four wheel drive BMW 318i 1997 E36 Workshop Manual

WARNING
-

"
Never
work
under
a
lifted
car
unless
it
is
solidly
supported
on
jack
stands
that
are
intended
for
that
purpose
.
Do
not
support
a
car
on
cinder
blocks,
bricks,
or
other
objects
that
may
shift
orcrumble
under
continuous
load
.
Never
work
un-
dera
car
that
is
supported
only
by
the
lifting
jack
.

"
Fuel
is
highly
flammable
.
When
working
around
fuel,
do
not
smoke
or
worknear
heaters
or
other
fire
hazards
.
Keepan
approved
fire
extinguisher
handy
.

"
llluminate
the
work
area
adequately
and
safely
.
Use
a
portable
safety
light
for
working
inside
or
under
thecar
.
A
fluorescent
type
lightis
best
be-
cause
it
gives
off
less
heat
.
If
using
a
light
with
anormal
incandescent
butb,
use
rough
service
bulbs
to
avoid
breakage
.
The
hot
filamentof
an
accidentallybroken
bulb
can
ignite
spilled
fuel
or
oil
"
Keep
sparks,
lighted
matches,
and
any
open
llame
away
from
thetop
of
the
battery
.
Hydrogen
gas
emitted
by
the
battery
is
highly
flammable
.
Any
nearby
source
of
ignition
may
cause
the
battery
to
explode
.

"
Never
¡ay
tools
or
parts
in
the
engine
compart-
ment
or
on
top
of
the
battery
.
They
may
fall
into
confined
spaces
and
be
difficult
toretrieve,
be-
come
caught
in
beits
or
other
rotating
parts
when
the
engine
is
started,
or
cause
electrical
shorts
anddamage
to
the
electrical
system
.

"
The
fuel
system
is
designed
to
retain
pressure
even
when
the
ignition
is
off
.
When
working
with
the
fuel
system,
loosen
the
fuel
fines
slowly
to
al-

low
the
residual
pressure
to
dissipate
gradually
.

Take
precautions
to
avoid
spraying
fuel
.

Lifting
the
Car

FUNDAMENTALS
FOR
THE
DO-ITYOURSELF
OWNER
010-
3

For
those
repairs
that
require
raising
the
car,
theproper
jack-

ing
points
should
beused
to
raise
thecar
safely
and
avoid
dam-

age
.
There
are
four
jacking
points
from
which
thecar
can
be

safely
raised
.
The
jacksupplied
with
thecar
by
BMW
can
only

be
used
at
the
fourside
points
just
behindthe
front
wheel
or

just
in
frontof
the
rear
wheel
.
See
Fig
.
1.

WARNING
-

"
When
raising
the
car
using
a
floor
jack
ora
hy-

draulic
lift,
carefully
position
the
jack
pad
topre-

vent
damaging
the
car
body
.
A
suitable
liner

(wood,
rubber,
etc
.)
should
be
placed
between
the
jack
and
the
car
to
prevent
body
damage
.

"
Watch
the
jack
closely
.
Make
sure
ft
stays
stable

and
does
not
shift
or
tilt
.
As
the
car
is
raised,
the
car
may
rol¡
slightly
and
the
jack
may
shift
.

Fig
.
1
.



3-Seriesjacking
points
(arrows)
.

Raising
car
safely

1
.
Park
car
on
flat,
leve¡
su
rface
.

2
.
Remove
the
round
cover
from
jack
mount
using
a

screwdriver
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

0013126

Fig
.
2
.



Jack
mount
cover
being
removed
from
rocker
panel
.

3
.
Place
jack
fully
into
position
.
See
Fig
.
3
.
Make
sure
jack

is
resting
on
flat,
solid
ground
.
Use
a
board
or
other
sup-

port
to
provide
a
firm
surface
for
the
jack,
if
necessary
.

4
.
Raisecar
slowly
while
constantly
checking
position
of

jack
and
car
.

5
.
Once
car
is
raised,
block
the
wheel
that
is
opposite
and

farthest
from
jackto
prevent
car
fromunexpectedly
roll-

ing
.

