What fuel tank do I have?

[twenty]

Hi Everyone,

I'm in a bit of a predicament.

I have a 1990 pre-facelift 325i cab with chrome bumpers (somewhat strange as facelift started from 87?) and when I enter the VIN in BMWFans or RealOEM it indicates that the fule tank part no is 16111180175 - this is the 63L tank.
My understanding is that pre-facelift cars came with the smaller 55L tank? Maybe I'm overthinking but it would be good to know.

I should also mention that I tried looking under the car from what I can see, there's two sections of the tank divided by the exhaust and no pipes running between them. Here are two photos taken from left and right side:


Many thanks!

[Cloggy Saint]

Tank size is nothing to do with pre-facelift/facelift. 4 pot cars have 55L tanks and 6 pots have 63L.

[twenty]

Phew. Thanks a lot. That means the same fuel tank was used for pre and post facelift M20s.

[Brianmoooore]

Tank size is nothing to do with pre-facelift/facelift. 4 pot cars have 55L tanks and 6 pots have 63L.

Nothing like that simple, I'm afraid.
Only ways to tell for sure, without looking up your VIN in the ETK, is to look under the car for the presence (55l) of a small S shaped pipe joining together the bottom of the tank sections at the rear, or the absence of the pipe on the 62L
OR
remove the left hand inspection plate under the rear seat cushion. If there's nothing there, other than the top of the tank, then it's 55 litre. If there's a level sender there, fitted into the tank, then it's 62L,
OR
remove the right hand inspection plate under the rear seat cushion and look at the fuel pump assembly. If there is one hose connected to it, it's a 62L tank, or two hoses means 55L.

[flybynite]

Nothing like that simple, I'm afraid.

Yes, my 6-pot 323i has a 55l tank, probably why the first owner had a long range tank fitted from new.

I feel a bigger tank is in its future, even if it is just to get rid of that stupidly placed, stupidly expensive, stupidly corroded connecting pipe.

[twenty]

Tank size is nothing to do with pre-facelift/facelift. 4 pot cars have 55L tanks and 6 pots have 63L.

Nothing like that simple, I'm afraid.
Only ways to tell for sure, without looking up your VIN in the ETK, is to look under the car for the presence (55l) of a small S shaped pipe joining together the bottom of the tank sections at the rear, or the absence of the pipe on the 62L
OR
remove the left hand inspection plate under the rear seat cushion. If there's nothing there, other than the top of the tank, then it's 55 litre. If there's a level sender there, fitted into the tank, then it's 62L,
OR
remove the right hand inspection plate under the rear seat cushion and look at the fuel pump assembly. If there is one hose connected to it, it's a 62L tank, or two hoses means 55L.

Awesome thanks. Are RealOEM and BMWFans reliable? In which case I do get a hit on 63L tank looking up via the car's VIN.