I have an '04 R53 with about 140k on the odometer.....I have done all the maintenance items on the car after I got it....even the supercharger. The cabin air filter was still OE when I got the car 2 years ago.....


My question is this, how often do you change the in-tank fuel filter? I know they say it's supposed to be a "life-time" filter.....but I've seen many filters that are basically black when removed......


So, do I leave it alone? The car runs great.....or should I just bite the bullet and put a new one in?


Bryan

 

I haven’t heard of a lifetime filter before. I changed mine at ~92k and it was black. No fueling issues, just felt like doing it after I got it tuned. It was kind of a pain to do though.

 

The in-tank fuel filter on the wife's PT Cruiser & my Dodge Dakota state that they are "lifetime" filters......I guess I figured that the Mini filter in the tank would be designated lifetime also......maybe not.....


Guess I'll get a filter and change it out when I have some spare time

 

I would say change it at minimum every 80-100K. It's easy to do and, to me, silly not to. I changed the filter in my daughter's R50 when we bought it at 105K and it looked more like a coffee filter than a fuel filter.


-Jeff

 

Yea, I got 140k+ on mine, I doubt it's ever been done.....nothing else was done on the car.....

I'll contact my local Mini dealer here and see what they want for a filter.....

 

Definitely not a lifetime part. Did mine at 160k miles. The process is easy enough to do and the filter isn't expensive

 

I like to do them at about 100K miles.

Motor On!

 

I’m with the around 100k group. Life time of the car has a different meaning to BMW then to us the owner. I read some manufacturers consider as low as 100k the life of their car.

 

Changed mine at 95k.

 

Talked with Mini dealer this morning ..... $77 plus for the filter, 1-2 days to order it in......


World Pac has one for $59......


where does everyone get theirs from?

 

found one at ECS for $29

 

Ordered mine from WayMotorWorks

 

I just ordered mine from RMEuropean for , wait for it.....$11!

 

I found a filter & O-ring set on eBay for just under $19......but I question the "quality" of the part.....

 

Replace it, and use OEM.

 

The fuel filter I ordered from ECSTuning arrived today.....much better price than what the dealer wanted ($77+)......now I just have to drive the car enough to get the fuel level down in the tank......

 

I changed my fuel filter out when i did my pump when it died at 123k miles. You should be able to change the filter out with half a tank with no issues. You can probably get away with more gas if you take your time when you do it. Make sure you install the seal completely when you put everything back together. It can take a bit to get it seated, but if not done correctly it will cause issues.

 

If not seated correctly, the car will not start...a dead give-away!

 

Yep, make sure its seated x2