GET77NG
STARTER

If
steam
is
coming
from
the
engine
compartment
thenthere
is



With
the
engine
and
ignition
off,
check
for
loose
or
corroded
most
likely
a
burst
coolant
hose
or
a
large
leak
in
the
cooling



battery
cables
or
wires
at
the
battery
or
thealtemator
.
Discon-
system
.
To
find
the
leak,
look
for
signs
of
coolant
leakage
on



necting,
cleaning,
and
reinstalling
corroded
wires
and
connec-
hoses,
at
hose
connections,
or
on
the
radiator
.
Let
theengine



tors
may
solve
the
problem
.
Also
check
drive
belt
tension
as
cool
thoroughly,
then
add
coolant
or
water
to
fill
the
system
and



described
in
020
Maintenance
Program
.
start
the
engine
.
If
a
great
deal
of
water
or
coolant
flows
out
of
the
hole,
then
thecarshouldnot
be
driven
until
repairs
are
made
.
lf
there
is
slight
seepage,
then
it
may
be
possible
to
drive



TOWi
ng

a
short
distance,
adding
coolant
as
needed
.
The
cars
covered
by
this
manual
should
be
towed
witha
tow
truck
using
wheel
lift
or
flat
bed
equipment
.
Do
not
tow
thecar
on
all
four
wheels
except
for
very
short
distances
to
move
it
to
a
safe
place
.
If
thered
engine
oil
pressure
warning
light
illuminates,
imme-
diately
stop
thecar
and
turn
off
the
engine
.
Have
the
vehicle



A
towing
eye
is
provided
in
the
luggage
compartment
tool
kit
.
flat-bedded
or
towed
to
an
authorized
service
center
and
have



The
towing
eye
can
be
screwed
into
the
front
or
rear
bumper
.
the
engine
oil
pressure
checked
.



See
Fig
.
18
and
Fig
.
19
.

Low
Oil
Pressure

NOTE-

Detafed
information
on
checking
the
oil
pressure
is
covered
ín
119
Lubrication
System
.

Brake
Fluid
Leve¡

The
brake
fluid
leve¡
warning
light
may
bean
indicator
of
brake
fluid
loss
.
Problems
with
the
brakesystem
should
be
checked
and
repaired
immediately
.
See
340Brakes
for
more

information
.

Check
Engine
Warning
Light

Dim
Lights

FUNDAMENTALS
FOR
THE
DO-IT
YOURSELF
OWNER



010-13

If
the
"CHECK
ENGI
NE"
warning
light
comes
on
or
flashes,
it
indicates
that
an
emissions-related
fault
has
occurred
.
Faults
suchas
a
failed
oxygen
sensor
or
a
faultyfuelinjector
can
tum

the
light
on,
causing
the
exhaust
or
evaporative
emissions
to

exceed
a
specified
limit
.
The
engine
can
be
safely
driven
with

the
light
on,
although
the
emission
systems
should
be
checked

assoonas
possible
.
See
100
Engine-General
for
more
infor-

mation
on
the
Check
Engine
Light
and
the
On-board
diagnostic

system
.

Headlights
and
instrument
panel
illuminationthat
are
dim
or

gradually
getting
dimmer
generally
indicate
a
problem
with
the

battery
or
charging
system
.
The
battery
charge
indicator
light

may
come
on
as
the
lights
are
dimming
.
In
either
case,
theen-

gine
and
accessories
are
running
off
of
the
battery
alone,
and

will
soon
discharge
it
altogether
.

If
possible,
do
not
stop
the
engine
unless
you
have
the
capa-

bility
to
jump
start
¡t
.
There
may
not
be
enough
power
in
the

starting
system
torestart
the
engine
.
Instead,turn
off
as
many

electrical
consumers
as
possible
.
This
will
reduce
the
current

drain
and
will
allow
thecar
to
be
driven
farther
before
you
lose

all
battery
power
.

Fig
.
18
.
Pry
open
rear
tow
lúg
access
panel
.

When
towingthecar
from
the
front
with
the
rear
wheelson

the
ground,
a
maximum
distance
of
20
miles
is
acceptable
.
If

thecar
needs
to
be
towed
further,
have
the
rear
wheels
placed
on
dollies
.

CA
UTION-

"
Do
not
tow
with
sling-type
equipment
The
front
spoilers
andbumper
covers
may
sustain
dam-
age
.

