the questions James. On the driver's side, there is a Fuel Level Sensor. www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-fuel-tank-sending-unit-level-sensor-e46-16116768788 This can affect the reading on the gauge cluster. It is less common to go out versus the Fuel Pump (passenger side) which is a common failure item. Good luck on your BMW project, Cheers!

No worries, thanks for the question. Yes, you are correct, you will be working on the passenger side of the car. That is the location of the Fuel Pump assembly. On the drivers side there is a fuel level sensor. This unit controls the functions of the gas gauge itself. So if you were having trouble with the accuracy of the fuel gauge then that might be your issue. Those rarely go out unless the car has been sitting for a long time or has corrosion in the tank. Let us know how your BMW project goes, Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage Thanks! I succesfully changed out the whole fuel pump assembly. I got one for $200 locally. The job was actually very easy with the helpful instructions in this video. Hardest part was getting the metal retaining ring back on at the end. Car is running strong again!

Thanks for the update SM, glad you were able to get the new fuel pump in and everything is working great again. Enjoy your BMW, Cheers!

Hey Vinny, thanks for the comments. These can be a pain to remove if they are still the original pump after 20 years. You can also try to use a hair dryer to heat up the ring to help free it up. Just keep moving the hammer around the ring to get it started. Once you get it to move your will have no problem removing it. Thanks again for hanging out, good luck on your project. Cheers!

Hey Gaz, thanks for the question. There is only (1) actual fuel pump (on passenger side) but there is a fuel level sending unit and a transfer/siphon tube on the drivers side backseat. The fuel level sensor measures the amount of fuel in the drivers (left) side tank, whereas the fuel pump/sensor located on the passenger (right) side also measures the amount of fuel but also has the fuel pump assembly as well. The transfer tube is non electric and works on the venturi principle by using high and low pressure. It uses a pipe with a narrowing in the center like an hour glass and when fuel that returns from the engine passes through the pipe in front of the narrowing it creates a suction on the other side which pumps the fuel that is left in the left side of the tank over to the right side continuously. The fuel level sensor on the drivers side rarely goes out. The transfer tube however has been known to break at the connection and cause issues of running out of gas at half a tank. The fuel pump itself is where 95% of the fuel related issues occur on these E46's. Depending on what issue you are having with your BMW will determine which of these parts are failing. let us know if we can help you troubleshoot things. Cheers!

Hey Dan, sorry to hear you are having trouble with the lock ring. They can be stuck on there pretty good, especially if it is the original fuel pump. You can try some Kroil penetrating oil around the ring and let it soak for a couple hours. You can spray a little shot into each of the tabs to get it directly onto the underside of the lock ring. Next use a dull chisel/hammer and work around the lock ring at the 12,3,6 & 9 o'clock spots. Be sure to move around the lock ring and not just hit it in one place. If you are still having trouble, I would spray it again and let it soak overnight. Don't be afraid to be liberal with the penetrating spray if the first soak didn't work. Link - www.kroil.com/product/kroil-original-penetrant/ Please let us know how it works out for you. Good luck on your E46 project. Cheers!

Thanks for the comments Alex, you should be okay if you burned off a gallon or so. Just keep in mind it may be very close to the top of the tank when removing the fuel pump. Good luck on your BMW project, Cheers!

Agreed, it's a great time to vacuum up under the back seat and clean everything up. This was a super quick fix and therefore we neglected to do the normal cleaning. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage Much appreciate tutorial, neglected some aspects of old 330 beyond oil changes and such, need to play catchup.

@@BradleysGarage OH...for 1st time ever got stranded, apparently *fuel system,* lucky only 2 miles from home couple wks ago. (stupid me never even replaced fuel filter/regulator)

​ @Mrbfgray We've posted a few videos on the E46, our most recent is the valve cover gasket. This is a common issue and may cause a check engine light lean code to appear. Occasionally the valve cover itself becomes cracked and causes issues. Valve cover link - ​ kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rNapYLd52cy6oqc.html Have fun on your E46 projects, Cheers!

@@Mrbfgray Yeah they say the fuel filter should be changed every 30-40k, some even say as often as 15k miles. Let us know how your E46 projects go and if you have any questions along the way. Cheers!

Thanks for comments Tyler, appreciate the feedback. Glad you enjoyed the video, good luck on your BMW project. Cheers!

