Fuel filter change

[john_p]

How often is this worth doing? No idea if it's ever been done on my E46 328i (120k) but as it's not mentioned in service instructions I doubt it ever will have been done.

GSF etc sell the filter for £10 while the BMW one is a lot more, is it worth spending the extra or are they all the same?

[Neil.D]

I suggest buying a BMW one and having it changed. They are another 'lifetime item' but people have cut them open before to find them black with dirt. Its worth doing, especially at your milage, plus you wont ever need to do it again.

Its a good preventative maintenance thing.

Neil.D

[phelix]

GSF or Euro car parts will do fine - it's an easy DIY but do it when the fuel level is low and be prepared for some spilled fuel. Worth having some new hose clamps on hand as well as a bit of fuel line.

[parksie]

Interesting to see Neils comment re "For Life", with my V12 850 they should be changed every 'inspection 2' so I wonder what's changed with the newer Bmws??

I'm the 4th Owner of this 850 ,74000 miles in 16 years, FBMWSH, yet when the Independent carried out the service they noted that the Good old Main Stealers had not changed the Fuel filter even though it has been back for 9 service trips 2 being Ins 2.

Get it changed , a filter needs to be clean to work well;)

[8Tech]

Fuel filter should be changed every 2nd inspection 2, I replace every inspection 2. A pattern fuel filter is fine, and most certainly better than a genuine one at 100,000m+!
The only time I use a genuine fuel filter is on the later cars with an integral fuel pressure regulator.

[john_p]

Second insp2 is coming right up so would be sensible to do it now. And yes it's the simpler one fitted to early E46 so hopefully not too hard a job!