E30 Zone

Have done a search but can't find anything, although previously sure I've read about it!

Been offered another 318is for £500 with rust on front wing, needs a new drivers sill, and fuel pipes corroded and leaking front to rear.

On my current 318is I have signs of corrosion on the solid fuel lines too, and looking through history they've never been replaced.

Basically want to know the following:

what parts are required and what cost?
how many hours labour?
any other bits worth doing at the same time?

rough idea of what needs doing for replacement.

There are 3 lines, feed, return and breather about £15 each and they're quite easy to do. I also replaced all the rubber pipes to the fuel tank and filter but these aren't such good value for money.

Lines on my car definately gone. At first thought it was the metal pipe corroded as it looked wet but now you can actually see the fuel coming down from higher up which missed before with all the insulation!

Looking at below pic reckon it's 9 or 11 that have gone, or the joins on them. Put the car up for sale as really don't have time to sort, but if it doesn't sell will have to get it sorted (and replace all the copper ones at same time).

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=16&fg=15

One thing though is I still don't know the rough process of replacing them as you can't access it all too easily. Be handy for someone to give me an idea and sure people must've had it before.

I replaced both the feed and return lines, fuel filter and all those ruber pipes inbetween tank, fillter, solid lines and fuel rail. It costs about £75 and takes 1 hr including tea breaks. Just jack up the n/s of the car front and rear and you'll see all the lines, at the rear remove the little heat shield to get to the filter and rubber lines replace all the jubilee clips (always use a 6 point socket on these when ever you can). It really is easy.

just buy the fuel lines from bmw they are around £10 each and come all bent up ready to fit

So can be done with no removal of fuel tank (which I imagine requires prop/rear subframe/axle removal?

Someone said to me the other day it was an 8 hour job and not knowing how to access the top of the tank to get at the pipes started to worry a touch.

Sorry if sounds like I'm going on, I know where the lines are but it's just how to get to them up the top of the tank to swap out.

The lines you're replacing just go to the corner of the tank and are easily got at. The diagram doesn'[t really show it but there are rubber hoses that join here and then run along the top of the tank to join the pump. The breather hose does go over the tank though but you haven't mentioned this yet. Remove your rear seat bench and look down the access hole on the driver side to clarify this. However I'd take that 1 hour including breaks thing with a pinch of salt.

aha, access hole under rear bench you say - excellent news, will have a look and get it sorted. Hopefully this could shed light on where the issue actually is.

Thanks muchly.

I replaced everything excepted the tank in this picture:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=16&fg=15

But mine is a 325i 1990 and I assummed it had the same fuel supply and filter set up, it is different. I am assuming that you are talking about the fuel lines that run the length of the car and not the ones which are part of the fuel tank or attach to the intank pump.

Have these fuel lines been notice when the cars on ramps (mot time) if yes then that means they must be the front to rear feed and return as any others just aren't visable.

Oh ,and yes the pipes in my link really are that easy, if I was playing around between the tank and the floor then yes it would be alot harder.

Four pot filter is at the front end of the car, so there are differences. Pipes aren't going to be rotted up over the tank, so there's no reason why you shouldn't cut both the old and new pipes and add extra bits of fuel hose to join them together, as long as you remember that the supply pipe will be running at up to three bar.