Fuel feed/quantity problem on a 1997 318ti

[John Harbolt <dbrjohn@xxxxxxxxx>]

Anybody ever heard of this before and know how to fix it?
My 1997 318ti quit running like it was out of gas but the fuel low-level
light had not come on and the computer said I could go another 83 miles with
the present fuel. This had proven very accurate in the 86,000 miles I've
driven the car. I left the car with a BMW dealer (it was Saturday
afternoon), rented a car, and went on to Florida.  A phone call to the
dealer disclosed that they checked fuel pressure at zero and therefore the
fuel pump was bad and needed to be replaced.  When I picked up the car they
told me they put in $5.00 worth of gas before they test drove it and it ran
great.  In a hurry to get on the road, I didn't fill up.  Thinking the car
was fixed I kept driving 'till I saw the low-level light blink and pulled
off at the next exit.  The car died at the bottom of the exit.  Started
again but ran poorly and for just long enough to get to the driveway of a
filling station. Got help to push the car to the pumps and filled it up to
the top of the neck with 12.8 gallons.  This is a 13.7 gallon tank which I
have put in as much as 14.3 gallons numerous times.  Started car and it ran
fine.  My conclusion is that I had about 1 1/2 gallons somewhere that didn't
feed .  Later testing showed that when the car "ran out" the resistance on
the right side fuel level sensor (the side with the fuel pump) read 10 ohms
which is the correct reading for an empty tank, but the left side fuel level
sensor read about 65 ohms indicating some quantity of fuel present.  I tried
this several times and it was always about the same.  Now I know that there
is fuel in the left side tank of the tank that I can't get to feed, but I
don't know how the "siphon feed system" works to move fuel from the left
side to the right side so that the pump will get it all (or at least most of
it).  Any help out there?
John - 1985 635CSi (Euro), 1997 318ti (supercharged)  

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