I'm sure many of you have replaced the plagued fuel sending unit and I know that there is plenty of info out there on how to do this relatively simple DIY but I just wanted to post a few pics here anyway. I did this on my 1998 E36 M3 but it should be the same on all E36s and maybe even E46s?
Basically I walked into my garage one morning (after the car was sitting with a full tank for a few days) and smelled gas that was coming from the back of the vehicle. I removed the seat, removed the lid over the fuel sending unit and saw a pool of gas... Surprisingly it was not the leaky hose, instead, there was a hairline crack in the plastic unit.
Long story short, went online and bought the unit for $70 or so as well as a new rubber seal. The entire job took 30 minutes or so - one of the easiest I've done thus far.
Steps:
1. Either drain or burn off gas until the "low fuel" light comes on
2. Disconnect the battery
3. Open the fuel tank cap (to let the fumes out)
4. Get inside the car and remove the rear seat by pulling it upward and forward
5. Reflect the carpet and noise insulation lining (black)
6. Remove 4 screws from the top of the fuel sending unit lid
7. Disconnect the wire to the fuel sending unit
8. Now using a large flat screw driver and a hammer gently hammer-untwist the black cap counterclockwise
9. Remove the cap and pull out the unit. Note that there is a clip you'll have to press to disconnect the unit from the hoses that remain in the fuel tank
10. Insert your new unit, connect it to the hoses and reassemble everything back. Done!
Basically I walked into my garage one morning (after the car was sitting with a full tank for a few days) and smelled gas that was coming from the back of the vehicle. I removed the seat, removed the lid over the fuel sending unit and saw a pool of gas... Surprisingly it was not the leaky hose, instead, there was a hairline crack in the plastic unit.
Long story short, went online and bought the unit for $70 or so as well as a new rubber seal. The entire job took 30 minutes or so - one of the easiest I've done thus far.
Steps:
1. Either drain or burn off gas until the "low fuel" light comes on
2. Disconnect the battery
3. Open the fuel tank cap (to let the fumes out)
4. Get inside the car and remove the rear seat by pulling it upward and forward
5. Reflect the carpet and noise insulation lining (black)
6. Remove 4 screws from the top of the fuel sending unit lid
7. Disconnect the wire to the fuel sending unit
8. Now using a large flat screw driver and a hammer gently hammer-untwist the black cap counterclockwise
9. Remove the cap and pull out the unit. Note that there is a clip you'll have to press to disconnect the unit from the hoses that remain in the fuel tank
10. Insert your new unit, connect it to the hoses and reassemble everything back. Done!
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