How to change fuel filter BMW e38

How to properly change the fuel filter on a BMW e38 by relieving the fuel pressure from the system. Also, which hoses you'll need on stand-by in case yours are as rotted as mine. Also also, the squirrel makes an appearance.

[@luigifabio77]

This is probably way late but - the hose you are using is NOT fuel injection (aka high pressure) line. And the FPR is in the front of the filter - that's what the vacuum line which goes to the intake is for. I would strongly recommend putting the proper line in there before bad things happen.

[@catfishjenkem2226]

Hey buddy this afternoon storm is gonna b dicey ..Crap coming up HWY 44 ... I have my 2 acre yard all cut and trimmed and generator ready .Warned all family and friends .. Temps changing 30 degrees is never good .. Hope you are doing good ..Stay safe and avoid the keeds as much as possible

[@HollywoodHornet]

I've got some videos coming up soon about the keeds. It's that time of year again. I heard we're gonna get 70 mph wind gusts. I reckon my roof is gonna be a boom gone by morning. That makes me sad.

[@catfishjenkem2226]

@@HollywoodHornet All you can do is prepare Matt something the keeds know nothing about .. I hope you have a keed free day

[@tsherwoodrzero]

Well done, I like how detailed you were about what to expect. As a fellow E38 owner also in STL, I was wondering if you'd be up for lending some wisdom to help resolve a fuel leak I've encountered in a rather odd location that gets worse under pressure. Driver's side in front of rear tire, dripping off the front edge of the tank. Anything come to mind offhand?

[@HollywoodHornet]

Does it start leaking after the car has been refueled or does that not matter? Was a pump or sending unit recently changed? If it leaks when the car is refueled, the o-ring around the sending unit/pump needs replaced or readjusted. The o-ring gasket needs to be slid loosely onto the sending unit assembly and then the sending unit slid down into the tank and the lock ring tightened. If that procedure is done improperly (seating the gasket on the sending unit first) it will leak when refueled to capacity. If the fuel leak is constant under pressure, regardless of fuel level, I would suspect the line going from the tank to the pump (that line also comes from the same location as the pump). Lift the back seat and remove the access panels to inspect the pump and sending unit. Each side will have a sending unit for the fuel gage. Only one side (with all the hoses) has the pump as well.

[@tsherwoodrzero]

​@@HollywoodHornet Thank you so much for replying so quickly. The under-seat cover mat is completely untouched, so nobody has done anything to the car in this area since it was built in September 2000. Fuel level does not seem to matter, only how pressurized the lines are. I've been digging through RealOEM and BMW TIS to identify what port does what/goes where on the tank, but apparently everything on the driver's side of the tank is hidden tribal knowledge needing a password in an obscure old German dialect from a lecherous village chief from somewhere in Bavaria, who was last seen in the 9th century babbling about turtles while wandering around India on a yellow cloud. One does not encounter this on a 20B Cosmo as the workshop manual leaves nothing to chance in this area. Anyway, since the Supply Line is entirely on the passenger side, it doesn't seem like it would be the cause of this leak. Return line would make sense here due to idle being max vacuum at the intake manifold, so maximum fuel returned to tank by the regulator. Such would logically result in driving 15 miles and using 1/4 tank. So where exactly does the Return line go on the tank? And what do the rest of the unspoken holes do? If it would help, you can email me at cd9asherwood (at) yahoo (dot) com so we can figure a plan to solve this.