Tips to Maintain the High Pressure Fuel Pump in Your BMW

by Mechanics Direct May 1, 2019

BMWs represent the top tier of German engineering and motoring expertise. Sleek and timeless in their design, BMW cars ooze elegance and sophistication. However, we can all agree there is nothing sophisticated about a car with engine issues. No one wants their driving experience interrupted by breaking down, over-heating, or even worse, complete engine failure.

The high-pressure fuel pump is central to the running of an engine, and the correct maintenance and care of this mechanism will ensure your motor runs as smoothly as the day it left the factory floor. In this article we’ll be exploring the high-pressure fuel pump found in your BMW further, and offer useful tips and tricks you can use to keep your BMW purring like a kitten.

Tips for maintaining your BMW’s High-Pressure Fuel Pump

While any mechanical element connected to the engine can make drivers nervous in regards to maintenance, there are many simple care tips you can follow that will ensure you don’t even need to delve beneath the hood. Some you may even be already doing without realising how beneficial they are for the fuel pump.

1. Quality Fuel

   For many BMW owners, filling a quality car with quality fuel goes without saying; anything else would be tantamount to pouring bargain basement champagne into a Dom Perignon bottle. While the price of lower quality fuel may seem appealing, remember it is often cheap for a reason. To ensure your car is receiving the ideal fuel for maximum efficiency, make sure to only stick to brand names such as BP, Sunoco, and Shell.

2. A Half Tank is an Unhappy Tank

   At its core, a fuel pump is an electrical motor. Any one familiar with a laptop or computer knows that they need to be kept cool, and often have a fan or such to ensure this. It is on a similar principle that modern cars’ fuel pumps are situated within the fuel tank. Because the mechanism is immersed in the fuel, as well as kept away from the heat of the engine, it is able to keep cool, therefore will not overheat.

   It is for this reason that it is best not to allow your BMW to run on less than half a tank of gas, as due to the situation of the pump, a lower fuel level will cause it to become unsubmerged, and thus be at a greater risk of overheating and in turn potentially failing.

3. Never Fill up Your Car at the Same Time as the Station!

   This is a gem of a tip that you may not have heard of before! If you approach a station to refuel and find they’re having fuel delivered, its best to drive on to the next one. When the pumps are being refilled, all the common dirt and deposits that usually settle to the bottom of the tank are stirred up. Whilst your filter will be able to catch most of it, there is a high chance some impurities will reach your fuel pump, potentially clogging it, or causing damage.

   If you have a station you regularly favour, whether for price or convenience, it might be best to ask an employee when they typically receive fuel deliveries. This will allow you to not be caught out, and time your fuel stops for when the deposits have sunk back to the bottom, where they cannot cause any damage to your prized BMW.

4. An Anti-ethanol Agent

   If you are not a daily driver, or if it’s unlikely you burn through a tank of fuel every week or up to every two weeks, then its essential you add an anti-ethanol agent to your tank to ensure the fuel does not gel or thicken. Fuel separation caused by unused fuel is the biggest cause of fuel pump and injector failure, and with an anti-ethanol agent, is easily avoided.

Regular Check-ups

As with your own health, giving your car regular maintenance checks from a mechanic will keep your car in prime condition. If you have any doubts about the efficiency of your fuel pump, it’s best to get it checked out. After all, a small mechanic bill is cents compared to the cost incurred by severe engine damage or complete failure.

If you live in Lowell, MA or any of surrounding towns including; N. Chelmsford, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tyngsborough, and Westford, and you’re looking for quality, award winning maintenance for your BMW, then Mechanics Direct has got you covered! With affordable prices and a complimentary 30-point inspection with every job, your BMW will be turning heads for years to come.