# 2006 BMW 318 - sugar in the tank **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** bmw, 318\ **Created:** [March 14, 2019, 7:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464 "2019-03-14T07:14:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pinky19](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Pinky19](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Pinky19)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 7:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464/1 "2019-03-14T07:14:21Z")
how to clean out sugar in a fuel tank ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464/2 "2019-03-14T13:45:25Z")
Remove, drain, clean, and replace. By a professional, preferably. How do you know that there is sugar in it? ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464/3 "2019-03-14T13:47:14Z")
What’d you do? Who did you anger? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Manolito](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/manolito/32/3070_2.png) [@Manolito](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Manolito)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464/4 "2019-03-14T14:55:51Z")
Removing your fuel tank is a pain. The good news is that if the 2006 model is like the previous generations of 3-series BMWs and it is not an ultra-low emissions version, you can pop up the back seat and remove two large caps that will give you plenty of access to the two lobes of the fuel tank through which you can clean it out. This should be done by a professional with spark-free tools because it is rather dangerous. I would also replace the fuel filter which is probably located beneath the car, under the driver seat, The good news is that sugar is not the instant death sentence to an engine that it is reputed to be. It is not good, and I would clean it out, but it is not as bad as most folks think. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464/5 "2019-03-14T15:02:55Z")
Everything I have read about sugar from a credible source says it doesn’t dissolve in gasolin and jusl lays inert in the bottom. Has the car stopped running? ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464/6 "2019-03-14T15:17:11Z")
I believe it dissolves in ethanol however so in that case, some percentage of it will be consumed if left in the tank… ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464/7 "2019-03-14T21:21:45Z")
And as a hydrocarbon, the sugar will burn in the engine. I wonder if using E15 for a couple of tanks would accelerate removal? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-bmw-318-sugar-in-the-tank/136464/8 "2019-03-14T21:39:39Z")
> **[Is Sucrose Soluble in Ethanol?](https://www.reference.com/science/sucrose-soluble-ethanol-c95d30bb41fb016b)** > > Sucrose or sugar is only slightly soluble in ethanol. In fact, if the alcohol is cold, even less of the sucrose is going to dissolve. The sugar that does not dissolve within the ethanol settles at... Tester