E32 735i Fuel Pump Replacement Procedure (archive)

1. Lift out the trim panels in the trunk (the ones that cover the spare wheel).
2. You will see the fuel pump access plate on the right-hand side. There are five screws holding the plate.
3. Before removing the access plate, thoroughly vacuum the area around the panel. You don't want junk falling into the gas tank.
4. Remove the access plate.
5. You will see two hoses at the top left, one at the bottom right, and an electrical connector. The top two hoses are the fuel feed and return lines and the bottom hose is the vapour recovery hose. Mark the hoses, unscrew the hose clamps and remove the hoses. Some gasoline will spill. Pull the slide on the electrical connector to the left and slide the connector off.
6. Unscrew the eight screws on the panel with the two exposed pipes.
7. Carefully lift out the fuel level transmitter and the access panel gasket. It will not come all the way out since it is attached to the fuel pump but it will come out sufficiently for you to lay the sender on the trunk floor.
8. Place one of your hands down into the fuel tank to the left of the hole and you will feel the fuel pump. The pump is held in with two plastic clips, one on each side. Use your thumb and forefinger and compress both clips. The pump will now release and lift out. I had to try a couple of times before I could release the pump.
9. Take the fuel level sender and pump assembly out of the trunk.
10. Remove the two electrical connectors on the top of the pump. Don't worry about marking them as the BMW engineers were smart enough to make them different sizes.
11. Remove the hose at the top of the fuel pump but leave all the other hose connections intact.
12. Separate the old fuel pump and its rubber mount from the outer carrier. This is a little tricky but takes only patience.
13. Before re-installing the new fuel pump, slide the new gasket over the outer carrier and the level sender.
13. Install the new fuel pump into the outer carrier and re-attach the fuel hose and two electrical connections.
14. Carry the assembly back to the trunk and re-install the fuel pump. Make sure that the pump is seated properly in the tank and that the two retaining clips "click" into place. It took me tow or three attempts before I felt the reassuring click.
15. Re-insert the level sender into the trunk. Note that the gasket only fits in one position. I had to rotate it several times to ensure that all of the holes lined up properly.
16. Tighten the eight screws, re-attach the hoses and electrical connectors.
17. Leave the access plate and trim panels out of the trunk and take the car for a test drive. After the drive, check for leaks and, if everything looks good, re-install the access plate and the trim panels.

All in all, the job should take under an hour.

Regards

Alex

Follow Ups:

Re: E32 735i Fuel Pump Replacement Procedure gale 20:30 12/02/2001 (1)
- Re: E32 735i Fuel Pump Replacement Procedure alex lynch 21:01 12/02/2001 (0)

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