Removing & Replacing/Installing Sunroof (for Realignment)

RUST is a common problem with ALL car sunroofs. My car was no different. The rear right corner of the sunroof had rusted through so badly that it had been patched up with filler right up to the edge. A good area of about 20 square centimetres was all body filler.

I managed to get hold of a used sunroof panel for cheap. It's black while my car is white but I thought  what the heck - at least it's not all rusty and bogged. The replacement panel had some surface rust spots which I treated and repaired before putting it in.

The following is a guide to removing and re-installing the sunroof panel on BMW E30's. It should be the same method for other BMW models of the same generation as the E30.

Allow yourself about 90 minutes if you're doing it for the first time.


Tools & Materials Required:

• Torx (Star) keys/wrench set.
• Pliers
• Socket Driver
• Penetrating spray

NOTE: Pictures shown for manual crank operated sunroof. Method is the same for electric/power sunroof. If you are unable to crank the sunroof by power (eg: sunroof motor failed, flat battery, etc.), what you need to do is undo the trim for the sunroof motor, and then crank it manually. You'll need to use the Z shaped wrench in the boot toolkit or a hex wrench of the correct size. See your owners manual for detailed instructions and diagrams.

1. Wind back sunroof to expose the front edge of the panel. There are 6 trim clips that hold the inner lining to the sunroof panel at the front. You won't be able to see them but you can feel them with your hands. Use the images below as a reference to see where the fastening clips are. Carefully pull down on the front edge of the inner lining to disconnect it.

2. Wind forward the sunroof to expose the rear edge of the sunroof panel. Simply pull/push the inner lining backwards so that the rollers on the sunroof cranking mechanism are off the guides on the inner liner. The inner liner should just drop down and away from the sunroof panel.

Slide the inner lining backwards into the roof of the car to expose the under side of the sunroof panel.

3. Unscrew the sunroof panel. There are three torx bolts on each side of the sunroof panel that hold it to the cranking mechanism. NOTE: If you are only re-aligning the sunroof, you need only loosen the torx bolts enough to realign the sunroof panel. You DON'T have to completely remove them.

Use the appropriate size torx wrench/bit to undo them - the bolts in mine were T25 size but yours might be different. I had to use a pair of pliers to get enough leverage to break them loose as they were on extremely tight. It would be better to use a socket driver instead of the pliers for leverage. Some lubricant or penetrating spray would come in very handy.

4. Remove the sunroof panel. Once all the torx bolts are out, the sunroof panel should simply lift off the top of the car.

 5. Fit replacement sunroof panel into the cranking mechanism guides exactly where the old one was. Line up the holes where the torx bolts are supposed to go. Loosely thread the torx bolts back into the holes by hand. Remember to do it in this order: middle bolts first, then front ones, lastly the rear ones.

6. Align the sunroof. This is where you will greatly benefit from the help of a friend. First crank the sunroof to the closed position. Then, get your friend to hold the rear of the sunroof 1mm above the roof-line. While your friend is doing this, get inside and tighten up all the torx bolts.

7. Reinstall the sunroof inner lining. First crank the sunroof to the forward position. Slide the inner roof lining out and connect the rear part first. Pull it up and out towards the rear of the car and then slide the grooves on the lining piece over the rollers on each side of the sunroof cranking mechanism.

And lastly, push the trim clips along the front of the inner lining up into the corresponding holes at the front of the sunroof panel.

JOB DONE!!!

Hood/Bonnet Gas Strut Replacement

The E30 hood is one of the many things I love about the car. It just looks SO COOL opening with the hinge at the front.

When open it doesn't have a beam that hooks into it to hold it up, instead it has a gas strut. As with all gas struts, they get worn over time and repeated use. The one on my car was no different, when I have the hood open on a windy day, it will once in a while just get blown back just enough to slam shut. One time, I was changing the filter when it came down on my head... yes, it did hurt.

It's a very simple job - all you need is a new strut (very inexpensive) and a flat head screw driver.


Tools Required:

• Flat-head screw driver
• Grinder*

*Note: The strut that I got was a cheaper, aftermarket one and its ends were very thick compared to the OEM strut. So, I had to grind one of the ends of mine to get it to fit. So, if you want things to be simple and straight forward, GET THE OEM STRUT!


1. Locate the strut.
Open the hood, and you'll find the strut working on a hinged arm at the front right side of the engine bay. The strut itself will be positioned along the inside of the top of the fender, near the windshield washer reservoir.

2. Remove the old strut.
There will be 2 circlips, one at each end of the strut. Use the flat-head screw driver to lift the tab on the clips and slide them out. Careful not to drop them or lose them as you will have to re-use these! CAUTION: Use your back, or the help of a friend to hold the hood open before you remove the circlips! While holding the hood up, remove the old strut by sliding off each end from its supporting studs.

