I realize this is an older post, but I just changed my fuel filter yesterday and thought I would add some more clarification to the issue of releasing those special connectors from the filter. I have attached some pictures which should help folks to see exactly how the lines should be removed without breaking them.

The 'U' or 'horseshoe' shaped retaining clips are blue and slide into the top of the connector where it slides over the filter ends. If you look at the pictures, you will see that these blue clips essentially lock the fuel line/connector into place.

The safest way to remove them is to take 2 very small screwdrivers (like the size you would use to repair eyeglasses, etc...) and place them into the black fuel line connector slots horizontally facing each other at opposite ends. What you are trying to do is place the screwdrivers so that the ends slip inside the black connector and pry right at the edge of the blue retaining clip. (or at the top of the 'horseshoe/U', if you will.) Once you have the screwdrivers in place, then carefully and simultaneously push downward on the edges of the clips so that they start to slide the blue clips out of the opposite side of the black connector ends. Once you get the clip ends started, you can get them to a point where you can just grap the clip bottoms (the bottom of the 'U') and pull them out the rest of the connector by hand. The hardest part about this job is not so much the clip removal, but instead the contorting and twisting you'll have to do with your body in order to position yourself under the X5 for leverage!

Once you get the clips removed, the lines just slide off the filter ends. Replacement is much easier. Simply slide the connectors all the way back onto the filter and then slide and lock the blue retaining clips back into place. ***Do not snap in the blue clips until you have reconnected the fuel lines.

Hopefully, this will help some of you out. I must admit that after reading through the various threads up here, I was still a bit confused as to how to get those pesky connectors off without damaging them. I stared at them underneath the car for a good hour before finally experimenting with a plan, but with the help of the posts up here and some determination (and PATIENCE) I finally figured it out.

Attached Images

     

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'05 X5 3.0
'06 325i
'90 E30/S52