DIY: E30 Fuel Filter and Hose Replacement

When Rachel came home from work she told me about how a lady stopped her and wanted to let her know that there was a significant gasoline leak on the underside of her car. She also stated that the gas gauge was reading 1/2 full, when we had just filled it two days ago.

I went outside and had her start up the car. Sure enough, there was a problem with the fuel lines, and it wasn't just a leak: it was a downpour! We decided it would be best if she didn't drive it to work. I instead stayed home from the library and worked to solve the problem. Here is how I solved it.

Tools Needed:

• Car jack
• Jack stands
• 10mm socket and ratchet
• Phillips screwdriver
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Safety goggles
• Waste bin- to catch spill-off gasoline

Procedure:

1. I lifted the car with the factory jack and then supported it with jack stands. I would never work on a car without properly supported! I would never rely solely on the factory jack to support the vehicle, especially if I were under it. If I were already planning on replacing the fuel filter I would have removed the fuel filter relay and purged the fuel lines of any residual gasoline. However, I wasn't sure what was the problem.
   


2. I had Rachel turn over the ignition to the accessory setting. I was hoping that this would activate the fuel pump and we could see where the fuel was leaking from. We waited and it did nothing. So she turned over the engine. As soon as the car fired up, which took longer than normal, it was evident that the fuel leak was in the same location as the fuel filter. The gasoline was spewing out. Even though we only have the engine on for about 8 seconds, we watched as approximately 1/2 cup of gasoline spilled out and was gathered in our waste container.
3. Disconnected the negative battery terminal.
4. Just in front of the fuel tank is a plastic panel. Using a 10mm socket and a Phillips screwdriver remove the plastic panel.


5. Located underneath the plastic panel is the fuel filter. Often, as in our case, the rubber hoses that connect the various fuel lines become brittle as they age. This was the case with the rubber hose between the fuel sender and the fuel filter.




6. Unscrew the clamp that is holding the fuel filter in place.
7. With Vise-Grips, clamp the rubber hoses that are on either side of the fuel filter. They only have to be strong enough to stop the flow of fuel from the tank or from the front of the car. This means that the tension on the clamp should not be enough to pinch the lines. In our case, the main purpose we were doing all this work was because of bad rubber lines.


8. Loosen the hose clamps on either end of the fuel filter. If you are replacing the rubber hosing (which I would recommend). loosen all the clamps of the hoses you are planning on replacing.
9. Before you remove anything make sure to take note of the orientation of the fuel filter. You will want to reinstall the filter so that the arrow is pointing towards the engine.


10. Now remove the hoses and filter and collect the excess gasoline trapped in the filter drain into a waste bin.


11. Replace all the old rubber hoses with new hose and tighten the clamps. Install the new fuel filter.


12. Reinstall the plastic covering.
13. Lower the car, reconnect the battery and reinstall the fuel pump relay (if you removed it). When you attempt to restart the car it may take some time for the engine to eventually turn over. This is because you purged the lines of all fuel. It will take some time for the fuel pump to move the fuel towards the fuel injectors.

It was a pretty simple fix, and in the same time I was able to change the oil, something that was needing to be done anyways.