Changed fuel filter on 1150

[Lord Snooty]

I changed the fuel filter after 26k miles on my 1150GS today. I had a few niggles such as the the local BMW dealer selling me the wrong size replacement hose clips (oversize) and the first time I put it all back together I jammed the fuel float cos it was showing full with only a couple of litres in the tank. Took it all back off again and freed up the float and refitted and all was ok.

I cut the old filter in half to check it out and this was the result - the question is, is it normally this colour or is this a filthy filter

 

[D6]

never done it, suspect it should be yellow,??seems a lot of dirt

 

[Colban]

Has the bike been used a lot in countries which have poor quality fuel?.

 

[Dickieboy]

Bit difficult to say from that pic L/S most of what I can see appears to be from the burring of the saw cut, have a look inbetween the filter fins you might get a better indication.

 

[Lord Snooty]

I have torn out a section of the filter and it does look filthy - I think it was yellow originally. The state of this is surprising because I have not taken the bike into countries that might have poor quality fuel.

 

[Neil W]

Caused by water and muck in forecourt underground tanks. Tend to look like that after a few thousand miles.
I cann't undertand why BMW give a 24,000 mile change interval for bike filters when most car manufacturers state 2 yrs or 10,000 miles. Better replacing a £6 filter than fuel injection components due to contamination.

 

[Marty Gutenfart]

most car manufacturers state 2 yrs or 10,000 miles. .

For a fuel filter??? I've never replaced a car fuel filter in my life Wouldn't even know where to look. (Mind you, I haven't bought a new car for 10 years, so maybe things have changed)

 

[Mayhem]

I've just replaced the fuel filter on my 1150 GS today, as the drone of the fuel pump was starting to bug me and I've only had the bike a week, the filter was just the same as the one in the pic above and mines done 18.700 miles.
I conducted a high tech test by blowing through both the old and new filters and there was a considerable resistance on the old one
Anyway easy enough job and a noticeable reduction in noise but you can still hear it when stationary with the engine running
Just need to fill the tank up and see what it sounds like then, it will get a reasonable test on Friday as I'm off to a wedding on the banks of Loch lomond

 

[Steptoe]

and there was a considerable resistance on the old one

That would be due to the old filter being wet

The picture looks like a normal used filter. No need to panic, just carry on riding your bikes..

 

[Mayhem]

Actually I dipped the new filter in petrol before I compared them to make the test realistic.
The condition of the old filter didn't worry me, I just cannot help being a sad old maintenance engineer which is why everything gets dismantled to see how it works sooner or later lol

 

[Mayhem]

Strangely the actual fuel pump looks very similar to a late model Busa pump that I have lying about, obviously the carrier is different, but I'm a bit too busy at the moment to start playing about