1999 bmw 530d drawing in air on fuel side.

[God mode restorations]

Morning all.my self and my bmw are seriously going to fall out..right..I have practically rebuilt most of this car.got it cheep..big mistake. ..anyway. ..replaced all the corroded fuel lines from tank to engine..filters.inline fuel pump..diesel lines ect...it will run fine for about a week then bang..it will start hunting and injector rattle....did a leak down test last night. .all injectors are fine..after close examination I noticed small air bubbles in the clear plastic fuel line coming from the fuel filter housing...filter is new and sealed..replaced o rings ....so I have narrowed it down to a leaking diesel pre heater valve..or the cross over pipes in the fuel tank.as there is another pump in there. Two fuel sending units and a host of pipes...now I noticed that when I have quater of a tank of fuel on the gauge the car runs out....so it must be something connected to this...anyone had similar problems with bmw...cheers.

 

[zx9]

Morning all.my self and my bmw are seriously going to fall out..right..I have practically rebuilt most of this car.got it cheep..big mistake. ..anyway. ..replaced all the corroded fuel lines from tank to engine..filters.inline fuel pump..diesel lines ect...it will run fine for about a week then bang..it takes will start hunting and injector rattle....did a leak down test last night. .all injectors are fine..alliteration close examination I noticed small air bubbles in the clear plastic fuel line coming from the fuel filter housing...filter is new and sealed..replaced o rings ....so I have narrowed it down to a leaking diesel pre heater valve..or the cross over pipes in the fuel tank.as there is another pump in there. Two fuel sending units and a host of pipes...now I noticed that when I have quater of a tank of fuel on the gauge the car runs out....so it must be something connected to this...anyone had similar problems with bmw...cheers.

If it runs out of fuel at 1/4 tank (and you have diesel in the tank so not a faulty gauge) I would be looking for a corroded pick up pipe in the fuel tank would also account for the air in fuel lines.

 

[God mode restorations]

The gauge is fine....but I will be looking at the fuel senders and the pipes soon as it stops pi@@ down with rain.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, If there are bubbles in the fuel they've entered on the suction side of the pump, because it's easier for the pump to draw air rather than fuel. So a loose connection probably just above the 1/4 tank tide mark, because above that it's covered with fuel.

Colin

 

[God mode restorations]

Thanks....everything does seem to point towards something in the tank..I no there is a far bit of stuff in there..so that's my next place to start....

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I think they have a lift pump in the tank, to pass fuel from one side of the 'saddle' [shape of tank is like one] to the other, where the main pick-up point is. Have you had the fault codes read?

 

[God mode restorations]

Yes had in on my mates snap on fault codes machine.all clear..i have the sender units half way out. Passenger side.that I think scavengers fuel from right side....I can see the main pump in the tank with hoses going to and from it.... but all looks visually OK. Not sure where it actually socks diesel from..main pump in tank I guess....

 

[God mode restorations]

Sussed it out after a lot of messing about...the in tank pump is faulty ...

 

[God mode restorations]

It's a complicated set up just to get diesel from tank to engine. .....

 

[Kayos]

It's a complicated set up just to get diesel from tank to engine. .....

My experience of BMW is why make it simple if it can be really really complicated

 

[God mode restorations]

My experience of BMW is why make it simple if it can be really really complicated

You got that right.....

 

[Kayos]

A mate of mine loves them 530 was nice but box was a nightmare, swapped for a 330d and box was a nightmare, as well as other pointlessly difficult jobs, he ended up chopping it in for a 10 plate 318d, being a manual it seems ok, for now.......

 

[God mode restorations]

Had to do heaps of work of this one.every job has been a right f@@ker to do..still got odds and ends to do...

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I have the 530i with the manual 'box in my e60 [quite rare to find I believe] - brilliant machine.

 

[God mode restorations]

Had a few bmw over the years.best being a e28 535 12 valve not the 24 unfortunately. ..but this 530d has pushed my patience to the max......it's a shame they have really over complicated simple things..

 

[God mode restorations]

this the picture of all the crud going on in the diesel tank. Ridiculous. ....

 

[Kayos]

I have the 530i with the manual 'box in my e60 [quite rare to find I believe] - brilliant machine.

Before things changed at work I was looking at the exact same, except an e61 (estate/touring) only found one manual and it was miles away

 

[slim_boy_fat]

^^ Aye, a bit like hen's teeth.

I travelled from the North of Scotland down to Cambridge for this one.

 

[God mode restorations]

All ways the way..miles away...my friend had a later one but twin turbo's. Nice machine..

 

[God mode restorations]

^^ Aye, a bit like hen's teeth.

I travelled from the North of Scotland down to Cambridge for this one.

That's a long drive.....but has to be done when you want something. ..you had any problems with it yet...