3. Grind the piston end of the strut. (Skip this step if not necessary)
It was fine on the barrel end but with the piston end (which joins to the arm) it was too thick to allow any room to put the circlip on. I could have left it with just the one circlip but I just didn't feel comfortable with that idea. So, I used my rotary tool with the stone grinding bit (as pictured) to grind the end of the strut down to half the thickness. If you don't have a grinder, you should take it to a workshop or mechanic and ask them to do it for you.

NOTE: To avoid this problem, make sure you buy the genuine BMW strut! The one I used was a cheaper, aftermarket one.

4. Fit the new strut.
Simply slide the new strut on where the old one was and just slide the circlips back into place with your hands. JOB DONE!

Changing E30 Fuel Pump

One of the first things I did with my E30 was changing the fuel pump. My Australian '89 318i has 1 in-tank pump located under the rear seat cushion, on the right side. The last thing I wanted was for the fuel pump to die when I was in a hurry to get somewhere and then be stuck on the side of the road. It's a fairly simple job which can be done by the amateur DIY'er. It's really just a 1 hour job but if it's your first time, allow yourself about 3 hours.


Symptoms of a soon to fail fuel pump:

1. Noise - a dieing fuel pump will make a constant humming/buzzing noise when running, which will be very clearly audible from inside the cabin. Some aftermarket fuel pumps are known to do this just when the car first starts up but the noise goes away after the engine has been running for a few minutes.
2. Difficulty starting - The engine turns and the sparks are all working but the engine doesn't want to fire or it starts with some difficulty, coughing and sputtering.
3. Erratic idling - When idling, the RPM's seem to dance up and down as though someone is slightly revving the engine on and off from a lower than normal idle speed.
4. Fouled spark plugs - If your fuel pump isn't getting enough fuel to the engine, the engine will be running a leaner fuel mixture (lower fuel:air ratio). A long term effect of running on a lean fuel mixture is fouled spark plugs.
5. Abrupt stalling/jerking -  While driving, you may notice the engine stall or almost cut out. Fuel isn't the only possible cause.

These were just some of the symptoms that I noticed that lead me to suspect a bad fuel pump, but there may be others. Also note that, symptoms 2-5 could also be due to faults in other areas of fuel system - such as blockages in the lines, filter or injectors. Symptoms 2,3 and 5 can also be due to problems in air intake system (insufficient air/blockage) or ignition system (inconsistent spark). Just remember that the 3 things that a combustion engine needs to run are air, fuel and spark.


Options for replacement fuel pump:

• BMW OEM (Bosch) - $170
• Walbro 255LPH GSS340 - $120
• Generic Brand 340 255LPH High Performance Fuel Pump - $70-120.

*Prices shown include shipping to Brisbane, Australia.

The OEM pump was ruled out straight away simply because it has a lower flow-rate which doesn't allow for any future modifications where higher fuel flow may be required and is $50 more expensive than the other two. However, if you've got a stock-standard car and want to keep it that way, you're probably better off spending the extra money for the Bosch - simply because they make the most durable fuel pumps.

Walbro is very well known in the aftermarket/ performance fuel pump scene. They've been around for a while and earned themselves a good reputation. All their pumps come with a 1-year warranty and they're known to perform.

Ebay and Amazon are loaded with generic brand aftermarket fuel pumps. One such brand that I found on Ebay was TRE Performance. These generic brand of pumps are designed just like Walbros and have identical model numbers to suit various vehicles. Difference is that they're a bit cheaper and have slightly higher fuel flow rates. They've also got a better warranty than Walbro. 1-year replacement warranty, AND a 30-day money back guarantee.

After doing some research on internet forums and reading about people's experiernces with these pumps, the High Flow was the obvious winner. Although Walbro are the bigger name, a lot of people have commented that they are noisy. If your car is a daily driver, this can be a particularly important factor to consider.

So to sum it up, the TRE-340 is the best e30 fuel pump for the money. Those who have used the TRE don't seem to have any complaints. I've had the same TRE pump in my car since June 2010 (it's now September 2011), and I've had absolutely no problems. Not only that, I have NEVER heard it! It's reasonably priced, high fuel flow, dead quiet, and easy to install.



Tools Required:

• Phillip's Head (Cross-Head) Screw Driver.
• Lots of rags/ towels.
• Car detailing/ cleaning spray.
• Vacuum cleaner.
• Ratchet
• Socket set including some very small sockets around 4-10mm's.
• Small 8-13mm hose clamps (as required).
• Soldering iron.*
• Heat-shrink and hot air gun.*
• Die-grinder or flat file.*

*Note: You can get away without what is marked with an asterisk. You could take your fuel pump cradle and the new pump to a mechanic or auto electrician to have them grind, and solder your new pump in for you. It should only cost about half-an-hour's worth of labour. This would be a lot cheaper than getting them to do the whole job for you, or the cost of buying these tools.

