What's this hose do?

[SeanH]

So this hose runs underneath car and it looks like it goes way back there, which led me to think it was some kind of a fuel line. Perhaps it attached to the old downdraft carb setup?

However, based on where it hangs I was wondering if it's supposed to connect to the radiator.

I have a 320i rad now.

Your help is appreciated as always!

Sean

[FunkyLaneO]

That is where the fuel return line is, if the car was de-smogged it may be capped off, look at whee it goes under the hood. Some people switch this over and use it as the primary fuel line. if it is capped, I would cut it back to where attaches to the body and cap it there so it doesn't hang down and potentially become a problem.

[SeanH]

Great. Thanks for the advice.

Is there also a way to delete this altogether? Perhaps there is a part off the 2002ti fuel tank that doesn't use a return line?

Thanks!

[FunkyLaneO]

You can cap it at the other end too, or you can use it as your primary fuel line and cap off the other one.

This one is steel and runs outside of the passenger compartment while the primary one is plastic and runs inside the passenger compartment, some people feel it is safer to use the return line for the primary (though I have never seen one leak in the passenger compartment but I guess it could happen).

To do it you would switch the return hose with the fuel feed at the tank and cap off return port on the tank, then drain the plastic fuel line and cap it off at both ends, oh and don't forget to run a new flexible fuel line from the steel hose to the fuel pump (or carb if you mounted an electric pump in the trunk, and removed the mechanical pump)

On my car it is just capped off at the tank and I put plugs (bolts with the threaded part cut off and hose clamped in place) in the hose on either end to keep it clean inside, I am still using the original fuel line.

[SeanH]

Sweet! Thanks!