On an R1100S, replacing the fuel filter should not be treated as a filter-only job.
The filter sits inside the tank alongside hoses that may now be more than twenty years old. If the bike still has original fuel lines, this is the right moment to refresh the entire system: the external feed and return lines, the in-tank hoses, the vent and drain hoses, the pump-plate seal and, optionally, the quick disconnects.
This guide follows the workshop notes supplied by Hugo, with the BMW part numbers checked against current R1100S parts listings. The main principle is simple: use BMW OEM hoses inside the tank. They are designed to remain submerged in petrol without softening, swelling or breaking down.
Parts Required
| Location | Description | BMW part number |
|---|---|---|
| External fuel line | Inlet fuel hose | 13 53 7 687 246 |
| External fuel line | Return fuel hose | 13 53 7 687 245 |
| Tank ventilation / drain | Hose, order one metre | 16 11 1 342 049 |
| Inside tank | U-shaped hose, pump to filter | 16 14 2 325 808 |
| Inside tank | J-shaped replacement hose | 13 31 7 688 205 |
| Pump plate | Large sealing O-ring | 16 14 1 341 008 |
| Fuel filter | BMW fuel filter | 16 14 2 325 859 |
| Inside tank | Internal tank ventilation hose, order one metre | 13 53 2 325 737 |
The inlet and return hoses are listed for the R1100S under the numbers above. The U-shaped hose connects the fuel pump to the filter and is a known R1100/R1150 Oilhead part. The large pump-plate O-ring is also listed specifically for the R1100S.
Important: confirm all parts against your VIN before ordering. BMW part availability and supersessions change, especially on older Oilheads.
Optional but Strongly Recommended
Fit metal quick disconnects while the tank is off.
The original plastic connectors become brittle with age and are a common source of cracked fittings, fuel leaks and unnecessary trouble when removing the tank. Metal connectors make future work much easier.
Use quality all-metal disconnects. This is not the place for cheap plastic replacements.
Before You Start
Work with the fuel level as low as possible.
Do the job outside or in a properly ventilated garage. No smoking, heaters, sparks or improvised electrical work nearby. Have rags, a drain container and fire-safe common sense ready.
Before opening the fuel-pump plate, make a clear alignment mark between the plate and the tank. The plate should go back in exactly the same position.
Photograph the hose routing before touching anything. You are dealing with several hoses in a cramped space, and memory becomes unreliable halfway through the job.
Step 1: Remove the Tank
Remove the tank in the normal R1100S manner.
Disconnect the external inlet and return lines, along with the electrical connector and the vent/drain lines as required. This is where metal quick disconnects pay for themselves.
Inspect the two external fuel hoses while the tank is off. Replace both rather than only the visibly worse one:
- Inlet hose: 13 53 7 687 246
- Return hose: 13 53 7 687 245
If the existing hoses are original, hardened, cracked or unknown, replace them. Do not wait for a fuel smell or a leak near a hot engine.
Step 2: Replace the Vent and Drain Hoses
Replace the tank ventilation/drain hose using:
16 11 1 342 049 — order one metre
This hose is used in the tank-ventilation arrangement and is sold by the metre.
Route the new hoses cleanly and without sharp bends. They should run freely downward, not kink under the tank and not interfere with the pump plate.
Step 3: Mark and Remove the Pump Plate
Clean the area around the pump plate before opening it. You do not want dirt falling into the tank.
Remove the retaining screws evenly. Lift the plate slowly and support the complete assembly as it comes free.
Do not force the fuel-level sender or bend the float arm. Do not let the plate hang by hoses or wiring.
The large O-ring should be replaced unless you know it is recent and undamaged:
16 14 1 341 008 — pump plate O-ring
Step 4: Replace the Fuel Filter and In-Tank Hoses
Replace the fuel filter:
16 14 2 325 859 — fuel filter
Then replace the in-tank hoses exactly as the original routing dictates.
U-shaped hose
16 14 2 325 808
This is the formed U-shaped hose between the fuel pump and fuel filter. Use the OEM part. It is shaped to sit correctly in the tank and avoid kinking or stressing the pump and filter connections.
J-shaped hose
13 31 7 688 205
The original J-shaped in-tank hose is no longer supplied in its original form. The workshop guide specifies this BMW hose as the replacement solution.
Do not substitute ordinary external fuel hose inside the tank. It may fit initially, but it is not designed for constant immersion in petrol.
Fit the hoses one at a time. Keep the filter in the same orientation as the original. Make sure no hose is kinked, pinched, pulling on a fitting or interfering with the fuel-level sender.
Internal Ventilation Hoses
While the pump plate is out, also replace the internal tank ventilation hoses.
These are separate from the main pressurised fuel hoses, but they live in the same environment and age in the same way. If the tank is already open for the fuel filter and in-tank fuel hoses, this is the right moment to replace them as well.
Use:
13 53 2 325 737 — internal tank ventilation hose, order one metre
Replace the hoses one at a time and copy the original routing carefully. Make sure they are not kinked, trapped under the pump plate or interfering with the fuel-level sender.
This correction matters because the job should refresh all ageing internal tank hoses, not only the pressurised fuel-filter hoses. The tank is already open, access is already there, and twenty-year-old internal rubber is not something to trust blindly.
Step 5: Inspect the Tank Interior
With the assembly out, inspect the tank properly.
Look for:
- water at the bottom of the tank;
- small debris or sediment;
- damaged wiring;
- loose hose clips;
- cracked or degraded hose ends;
- signs of contamination around the pump and filter;
- a dirty O-ring channel.
The circular groove for the pump-plate O-ring must be perfectly clean. No grit, old seal material or loose debris.
Step 6: Reinstall the Pump Plate
Fit the new O-ring into the clean groove.
Reinstall the pump plate in the exact orientation marked before removal. Tighten the retaining screws evenly; do not pull one side down fully before the others.
Reconnect the external hoses, electrical plug and vent/drain hoses. Confirm that the inlet and return lines are not swapped.
Before refitting all bodywork, add a small amount of fuel and switch on the ignition. Let the pump prime and inspect every connection carefully.
Then start the bike and inspect again.
Any fuel smell, wet fitting or seepage means stop. Do not “keep an eye on it.”
Colt Self’s Practical Advice
Colt Self’s advice is worth following because it makes the next service far less irritating:
“Part of the pain in the ass of changing that filter is having to disconnect, and later reconnect, the two drain hoses. Sometime in the past I replaced those two hoses with ones just long enough to allow me to pull off the hatch, expose the pump and filter, and change that filter without bothering to disconnect those two drain hoses. It made the job much quicker and easier.”
He also makes four points that belong in every R1100S fuel-service guide:
“Use only OEM BMW hoses inside the tank, because they are formulated to be submerged in gasoline, without turning into goo or disintegrating altogether.”
“That large O-ring can be reused, but if you do not know how old it is, then it is time to replace it.”
“If you think the in-tank hoses are original, then it is past time to replace all of them.”
“Take your time. Be thorough. This is not a job you want to do over because of a leak.”
That is the right approach. Do the full job once, use the correct parts and leave the tank better than you found it.