1. Locate the fuel pump.
Remove the back seat cushion and the insulation under it. The back seat cushion should come off by just sharply pulling upwards on the front end of the cushion. You might want to vacuum clean the area under the seat at this point. You'll probably find some coins and other small items that mysteriously went missing from the back of your car. There will be an oval shaped black plastic panel held by 4 phillip's screws. Undo the screws and remove this panel to reveal the top of your in-tank fuel pump. Use a soft sponge/cloth to clean this area with the car detailing spray and make sure the area around the fuel pump is clean before you proceed. You want to minimise the amount of dirt/dust that gets into your fuel tank while the fuel pump is out.

2. Remove the fuel gauge sender.
Disconnect the electrical connectors for the fuel pump and the fuel gauge sender. Take a picture of how the hoses are connected to the fuel pump cradle, and then disconnect the hoses by loosening the hose clamps as required. My hose clamps were very old and had become brittle - they just snaped off so I had to replace them with new ones. Undo the 4 nuts that hold the fuel gauge sender to the fuel pump cradle and lift it out. Make sure you have some thick rags/towels handy because if there's fuel in the tank, the fuel sender is going to be dripping with fuel. You don't want fuel spillage anywhere inside your car!

3. Remove the fuel pump.

Turn the fuel pump assembly and lift it out carefully. This can be rather fiddly so you might want to get a friend to capture on video how you take it out because you'll have to do the reverse of this to get it back in later. Again - make sure you have lots of thick rags/towels so that you don't spill any fuel inside your car! There should be a rubber washer/gasket that sits between the top of the fuel pump assembly and the fuel tank. Keep this to re-use later or replace it if necessary. Once the fuel pump is out, use a clean rag/towel to cover the hole and make sure you leave your car with its doors/windows wide open and well ventilated while it's waiting to get the new pump installed.

4. Disassemble the old fuel pump from the cradle. Have a good look at the items included with your new pump and also at how the old fuel pump is assembled in the cradle. You should already have an idea how you're going to fit the new pump in the cradle. Also note how the filter is fitted at the bottom and which direction it is facing. The filter will come off with a firm pull - you can also pry it with a flat screw driver.

5. Grind or file the protruding lip on the bottom of the cradle.

6. Remove the old wires and solder in the new connector. Take note of which terminals are the +ve and -ve on the cradle. Typically, red = +ve and black = -ve. Use the soldering iron and some new solder to melt off the old wires from the terminals at the top of the cradle. BE CAREFUL NOT TO MELT THE PLASTIC PIECE SEPARATING THE + and - terminals! By test fitting the new fuel pump, cut the new connector wires to the right length and allow an extra 2-3cm in length - It's ok if the wire is too long but you don't want it too short. Then strip the tips to reveal their cores and solder them in ensuring that the +ve and -ve wires are soldered to the correct terminals. BE CAREFUL NOT TO MELT THE PLASTIC PIECE SEPARATING THE + and - terminals!

7. Prepare the new fuel pump for fitting. Put the rubber insulation jackets on the fuel pump. There is one shorter one for the bottom of the fuel pump, and another one to cover the rest of it. First put the bottom one on and then slide the longer one on from the other end. Make sure that all of the fuel pumps sides are covered - see the picture below.

8. Fit the new rubber hose. Test fit the new fuel pump and cut the replacement hose to the right length. The length should be so that when the hose is fully pushed down onto the fuel pump, the other end of the hose should come up to near the bend in the piping on the cradle - see picture below. Then push the hose as far as possible onto the cradle - even up along the bend in the piping and slide both the included hose clamps onto the hose sitting loosely. Then fit the new fuel pump onto the cradle, slide the hose down over the pump nozzle, and then tighten the hose clamps at each end of the hose to secure it.

9. Fit the new filter onto the bottom of the fuel pump. Just have to push it on firmly. Make sure that the long end of it is facing the same direction as the old filter.

10. Install the new fuel pump in the car. Simply do the reverse of how you removed it to reinstall it. Re-connect the hoses connecting to the piping on top of the cradle and tighten the hose clamps. Re-install the fuel gauge sender and tighten the 4 nuts to secure it in place. When tightening these nuts, be careful to not over-tighten and strip the threads. Join the electrical connectors for the fuel gauge sender and the fuel pump. START THE CAR to make sure it's all working fine! Put the black cover back on and tighten the 4 screws to secure it. To put the back-seat back on, simply line up the clips on the under side of the seat to the clips on the car body and push down on the seat to secure it in place.

Acknowledgements:

M42club forum user: jrw21. 

Images were taken from a post on 18 Oct 2009,
on forum thread titled: DIY Fuel Pump Replacement.