Hi all, I have an '08 335i sedan, 7500 miles. I had the high pressure fuel pump replaced over the weekend. Just got the car back and have a strong fuel smell coming from under the hood and into the cabin. The smell is very strong inside and outside the car when it is at rest. Any ideas? I'm new to the forums, but a CCA member for over 6 years. This is my 5th BMW and first one with major issues. Thanks for the feedback.
Sounds like a fuel leak. Call the dealer in the morning and see if they will tow it in. I don't ever reccommend driving cars with fuel leaks, unless you want to see if it will catch fire and you can sue.
I had the same issue after my second fuel pump was replaced. Tech did not properly tighten the high pressure side of the fuel line. Fuel everywhere. Very dangerous. Thank goodness the engine design allows the fuel to spray on the (relatively cooler) intake side of the engine!
High Pressure Fuel Pump Issues I have a 2008 535i and BMW is telling me that the problem I have is the High Pressure Fuel Pump. What were your symptoms? I was driving and had an onscreen message of: "Engine Malfunction-Reduced Power" and on the speedometer displayed the dreaded orange engine icon. They towed the car in on Monday and today is Thursday and finally had a fix. A Google search says this is mostly a 335i issue, but they also state that these cars had a lingering fuel smell outside the car. Mine did for sure, and prior to the messages, I was having a surging feeling when starting out from a stop light. Almost felt like a transmission problem. Does this sound like everyone else's experience? Thanks so much.
The fuel smell (or arguably a fuel leak) is not part of the HPFP failure. For me, one of the times my HPFP was replaced, the tech didn't properly tighten the HP fuel lines, resulting in a leak and gas everywhere, similar to SKaros experience. If you smell fuel *after* the HPFP replacement, have the car towed to the dealer ASAP. I would not drive it (see previous comments). If you smelled fuel *before* the HPFP failure, you might have had a different (or complex) issue. The HPFP failure is not a "leak" problem. It is a failure of the pump to generate sufficient pressure - all internal components, no fuel leakage. (I had 335i x 3 HPFP in less than 24K miles. Now in an M3 with no HPFP.)
HPFP Issues Thank you very much. I picked up the car yesterday from BMW North Houston and the HPFP issues appear to be gone. More power, the car starts easier, no Engine Malfunction Messages, etc. I think you are correct that the fuel vapor smell is something different. It was present before this issue and mostly after refueling in cold weather, which luckily doesn't happen too much in Houston, although this has been a colder than normal winter. Global warming? That Al Gore is full of crap, ha!
