The Right Time to Replace a Dirty Fuel Filter in Your BMW

Post on November 13, 2020 by ultimateauadmin

Because of all the intricacies and details involved in car maintenance, it can be challenging to remember how frequently you need to replace seemingly trivial components such as fuel filters.

Repairs such as these are frequently not an urgent repair that requires a driver to drop what they’re doing to get replaced, so it can often fall by the wayside in everyday life. However, failing to replace a dirty fuel filter can progressively become a more significant problem. The dirtier the filter is, the more likely it is to cause more severe damage to your vehicle and risk the integrity of the other components of your car.

How often should the fuel filter be changed?

The fuel filter is responsible for ensuring that the fuel that reaches the engine is clean and clear of contaminants and debris. While it can handle small amounts of blockage, enough buildup can lead to an insufficient amount of fuel reaching the fuel injectors, which eventually means your vehicle won’t run.

In short, BMWs are recommended to have their fuel filter changed every three years. However, this has the potential to be entirely inaccurate, depending on how many miles you put on your vehicle.

Common Signs that Your BMW’s Fuel Filter Needs Service

Because it can often be difficult to remember exactly how much time has elapsed since your last filter change, there are several signs you can look for to determine if your filter needs to be changed.

• Strong odors: If you encounter strong smells emanating from your vehicle’s exhaust, the filter is likely clogged. It could indicate more damaging issues as well, meaning you should have it checked by a mechanic as soon as possible.
• Engine misfires: A weakened filter will eventually cause the engine to misfire because of a lack of proper fuel reaching the fuel injectors. Other similar issues to look out for are if the fuel efficiency is declining or if the engine behaves erratically or abnormally.
• Idling and sputtering: If the engine starts but shuts down when stopped, your fuel filter needs to be replaced. This is an indication that just enough oil is reaching your vehicle while the car is active, but the output is weakened when the vehicle is idle.

Additionally, sputtering when driving at low speeds is an indication that there is light blockage occurring in the filter. While this isn’t an immediate problem, it does mean that a necessary filter change isn’t far behind.

• Difficulty accelerating: This might be pretty self-explanatory, but difficulty accelerating is often a sign of a dirty fuel filter. Because a dirty fuel filter means lowers the output of fuel to your motor, you will not be able to accelerate as effectively if the output is lower than it would typically be with a clean filter.

If you believe your fuel filter might need to be changed, you can check this yourself by locating the fuel filter. Apply a large straw to one end of the filter and blow. If the air does not pass easily through the filter, you need to have it replaced.

Let Ultimate European Repair change your fuel filter

While you are able to test yourself if the filter is excessively dirty quite easily, we recommend an actual fuel filter change to be done by a mechanic. Because the filter is necessary to keep several components of your vehicle operating at its best, we don’t recommend risking these parts’ integrity by improperly installing a new fuel filter.

If you believe your car’s fuel filter needs to be replaced, let the experts at Ultimate European Repair inspect it. With a garage specializing only in Audi, BMW, Mini, and Volkswagen, our master technicians can assist you in a large variety of problems you might encounter with these vehicles.

Located in Tolleson, AZ, we proudly service cars throughout Goodyear, Buckeye, Avondale, Phoenix, and Peoria areas. Because we use a one-on-one consulting system, we can ensure a personalized experience that will prioritize the specific needs you have for your vehicle. Please do not hesitate to schedule a consultation or vehicle inspection online or over the phone.

Posted in BMW Repair