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Thread: Fuel level sender

  1. #1
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    Fuel level sender

    Oy
    According to real OEM fuel senders are interchangeable within all e34s.
    Mine was mangled when I took it out.
    “No problem I grabbed one from the parts car” I said smugly to my self...
    But it is almost 2” too tall, and it won’t fit in the tank.
    What am I-missing?
    ...100 into tight, slippy, 2 right, don't cut, opens... 200, keep left over crest...

  2. #2
    moroza's Avatar
    moroza is offline MORΩN ΛABIA BMW CCA Member
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    I did this job recently and observed that the sender tube likes to come apart, telescope to become a bit longer, and stick in that position. Compare the new with the old to see where the length difference is.

    RealOEM is wrong on occasion. For example, it shows the same fuelpump and bracket for an M50 as an M20, but while swapping one for the other recently, I discovered that they're physically different. The brackets fit the same housing, but the pumps are shaped slightly differently and not interchangeable without their specific bracket.

    See if you can get a PN off the senders.
    Last edited by moroza; 02-06-2019 at 01:46 PM.

  3. #3
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    There are 2 types of fuel pumps. But you can switch back and forth. The fuel sender is the same. You just are not getting it in the tank correct.


    Andy

  4. #4
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    This is what the old sender looked like when I pulled it, it worked up until about 3 days prior:IMG_1793.jpg
    Here is the spare from the parts carQRTA5293.jpg

    From the top of the tank to then bottom is about 200 mm (~8in)
    The sender is 275 mm tall (~10.5").
    What am I missing???
    ...100 into tight, slippy, 2 right, don't cut, opens... 200, keep left over crest...

  5. #5
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    The fuel level sender has around 2 inches of travel when you press it in from the bottom. It has a spring inside. It is designed that way. It is installed in the car at an angle, not straight up down. When it hits the bottom of the tank, it compresses in. That's how it fits. The angle will be correct as long as the lid of the sender fits the fuel tank's cavity. Hold it above the cavity and visualise how it would look inside the tank and you'll get it. You need to make sure the sender can be compressed. If it is stuck you have a problem and you will have to dismantle it carefully to fix that. Your new sender looks very good - it was clearly replaced in the parts car not too long ago.

  6. #6
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    http://bmwe32.masscom.net/johan/fuel...el_sender.html

    What "parts car" did the replacement sender come from?
    I'm not saying that Thomas525 is wrong, as I have not tested it, but I do not recall there being any spring loaded part to the sender. I do know that my e32 did not have any spring loaded part when I took it apart to fix the sticky float situation I had.
    The above link is just to show the differences in tank size senders (e32) and how to fix broken one - not the smashed one of course. Is it possible that the parts car had the wrong sender or a larger version e32 tank installed?

  7. #7
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    Thanks for the tips.
    Thomas525 I found a video on youtube showing the repair of what looked like European 525 and that sender sat at an angle in that tank. I don't think the US version is installed at an angle?/ the sender is affixed nearly perpendicular to the lid that secures it to the top of the tank. Plus wouldn't that make the inlet tube at the bottom of the sender stick up and away from the bottom of the tank? My replacement has a spring but only about 3/4 inch of travel though, so it looks like further disassembly may be required.

    The parts car was a same year (1995) 525 sedan. I reconditioned the tank and had it swapped into my wagon because mine was leaking from a dent, but reused my existing fuel pump and the now broken sender. So the replacement sender was even in this tank.
    Where is that banging head emoji?
    ...100 into tight, slippy, 2 right, don't cut, opens... 200, keep left over crest...

  8. #8
    moroza's Avatar
    moroza is offline MORΩN ΛABIA BMW CCA Member
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    Got part numbers?

  9. #9
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    I don't see a part number (or any ID) on either sender.
    ...100 into tight, slippy, 2 right, don't cut, opens... 200, keep left over crest...

  10. #10
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    E34 were supplied worldwide with plastic and/or metal tanks and the fuel sender unit was different.
    Part 16141180889 (SENDING UNIT ASSY METAL TANK) was found on the following vehicles: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/part...889&series=E34
    Part 16141179798 (SENDING UNIT ASSY PLASTIC FUEL TANK) was found on the following vehicles: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...89#16141179798
    and they look different, angled, not angled
    metal sender unit 81L-90L/275MM http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...90#16141180889
    plastic sender unit, angled http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...89#16141179798

    a 1995 US 525iT would need the non angled version sending unit assy metal tank 81L-90L/275MM 16141180889 http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/show...diagId=16_0190
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  11. #11
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    Yes mine is a plastic tank with a plastic lid and an angle, compressible fuel level sender. After looking at the pictures, the op's is a metal tank and the sender does not appear to be angled. Can't for the life of me understand why the tanks would have differently configured senders. So op please disregard my comments entirely, they were in error (except for the fact that your replacement sender is fairly new). Thank you for the clarification Shogun.
    Last edited by Thomas525; 02-17-2019 at 05:28 AM.

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    I'm a buffoon.
    The tank is dented on the bottom.
    Funny, none of its drivers remember bashing anything!
    I'll try to pop it out enough to get the sender back in, but might need to do a full removal/repair or replacement.
    Sometimes it just takes a different perspective (like from below) to figure something out.
    Thanks all
    ...100 into tight, slippy, 2 right, don't cut, opens... 200, keep left over crest...

  13. #13
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    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  14. #14
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    A big blunt wooden stick should suffice. Smart move to look at it from below. Did you peer at it from the top first? Could you see the dent from the top with the sender off ?

  15. #15
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    From above there was no dent apparent, but it's a small area of the tank you can see and the fuel pump obscures some of the area.
    Shogun- do you know where that valve is located on a 525T, is it near the fuel filler?
    ...100 into tight, slippy, 2 right, don't cut, opens... 200, keep left over crest...

  16. #16
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    The breather valve is usually in engine bay, on my E32 M70 engine in front of the engine attached to the 2 airfilter housings, from there they go to the charcoal filter, follow the line between throttle valve and charcoal filter, a valve with a 2 wire connection. Here we disassembled some
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhan-4Smym...0/P1160665.jpg
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mZZ3yrbTUo...0/P1140101.jpg
    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Xa7pKon4M...0/P1140104.jpg
    inside it looks like this http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PS8Kbg5Hny...0/P1140112.jpg
    often the hoses are broken http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3yf8sOJPuW...0/P1160664.jpg
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S2HgbwNYa3...1600/valve.gif

    test: the tank breather valve should have a resistance of 45 ± 20 Ohm and without power 12 V it should be closed.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

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