Thanks for the kind words Matthew, glad you enjoyed the video. First run a gauge sweep test to make sure the fuel gauge can register or sweep to the Full mark. Use the Hidden OBC Menu to do this, see link below. Then check to see how much fuel is in each 1/2 of the fuel tank when full using the Hidden OBC Menu, this should allow you to determine what one of the two senders in the fuel tank may not be working properly. The most common problems are a float arm disconnected or not properly snapped into the level arm on the sender, obvious when the sending unit is removed, a corroded or oxidized sending unit resistive sensor that the actual center arm slides across, a physical problem where someone has been in the tank and/or replaced the fuel pump and either bent the sending unit arm or the fuel hose is interfering with the float arm and last and least often found is a sending unit float saturated with fuel that will not properly float because it weighs too much due to gasoline saturation. Hidden OBC Menu - Check Voltage, Temp, Fuel Level - forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=239619 With all that being said, it is typically the passenger side fuel level sender that is bad. Even though people have talked about the driver's side sender sometimes is an issue, we have never experienced that with any of our E46's. Every time we had a fuel gauge issue it was the passenger side Fuel Pump/Sending unit. The fuel pump part will still work just fine, it's the sending unit that becomes defective with corrosion and age. How long has it been since the fuel pump has been replaced? They typically only last about 10 years if they are the VDO brand. Any other aftermarket will be less than half of that. Good luck on your BMW project. Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage Thanks so much for such a detailed response. Can I confirm, when you say passenger side do you mean the right or the left, as my steering wheel is on the right? Thanks again

@@matthewplant6791 Sorry Matthew, forgot you were in the UK. Sitting in the car facing forward it would be on the right side of the car. That's the Fuel Pump assembly with sending unit. Keep us posted on how things go. Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage Thanks! Will do

Hi, I replaced the pump / sender as directed. Your instructions made it soo easy- thankyou for an awesome job. Unfortunately I took a gamble and just replaced the right hand side one, when. looking forward. The pump works but the gauge is showing about 40% full- and I just filled up! I did the gauge reset but still the same. What’s the next step? Change the other side?

Thanks for the questions Nathan. All E46's utilize the same fuel pump and location. From the 316 to the 330 the fuel pump/sender will be the same. Good luck on your BMW project. Cheers!

Thanks for the comments, good luck on your BMW project, Cheers!

Not sure where you are located but we are in SoCal. Feel free to reach out, happy to help out. Cheers!

Thanks for the comments, sorry to hear about your fuel pump. Glad the video was able to help you out with the repair. 354k is amazing longevity if it was the original pump, congrats. Cheers!

Unfortunately Christian I don't think this will help with that 😜 Thanks for hanging out, Cheers!

Hey Marco, thanks for the question. Based on the description you provided, it still sounds like a transmission issue and not a fuel delivery issue. If you are in Drive and cruising down the highway, there would be no way for the RPM's to drop all of the sudden without the transmission losing engagement. Almost like putting it in neutral for a brief moment, the RPM's would drop. There would be no way for the fuel system to affect RPM's in such a short time span, since you are actively rolling in gear. The typical signs of a failing fuel pump are difficulty starting, taking a few seconds to finally fire up and Gas guage inaccuracy, reading empty when you know there is more fuel than that. I'm not sure who performed the transmission service but I would double check the proper fill procedure was followed. These symptoms can occur once the transmission gets hot if you are a little low on fluid. Thanks again for hanging out, let us know what you discover. Cheers!

​@BradleysGarage My 330d 2005 BMW auto is not starting only crancking but the noise KEEPS COUNTINUE from the back... is it fuel pump noising...i hope this is an issue to fix??? Please help my BMW sitting in my driveway for weeks now can't move.. Thank u

Thanks for the question. If you can hear the fuel pump running (under the backseat) when turning on the key/cranking then at least you know the fuel pump is getting power. That doesn't necessarily mean it's working correctly. On the Diesel you technically have 3 pumps. The lift pump under the backseat in the fuel tank. The pre delivery pump at the fuel filter (under the car) and the (HPFP) high pressure fuel pump located on the back of the motor. The first two do go out around 80-100k and the last one is very expensive to replace but fortunately it rarely goes out. I would verify the fuel pressure at the rail on the low side to ensure it's at least 3-3.5 bar while cranking. On the high pressure side you should have at least 300 bar. Are you getting any check engine codes that might point us in the right direction? We haven't really played around with the Diesel BMW's that much since they are not very common here in the states. Some other issues for a no start condition could be as simple as the fuel pressure sensor (front of the fuel rail), fuel pump relay, fuel pressure regulator (back of the fuel rail) and cam sensor. All of these would cause the Bimmer to crank and not start. Another common failure on these would be a leaky injector. I know there is a leak test you can perform but I will have to look that one up and get back to you. One last thing would be a weak battery or starter. If it is not able to rotate the engine fast enough, there will not be enough fuel pressure to satisfy the DME. In that case the cr would not start because the computer is not registering enough fuel pressure to allow it. Let us know if you are able to scan for any codes. It might help narrow down the search and prevent you from replacing things that are not broken. Cheers!

