Can someone explain how the M3 Fuel tank baffle works?

Just fitted the M3 fuel tank baffle to my 2001 330Ci and i have no idea how or if it will work. Surely the pick up comes from the gauze on the bottom of the pump and not from the newly relocated pipe in the baffle.
Any ideas?

i'm not sure exactly about the m3 fuel baffle, but baffles in general just help the liquid from moving around in the tank, not necessarily where it picks up from.

are you asking about teh fuel pickup or the baffle?

Originally Posted by SL Blak Soldier

i'm not sure exactly about the m3 fuel baffle, but baffles in general just help the liquid from moving around in the tank, not necessarily where it picks up from.

are you asking about teh fuel pickup or the baffle?

Ok i dont know if you've ever seen this baffle but its not at all like a baffle you'd imagine. I havent got any pics but its rather strange. You'll see what i mean if someone adds some pics. Quite baffling .....

Also has anyone else noticed that it doesnt really clip in all that well?

Originally Posted by SL Blak Soldier

i'm not sure exactly about the m3 fuel baffle, but baffles in general just help the liquid from moving around in the tank, not necessarily where it picks up from.

are you asking about teh fuel pickup or the baffle?

Here is a link to some pics. It's a bit weird.
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...baffle+fixture

I retrofitted an M3 fuel baffle into my xi. I basically corrals the fuel that comes from the siphon tube into a box and contains it just below the fuel pump. It prevents fuel starvation during cornering. You might be able to track your car with a little less fuel and have less weight as a result.
In daily driving it helps maintain even fuel flow doing quick turns at traffic arrows and driving through traffic circles when you have under 1/4 tank.

I often drive with the fuel gauge below the zero mark. I never once experienced fuel starvation. I don't have a baffle, unless they fitted one at the factory. My guess is that if you are having fuel starvation, your problem is elsewhere.

Originally Posted by GoingNuts

I often drive with the fuel gauge below the zero mark. I never once experienced fuel starvation. I don't have a baffle, unless they fitted one at the factory. My guess is that if you are having fuel starvation, your problem is elsewhere.

I only Get this problem when hard cornering on the road and when on the track. I spoke to another guy who had the same problem. He fitted this and it sorted it.

my stock GM car has a similar device, it's a capsul that surrounds the pump and fills it'self even when the tank is almost dry so that the pump doesn't overheat or starve in corners

Originally Posted by Marconi1982

I only Get this problem when hard cornering on the road and when on the track. I spoke to another guy who had the same problem. He fitted this and it sorted it.

The baffle may not look like what you would expect but it still does what you would expect which is hold some fuel in reserve such that it doesn't slosh away from the pickup under heavy G loads. It doesn't change anything about the fuel pump pickup tube. The relocation of the siphon tube ensures that this added fuel baffle "cell" is filled with fuel as it's being transferred from the other side of the tank. The fuel then trickles out of this "cell" into the more traditional baffles built into the bottom of the tank.

Originally Posted by GoingNuts

I often drive with the fuel gauge below the zero mark. I never once experienced fuel starvation. I don't have a baffle, unless they fitted one at the factory. My guess is that if you are having fuel starvation, your problem is elsewhere.

The problem isn't strictly about fuel level. The problem is the combination of 1/4 tank or less of fuel typically combined with very high levels of lateral acceleration such as might be experienced on a long sweeper on a race track or while taking a cloverleaf at high speed. The problem is well known by those who track their car. With relatively sane street driving, you would never experience this.

Originally Posted by Marconi1982

Also has anyone else noticed that it doesnt really clip in all that well?

Yeah when you put it in it doesn't feel right, I had to take mine out and make sure I had put it in right.

I think how it works is that normally the fuel will just slosh out of the rectangular tray, with the fixture there the fuel that sloshes out is replaced with the 'reservoir' effect the fixture gives.

The M3 baffle is just a small cup with a small hole to allow fuel into the pickup pint and also slow down the fuel drain from the pickup point during high g cornering. The cup in the baffle provide a few more seconds of fuel during this critical time to prevent starvation. Nothing fancy, but it works as longs as you're not doing skid pad test for more than a few seconds at a time.