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BMW 3-Series Fuel Pump Failures

51 messages,  Last post on Feb 16, 2013 at 2:31 PM

You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 3 of 6

#18 of 51 A Clarification by jongould

May 04, 2011 (11:04 am)

Thanks to the gentle prodding I received as a result of this posting and thread, I just called BMW and asked them for a better explanation. Here's what they told me: the fuel pump in the 2007 328xi (and, I strongly suspect, other 3-series cars from that and maybe other model years) is located inside the fuel tank, and the fuel tank is a "sealed unit." What this means is that if a fuel pump fails on that car -- for any reason -- the entire fuel tank has to be replaced, at a cost of $2500 (plus the cost of a new pump). In other words, the fuel pump is in the fuel tank, and the fuel tank cannot be disassembled.
 
That said, BMW still does maintain that the most likely reason that the fuel line deteriorated and/or "ruptured" was ethanol in the gas, so we're back to Square One on that issue.
 
For those of you who are thinking that this has to be about the stupidest way to design a car that you have ever heard, you'll be happy to know that BMW changed the design on later model years of the 3-series, so that now the pump can be accessed and changed with requiring the replacement of the entire fuel tank.
 
What I said about these cars still stands, however: every 2007 3-series BMW is waiting for this to happen, and when it does, its a $3500+ repair.

#19 of 51 Re: A Clarification [jongould] by shipo

May 04, 2011 (11:10 am)

Replying to: jongould (May 04, 2011 11:04 am)
"What I said about these cars still stands, however: every 2007 3-series BMW is waiting for this to happen, and when it does, its a $3500+ repair."
 
Nah, if what you say is true, there'd be 2007 328i models dropping by the thousands, and that just ain't happening. However, if your statement had said:
 
"What I said about these cars still stands, however: every 2007 3-series BMW which has inadvertently had E85 added to the tank is waiting for this to happen, and when it does, its a $3500+ repair."
 
then I'd agree with you.
 

#20 of 51 Re: A Clarification [shipo] by jongould

May 04, 2011 (11:25 am)

Replying to: shipo (May 04, 2011 11:10 am)
Sorry to be such a dope. What's E85? And how would it be added to my gas tank?

#21 of 51 Re: A Clarification [jongould] by shipo

May 04, 2011 (11:50 am)

Replying to: jongould (May 04, 2011 11:25 am)
E85 (which has been talked about in this thread) is fuel comprised of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Most gasoline sold in the U.S. these days can be called E10 (10% ethanol, 90% gasoline mix), and good old gasoline can be called, for lack of a better term, E0 (my invention, not a convention used in discussions like this).

#22 of 51 Re: A Clarification [jongould] by busiris

May 04, 2011 (2:26 pm)

Replying to: jongould (May 04, 2011 11:25 am)
Sorry to be such a dope. What's E85? And how would it be added to my gas tank?
 
Well, I would say we now understand your problem.
 
At some point, you (or another person) most likely filled your tank (maybe multiple times) with e85 instead of regular 10% blended gasoline. That would explain your situation perfectly.
 
However, I'm a bit surprised that you didn't notice the significant hit it would have had on reducing your mpg... since ethanol only has about 65% of the energy content of 100% gasoline.

#23 of 51 Re: A Clarification [busiris] by kyfdx HOST

May 05, 2011 (7:45 am)

Replying to: busiris (May 04, 2011 2:26 pm)
Or... maybe he just has a defective fuel pump.... or the fuel lines went bad for some other reason..
 
Blaming it on ethanol is just a convenient excuse, I think... that absolves them from blame...

#24 of 51 Re: A Clarification [kyfdx] by shipo

May 05, 2011 (8:06 am)

Replying to: kyfdx (May 05, 2011 7:45 am)
Either way, I don't see this as being a fleet wide problem as has been suggested.

#25 of 51 Re: A Clarification [busiris] by jongould

May 05, 2011 (8:44 am)

Replying to: busiris (May 04, 2011 2:26 pm)
I wish that was my problem -- at least it would explain something. But no, none of the places I buy gas sell anything like this e85 product that you're describing, and BMW has never suggested that that is what caused this problem. I live in New York State, and I've never seen the product for sale. Who would buy it, anyway? I'm afraid the e85 angle is a red herring.

#26 of 51 Re: A Clarification [jongould] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

May 05, 2011 (9:05 am)

Replying to: jongould (May 05, 2011 8:44 am)
I thought they told you that "alcohol" in the fuel deteriorated the fuel lines?

#27 of 51 Re: A Clarification [Mr_Shiftright] by jongould

May 05, 2011 (10:00 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (May 05, 2011 9:05 am)
Yes, by which they meant an "elevated" percentage of ethanol. But not this e85 fuel that people have been posting about. The notion of "deterioration" (their word) suggests a process that happened over time, not an infusion of the wrong kind of fuel.

Messages Page 3 of 6

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