e34 BMW 3 SERIES 1985 E30 User Guide

10
General
Power steering fluid type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Tyres
Tyre sizes
3-Series, E30
316 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175/70x14
316i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175/70x14, 195/65x14
318i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175/70x14
320i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195/65x14
325i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195/65x14, 200/60x356, 205/55x15
5-Series, E28 (“old-shape”)
518 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175x14
518i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175x14
525i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175x14, 195/70x14
528i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195/70x14
535i and M535i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220/55x390
5-Series, E34 (“new-shape”)
518i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195/65x15
520i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195/65x15, 225/60x15
525i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195/65x15, 205/65x15, 225/65x15
530i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205/65x15, 225/60x15
535i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225/60x15, 240/45x415
Tyre pressures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1 Specifications
Chapter 10 Suspension and steering systems
Balljoints - check and renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Control arm (3-Series) - inspection, removal and refitting,
and bush renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Control and thrust arms (5-Series) - inspection, removal and
refitting, and bush renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Front anti-roll bar - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Front hub and wheel bearing assembly - removal and refitting . . . . 8
Front strut assembly - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Power steering fluid level check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Power steering pump - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power steering system - bleeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Rack-and-pinion steering gear (3-Series) - removal and refitting . . . 19
Rear anti-roll bar - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Rear coil springs (3-Series) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Rear shock absorbers (3-Series) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . 9
Rear shock absorber/coil spring assembly (5-Series) - removal
and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Rear trailing arms (3-Series) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Rear trailing arms (5-Series) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Rear wheel bearings - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Steering and suspension check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Steering box (5-Series) - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Steering gear boots (3-Series) - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Steering linkage (5-Series) - inspection, removal and
refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Steering system - general information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Steering wheel - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Strut or shock absorber/coil spring - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Suspension and steering checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Track rod ends - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Tyre and tyre pressure checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Tyre rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See Chapter 1
Wheel alignment - general information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Wheels and tyres - general information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
10•1
Easy,suitable for
novice with little
experienceFairly easy,suitable
for beginner with
some experienceFairly difficult,
suitable for competent
DIY mechanic
Difficult,suitable for
experienced DIY
mechanicVery difficult,
suitable for expert
DIY or professional
Degrees of difficulty
Specifications Contents

4On some models, working inside the boot,
you can remove the trim to access the upper
mounting nuts; on later models, you’ll have to
remove the rear seat back to get at the upper
mounting nuts. On Touring (Estate) models,
remove the side backrest and rear seat belt
reels, and unscrew the centring shell on the
wheel arch. On Convertibles, simply remove
the top from the recessed well behind the
passenger compartment, and remove the
small rubber access cover. As you remove the
mounting nuts (see illustration), have an
assistant support the shock absorber from
below so it doesn’t fall out.
5Look for oil leaking past the seal in the top
of the shock absorber body. Inspect the
rubber bushings in the shock absorber eye. If
they’re cracked, dried or torn, renew them. To
test the shock absorber, grasp the shock
absorber body firmly with one hand, and push
the damper rod in and out with the other. The
strokes should be smooth and firm. If the rod
goes in and out too easily, or unevenly, the
shock absorber is defective and must be
renewed.
Refitting
6Fit the shock absorbers in the reverse order
of removal, but don’t tighten the mounting
bolts and nuts yet.
7Bounce the rear of the vehicle a couple of
times to settle the bushings, then tighten the
nuts and bolts to the torque values listed in
this Chapter’s Specifications.
10 Rear coil springs (3-Series)-
removal and refitting
4
Note: Although coil springs don’t always wear
out simultaneously, renew both left and right
springs at the same time, to prevent handling
peculiarities or abnormal ride quality.
Removal
1Loosen the wheel bolts. Chock the front
wheels, then raise the rear of the vehicle andsupport it securely on axle stands. Make sure
the stands don’t interfere with the rear
suspension when it’s lowered and raised
during this procedure. Remove the wheels.
2Disconnect the mountings and brackets
which support the rear portion of the exhaust
system, and temporarily lower the exhaust
system (see Chapter 4). Lower the exhaust
system only enough to lower the suspension
and remove the springs. Suspend the exhaust
with a piece of wire.
3Support the differential with a trolley jack,
then remove the differential rear mounting
bolt. Push the differential down, and wedge it
into this lowered position with a block of
wood. This reduces the drive angle,
preventing damage to the CV joints when the
trailing arms are lowered to remove the
springs.
4Place a trolley jack under the trailing arm.
5If the vehicle has a rear anti-roll bar,
disconnect the bar from its connecting links,
or disconnect the links from the trailing arms
(see Section 12).
6Loop a chain through the coil spring, and
bolt the chain together, to prevent the coil
spring from popping out when the trailing arm
is lowered. Be sure to leave enough slack in
the chain to allow the spring to extend
completely.
7Disconnect the shock absorber lower
mounting bolt (see Section 9), carefully lower
the trailing arm and remove the coil spring.
Refitting
8Refitting is the reverse of removal. As the
trailing arm is raised back up, make sure the
spring seats properly.
11 Rear shock absorber/coil
spring assembly (5-Series)-
removal and refitting
4
Removal
Note:Although shock absorbers don’t always
wear out simultaneously, renew both left and
right shock absorbers at the same time, to
prevent handling peculiarities or abnormal ride
quality.1Loosen the wheel bolts, then chock the
front wheels. Raise the vehicle and support it
securely on axle stands. Remove the wheels.
2Remove the shock absorber lower
mounting bolt (see illustration).
3On early models, peel back the trim inside
the luggage compartment far enough to
access the upper mounting nuts. To get at the
upper mounting nuts on later models, first
remove the rear seat cushion (see Chap-
ter 11), then remove the two bolts holding the
rear seat backrest, and remove the backrest.
Support the trailing arm with a jack, and
remove the upper mounting nuts (see
illustration). Lower the jack, and remove the
shock absorber and the gasket. To separate
the shock absorber and spring, refer to
Section 6.
Refitting
4Refitting is the reverse of removal. Don’t
forget to fit the gasket between the upper end
of the shock absorber and the body. Tighten
the upper nuts to the torque listed in this
Chapter’s Specifications. Don’t tighten the
lower bolt until the vehicle is lowered.
5Lower the vehicle, and with it sitting at the
normal ride height, tighten the lower bolt to
the torque listed in this Chapter’s Specifi-
cations.
12 Rear anti-roll bar-
removal and refitting
2
Removal
Note:The rear anti-roll bar is mounted
basically the same way on all models. Follow
these general removal and refitting
procedures, keeping in mind any variations.
1Chock the front wheels, then raise the rear
of the vehicle and support it securely on axle
stands.
2Remove the anti-roll bar bracket bolts or
nuts (see illustration).
3Disconnect the anti-roll bar from the link at
each end of the bar (see illustrations)and
detach the anti-roll bar.
Suspension and steering systems 10•9
11.3 Shock absorber upper mounting nuts
(arrowed) on a later (E34) 5-Series model11.2 Remove the shock absorber lower
mounting bolt (arrowed)9.4 Shock absorber upper mounting nuts
(arrowed) - late-model convertible shown.
On other early models, upper nuts are
accessible from the luggage compartment;
on later models, they’re behind the back of
the rear seat, up under the parcel shelf
10