Thanks for the question Mario, if you are getting fuel smell in the car, that is really the only place there are exposed lines into the car. We would recommend removing the backseat and going for a drive. If you have a buddy with you, that works better. Perform some aggressive start/stops in a safe area to see if there is any evidence of fuel around the fuel pump itself (the ring seal). This works best if you are at 1/2 to 3/4 so there will be plenty of fuel near the top of the tank but still enough room to slosh around. Let us know how things go with your BMW project. Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage thanks man I will try it

Thanks for the question, on these E46's it usually results in a crank/no start condition. Some early signs it might be going out would be the fuel gauge is not accurately reporting the proper fuel level. Or you start getting random misfires across all cylinders and the engine is running rough. The fuel pressure at the rail on a BMW E46 should be 50 psi +/- 3 (3.5 bar +/- 0.2). You can use a fuel pressure gauge with an adapter and refrigerator valve to check the fuel pressure on a BMW. (Can rent these from a local auto parts store) Here's how: Remove the cap from the Schrader valve Spray some fuel as you screw on the cap to open the Schrader valve Catch the fuel with a rag Turn the ignition on (don't start car) to turn on the fuel pump for about two seconds The pressure should be around 50 psi when the ignition is on The pressure should drop about five or six PSI when the ignition is turned off Recharge the fuel system by cycling the key to run the fuel pump again for a second check If you are getting a low reading 35-40psi, you might just have a dirty/clogged fuel filter. You can check out our other video where we show you how to replace that - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gspgrbBptdPDpoU.html Good luck on your BMW project, let us know how things go. Cheers!

This is the new pump btw. My old pump didn’t work at all so the car couldn’t even get past crank before. Now it starts but won’t stay on

Hey Blasian, thanks for the question. Not sure what was going on with the car originally for it to be diagnosed with a bad fuel pump as being the issue? That being said, depending on what happened with the old fuel pump, there may have been a short or something that happened upon removal to cause an electrical problem. I will double check the most obvious stuff first. First the Fuel Pump relay fuse in the fuse box under the hood beneath the black plastic cover, driver's side. It's a 30A fuse in the F4 slot. Second check the fuse compartment in the glove box, slot F54 15/20A Fuse. And last you can check the Fuel Pump Relay itself by swapping in the Horn Relay. The Fuel Pump Relay is in slot 3 (far left) and the Horn Relay is in slot 6 (far right)slot R3. Here are a couple sites that provides the diagrams: fusesdiagram.com/bmw/fuse-box-diagram-bmw-3-e46.html www.bmwgm5.com/E46_Relays.htm If you don't have any vacuum leaks (i.e. intake boot ripped) you can try unplugging the MAF sensor to see if that has any affect on the car idling. If it does idle then you know the MAF sensor is bad since the DME defaults to a baseline so the car will still run and not leave you stranded somewhere. If the car has been sitting for awhile make sure you have 12.5+ volts at the battery. If the battery voltage is too low, the DME tends to not be happy. Did you also change the Fuel Filter at the same time as the Fuel Pump? It should still run and idle even it's old but it's a good idea to change it while you are working on the fuel system parts. Here's our video for that if you have not replaced it yet - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gspgrbBptdPDpoU.html Please let us know if any of these are bad and solves your issue, Cheers!

Thanks for the tips Artisan, definitely smart to clean up any debris before removing the pump. Thanks again for hanging out, Cheers!

Someones shopvac exploded in the comment section be careful with that

@Vinni-2K Yeah, sucking in fuel vapor to an electric motor would create more risk for sure. As an alternative, you can simply soak the entire lock ring with penetrating spray and let it sit for a few hours. If needed, spray it a couple times to really let it soak in. Cheers!

@@BradleysGarage thats what i did this morning Will try the hammer trick again tomorrow If that doesn’t work i ordered a gasket tool that fits right into the ring to use with a torque wrench

@@Vinni-2K Sounds great, I would spray it a few times every hour or so for a couple hours. The actual tool will definitely help you get more leverage but hopefully the hammer trick will get it done. Good luck, let us know how it goes, Cheers!

Unfortunately the M56 SULEV engine uses a sealed tank that does not have any replaceable parts. Both the fuel filter and fuel pump are inside the tank and not accessible. BMW had a 15 year/150k mile warranty for the fuel related systems on these cars but that has now been over for several years. Your options now are to locate a good low mileage used tank, which typically go for around $700-$900 or swap the car over to the the M54 parts which can be had for much cheaper. The factory BMW tank is over $9k which is definitely more than the entire value of the car and makes no sense to purchase. Here is a complete guide from Matt Roche to swap over to the M54 fuel system parts - drive.google.com/file/d/1qu5KSgnEMX2VAK4R2mORp50k1VN54KxJ Obviously this is not as easy as bolting in a new fuel tank but if you have a really clean E46 and you want to get it running again, this may be an option for you. This will just take a little time and patience. Let us know how your E46 project goes, Cheers!

Thanks for the comments Maikel, great suggestion. Thanks for hanging out, Cheers!

Thanks for the comments Dan, glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!

Thanks for the tip Jesse, it's a great idea to grab an air compressor or shop vac and clean up around the fuel pump before removal. Unfortunately, we were in a remote location and didn't have access to either of those at the time. Appreciate the feedback, thanks again for hanging out. Cheers!