Got to looking through my Bentley to see where the fuel filter was. That is not exactly a simple job, so how often does that thing have to be changed? Jim
OK, now I have learned that Mini says it is a "lifetime" part. So how many folks actually have changed theirs and when did you do it? Jim
Haven't changed mine yet but I would like to see BMW/Mini's definition of "lifetime".......? ......I mean lifetime, can be pretty broad. A flies lifetime is roughly 24 hours while some turtles live well over 100 years. What is the lifetime of these parts and pieces?
Throw your car away & buy a new one. That is the BMW way... :crazy: Not a fun job, but it is on my 100,000 mile list of things to do.
Very good point. Is it the lifetime of the car, lifetime of the filter or lifetime of the owner? None of those choices actually have a finite number assigned to it. I found a couple of DIY's on this and at 100K is was very black (picture provided). One said it was black at 50K (no picture), but 100K seems to be the most talked about time to change. Of course I never dreamed the fuel filter was going to be under the rear seat and housed in the fuel level sensor, so I covered the two access panels back there with sound proofing when I did the RSD. Guess I will be modifying that in the next week or so. :mad2: Jim
Ahh, when I put in the RSD kit and added sound deadening material we made sure to cut it out so that in the event one had access the area one could.
I did the same thing when I soundproofed Schultze. I figured I might need to remove those covers someday...at the time I didn't know what was underneath, LOL.
Well, you were both wiser then I was. I honestly thought they were inspection panels or the like and the odds of needing to access them was very small. I had no idea that anyone would put the fuel filter, inside the fuel tank, under the rear seat and assailable only through the floor. Oh, silly me, I was not thinking Ger-British. Not a real problem to correct, just a PITA to have to do it. Jim
I decided to do the filter at about 50K. And I'm a bit over that. Have the filters for both cars, and just need to find the time. I saw a handy dandy photo "how to". Is it in our library here? I haven't been on that other site in a LONG time.
[ame=http://www.lonestarminiclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=554]Fuel Filter Change - Lone Star Mini Club Forums[/ame]
I replaced mine (1st gen) at about 60K. It is pretty straightforward, but give yourself time. As indicated in KHuevo's tutorial this is the biggest hurdle: "...grab the top and sides (of the plastic housing) and twist to unlock, pull the cap off. This will require effort and perseverance to separate." It took me the better part of an hour just to get the cap off. I had to rest my hands, wash them and wipe the plastic cover till both were squeaky clean so I could get a good grip and finally get the darn thing off. There are wires and sensors hanging from the housing that prevent you from lifting the thing out and getting a good position on it to grip it well.
I saw one that said to tap lightly with a screw driver & hammer to get it started then left it up and twist off. Jim
Jim, I'm pretty sure the tapping with the screw driver refers to the metal ring above the plastic housing. Once that is off, the plastic housing can be lifted out of the tank. It is the "twist(ing) off" of the cover of the plastic housing that is a PITA. :crazy:
If it's a ring like on Landrovers, I use a brass punch and hammer. Don't want any sparks around that area.
Did mine around 100k, didn't look terrible but was due for a change. An interval somewhere between 60k and 150k is a good place to start. This job was frustrating. I had one of my roommates help hold the fuel filter body while I did the twisting.
My appologies for resurrecting this thread but my weak search-fu did not find anything more recent. The link (and website) provided by k-huevo is dead. I did find [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCppUQfNZQQ"]Replace Fuel Filter - Gen 1 MINI Cooper R50 R52 R53 by Mod MINI[/ame]; however, and the assembly in it looks exactly like my 2011 Clubman. In the comments section he mentions you should never install a dry o-ring and recommends lubing it first. Thoughts on this? I did not read the comments until after I was done and the Bentley manual does not mention this. So I installed mine dry. (on the other hand I always coat the o-ring for the oil filter...) Also, when removing the cap from the fuel filter housing I found I needed more leverage than just a long screwdriver to act as a pry bar. I had to find something better to hold the housing. An old strainer locknut wrench did the trick.
I did the filter on my 05 R53 about 3 or 4 months ago, at around 60 thousand miles. It's beneath the rear seat and us somewhat of a PITA. Be sure you disconnect the battery, ventilate the compartment, put plenty of absorbing rags around the area and be sure you've completely cleaned up the fuel residue before you button it back up. The locking ring for the housing comes off relatively easy, tapping in the proper direction with a screwdriver and hammer. The fuel line will be under pressure and that's where the mess comes in... My filter was BLACK and looked long overdue for changing. As for a recommended interval, I guess it'd depend on the fuel that's available for use in your area. California fuel pretty much sucks. I'll not need to look at this for another 20k or so I'm guessing. Good luck!