7 Hinges and locks-
maintenance
1
Every six months or so, the hinges and lock
assemblies on the doors, bonnet and the boot
lid/tailgate should be given a few drops of
light oil or lock lubricant. The door or tailgate
lock strikers should also be lubricated with a
thin coat of grease, to reduce wear and
ensure free movement.
8 Fixed glass- renewal
5
Renewal of the windscreen and fixed glass
requires the use of special fast-setting
adhesive materials, and some specialised
tools and techniques. These operations
should be left to a dealer service department
or windscreen specialist.
9 Radiator grille-
removal and refitting
1
3-Series
1Detach the clips along the top of the grille
(see illustration).2Remove the screws, and lift the centre and
side grilles out (see illustrations).
3Refitting is the reverse of removal.
5-Series
E28 (“old-shape”) models
6Remove the screws, and detach the centre
and side grille pieces.
7Refitting is the reverse of removal.
E34 (“new-shape”) models
Centre grille
8Remove the screws and detach the
headlight covers in the engine compartment
for access.
9Remove the screw, and lift out the plastic
cover behind the centre grille for access to the
clips.
10From the engine compartment, reach
under the headlight housings and detach the
clips retaining the centre grille valances, then
push the grille forwards (see illustration).
11Use a screwdriver to depress the clips,
detach the grille assembly and remove it by
pulling it straight out.
12Refit the centre grille by placing it in
position and pushing it straight back until it
clips into place.
Side grille
13Remove the centre grille.
14Remove the screws, and lift the side grille
assembly out (see illustration).
15Refitting is the reverse of removal.
10 Bonnet- removal, refitting and
adjustment
1
Note: The bonnet is heavy and somewhat
awkward to remove and refit - at least two
people should perform this procedure.
Removal and refitting
3-Series models
1Open the bonnet. Scribe or draw alignment
marks around the bolt heads to ensure proper
alignment on refitting (see illustration).
2Disconnect the earth cable and windscreen
washer hose from the bonnet.
3Detach the bonnet hinge rod clip and
11•4 Bodywork and fittings
10.3a Use needle-nose pliers to pull off
the hinge pin clip . . .
10.1 Use paint or a marking pen to mark
on the hinge plate around the bolt heads -
mark around the entire hinge plate, if
desired, before adjusting the bonnet
9.14 Remove the screws and pull the side
grille assembly straight out
9.10 Detach the centre grille valance by
reaching under each headlight and
pressing on the release lever
9.2b Side grille screw locations (arrowed)9.2a The centre grille is held in place by
two screws (arrowed)9.1 Open the bonnet and remove the grille
retaining clips (arrowed)