E46 Fanatics Forum banner

Another SULEV Fuel pump thread.

28K views 51 replies 20 participants last post by  burntoutrubber 
#1 ·
Okay, so ive been a mechanic professionally for 5 years. I got a sweet deal on a 2004 bmw 325i. Ive always wanted a e46 and bought it. Now after owning the car for awhile naturally the "I wonder if i turbo this" question comes into my brain. After some digging I found out I have the m56 sulev motor. You know the one with the 6000 dollar fuel pump. So in shock I pulled up a P&A for the pump, and wouldn't you have it its actually over 6g's. I looked on ebay and found out used ones go for 1000 to 1500 dollars, and called some local scrap yards to see if I could get a fuel tank to have as a spare for the fuel pump failure when it inevitably happens. No scrap yards locally have the tank/pump. Now I really like this car, I would like to keep it and possibly sway a ls1 motor into it with the vorshlag kit down the road. My question is does anybody have access to information on either a successful retrofit using a m3 or m54 tank/pump, and also details on how a fuel cell and inline fuel pump could be retro fitted to provide the correct fuel pressure and correct operation as the car has a 5 bar fuel pump to my understanding. Any information that could be provided would be a huge help. Yes i have searched this forum and others high and low for more information. Thank you for your help.
 
#3 ·
Your car has a 15-year/150k mile warranty, so if you're under 150k get the FP replaced for free at the dealer. Then you don't have to think about a swap for a long time.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I don't see why not. Of course, I wouldn't tell them and would avoid letting them find out. :shhh:
If it got close to 150k and the FP was still working, it may need some help going bad. :evil:
 
#5 ·
A local mechanic told me that someone rebuilds those fuel tanks, so even if your car were out of warranty you'd have some options. But... swapping a non-SULEV engine into a SULEV chassis probably violates federal EPA laws and whatnot. As a one-off thing it's not likely someone would care too much, but bringing attention to it can't possible be a good thing.
 
#8 ·
Well ill try seeing if it can be done on warranty first and foremost. However while a m54 fuel tank will bolt in the connections, module, and hose bundle are all different to my understanding. Also to my understanding the m54 fuel pump is a 3 bar fuel pump. The sulev fuel pump is 5 bar. The only other fuel pump that can be retrofitted is a m3 fuel pump as it is 5 bar however it will not communicate with the module correctly. At least this is to my understanding. Now since i have plans of making this a full blown race car in the near future i am not opposed to a fuel cell and inline pump if it can be made to communicate with the module properly. Does anybody have a link to a 5 bar inline fuel pump that can be made to communicate with the car properly. Also legalities of a one off are not a concern I live in michigan with no emission laws in site.
 
#9 ·
Someone did convert the tank a few years back. Like you I am thinking an m3 pump is most similar.
If you are going to LS swap it, I wouldn't worry about it and just do it when you swap it.
 
#12 ·
FWIW the sulev fuel pumps have been fairly more reliable than the regular pump. I got mine replaced at 148k even though it wasn't really failing and still working fine. it only had issue when I went on long trips when I burned a tank of fuel in one day, and it was take some time to prime the next morning. It was throwing codes (some voltage too low code) but it's still popping up after my new tank so it might be another issue.
 
#14 ·
Your new fuel tank is worth more than your car! Kind of a long term investment when it comes time for a part out.
 
#17 ·
I thought that the warranty for a E46 was 4 years/100,000 warranty? Does anyone else have a warranty that goes to 150,000 miles? I have gone through 3 fuel pumps over a period of 10 years in my 2001 330ci, each time at the dealership it came to about $600 with labor included. The BMW dealership always did it for me. Why are you looking at a $6000 fuel pump.
 
#18 ·
The STANDARD BMW Warranty is 48 months/50k miles.

The discussion is about the SULEV models and SULEV specific components to include the $7k fuel pump that is sealed in a stainless steel fuel tank is covered bu the SULEV Warranty which is 15 years/150k miles.

Suggest you read the link for the SULEV Warranty I posted above.

You should have never gone through 3 fuel pumps in 10 years unless your car has over 500,000 miles on it.
 
#29 ·
The only problem I am having is filling the tank with gas. The vent valve is either clogged or stuck, and it takes forever to fill the tank. Does anyone know what the 2nd output port on the top of the OEM pump is for? The spectra pump only had one exit port, so I put a T fitting on the new pump. Does anyone have a technical diagram of the m56 tank? I only cut a small hole in the tank so I could not tell where the lines were going and I want to fix the ventilation in my tank so it will fill easier.
 
#31 ·
Thanks, but I was talking about a diagram or schematic of the actual components inside of the sealed tank. I need to know where the second port on top of the OEM pump goes to. I am thinking it may control the tank ventilation (or tank ventilation valve). RealOEM does not break down the components inside the tank.
Fuel line Plumbing
 
#32 · (Edited)
You might want to send a borescope into the tank to figure it out by where the small tube exits the tank or does it? Could it just be an air vent?

When I had issue filling up the tank, the dealer replaced the carbon filter under warranty. It made the issue better but didn't totally fix it. I think the problem is that the vent couldn't keep up with the speed of the gas pump.
 
#36 ·
Thx gagi....I did see that video before ....I just wish he woulda cut the tank in half and exposed the guts lol. I***8217;m just gunna rip mine apart again and maybe even try to make a permanent access hatch in the tank. I***8217;m just really surprised that no one has ever cut the top off the tank and posted pics. I***8217;m also surprised that most people don***8217;t just cut the tank open and replace the pump. Truth be told...the old pump in my car wasn***8217;t even bad...the ground was corroded and when I cleaned up the connection the pump fired right up. I didn***8217;t want to reuse that pump since I broke the top off the 2nd exit port and I had already bought a new spectra pump. Like I said if anyone is looking for a replacement pump the Spectra SP1304 is the pump made to replace the OEM one and for some odd reason amazon has them for $28 today...most places want $124-$160 for the pump. If anyone wants to see the pics I took of the tank opened up let me know and I***8217;ll post them (just wish I would***8217;ve taken more). Again..the car is running great and I***8217;m getting 31mpg highway driving and 24mpg city driving. And thx again gagi for responding and posting the links...very much appreciated!!!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top