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When the fuel pumps leave the ghost

Driving down the freeway at 70 mph in your ’98 Bimmer, you notice a strange sound coming from somewhere under your car. Continue down the road for a few more miles before exiting and turning into your subdivision. The sound magically disappears and you dismiss it as something that must have wedged itself under your car and then got free. However, your car’s engine dubs, stutters, and then dies as you turn into your driveway. Fortunately, you made it home. Unfortunately, your fuel pump has gone to auto parts heaven.

Sure, we can dream that your fuel pump died just when you got home. How convenient. In all probability, the problem would have arisen during a long trip, on a Sunday afternoon, miles from nowhere. Fuel pump failures can occur without warning and without any engine code to point to the problem. In other words: when it happens you are SOL.

Replacing a fuel pump is a job many weekend mechanics would be comfortable with as long as they’re home and have the right tools on hand. Still, it will work on gasoline, requiring you to jack your car up and then lower the gas tank to replace the pump. I said that the fuel pump is located inside the gas tank, right? Oh yes, one small matter… you need to have the replacement fuel pump on hand before you continue with the job.

You can go to a local auto parts store and pick up low-priced generic pumps that can last a few years. Chances are that once you’ve gone to the trouble of installing the low-priced model, you would have liked to install a bosch fuel pump or have you given your Bimmer a fuel pump bmw Although it would have cost you a lot to buy one, right? Well not exactly. When shopping online, you can find great prices as long as you select the brand name fuel pump and buy it from a accredited dealer. eBay can work well for dolls and trinkets, but your car parts need to come from someone you can trust.

Once you have the correct part on hand, you can get on with the job. Follow the instructions in the owner’s manual to do the job correctly. Your Bimmer will be happy, especially if you remember to install a new fuel filter with your fuel pump.

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