"
Towínga
BMW
with
an
automatic
transmission
with
the
rear
wheelson
the
ground
can
resuft
in
transmission
damage
due
to
lackof
lubrication
and
should
be
avoided
.

0013128

EMERGENCIES

Tires,
checking
inflation
pressure



Brake
pad/rotor
wear,
checking

Correct
tire
pressuresare
important
to
handling
and
stability,



Al¡
E36
cars
are
fitted
withdisc
brakes
at
al¡
four
wheels
.
See
fuel
economy,
and
tire
wear
.
Tire
pressures
change
with
temper-



Fig
.
24
.
Although
thebrakesare
equipped
with
a
brake
pad
ature
.
Pressures
should
be
checked
often
during
seasonal
tem-



warning
system,
the
system
only
monitors
one
wheel
per
axle
.
perature
changes
.
Correct
inflation
pressures
canbe
found
on



It
is
recommended
that
pad
thickness
should
be
checked
the
driver's
door
pillar
and
in
the
owner's
manual
.
Note
that
tire



whenever
the
wheels
are
off
or
brakework
is
beggg
done
.
pressuresshould
be
higher
when
thecar
is
more
heavily
loaded
.

WARNING
-

Do
not
inflate
any
tire
to
a
higher
pressure
than
the
tiress
maximum
ínflation
pressure
listed
on
the
side-
wall
.
Use
cara
when
addlng
air
to
warm
tires
.
Warm
tire
pressures
can
increase
as
much
as4
psi
(0.3
bar)
over
their
cold
pressures
.

Tires,
rotating

BMW
does
not
recommend
tire
rotation
.
Due
to
the
cars
sus-
pension
design,
the
fronttires
begin
to
wear
first
at
the
outer

shoulder
and
the
rear
tires
begin
to
wear
first
at
themiddle
of

the
tread
or
inner
shoulder
.
Rotating
the
tires
may
adversely
af-

fect
roadhandling
and
tire
grip
.

NOTE-

The
main
purpose
of
tire
rotation
isto
promote
even
wear
and
maximum
tire
life
.
Tire
life
may
be
decreased
slightly
if
the
tires
are
not
rotated
.

Wheels,
aligning

Routine
maintenance
of
the
brake
system
includes
maintain-

ing
the
brake
fluid
in
the
reservoir,
checking
brakepads
for

wear,
checking
hand
brake
functíon,
and
inspecting
the
system

for
fluid
leaks
or
other
damage
.

Check
that
brake
hoses
are
correctly
routed
to
avoidchafing

or
kinkíng
.
Inspect
unions
and
brake
calipers
for
signs
of
fluid

leaks
.
Inspect
rigid
fines
for
corrosion,
dents,
or
other
damage
.

Inspect
flexible
hoses
for
cracking
.
Replace
faulty
hoses
or
lines
as
described
in
340Brakes
.

WARNING
-

Incorrect
installation
or
overtightening
hoses,
fines,

and
unions
may
cause
chafing
or
leakage
.
This
can
lead
to
partíal
or
completebrake
system
failure
.

MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM



020-
1
7

B323

Fig
.
24
.
Disc
brake
pad
wear
can
checked
through
opening
in
caliper
.

The
brake
caliper
should
be
unbolted
from
the
suspension

strut
to
properly
inspect
the
brake
pads
and
the
rotors
.
See
Fig
.

25
.
Brake
caliper
removal
and
installation
procedures
are
given
in
340
Brakes
.
BMW
recommends
checking
the
front
and
rear
alignment

once
a
year
and
whenever
new
tires
are
installed
.
See320

Steering
and
Wheel
Alignment
for
a
more
detailed
discus-

sion
of
alignment
requirements
and
specifications
.

Brake
Pad
Lining
Minimum
Thickness

(Dimension
A)

Brake
system,
inspecting



"
Front
and
reardisc
brake
pads
....
3
.0
mm
(0
.12
in)

Brake
fluid,
replacing

BMW
strictly
recommends
replacing
the
brake
fluid
every
two
years
.
This
will
help
protect
against
corrosion
and
the
ef-

fects
of
moisture
in
the
(luid
.
See340
Brakes
for
brake
fluid

flushing
procedures
.

Parking
brake,
checking

The
parking
brakesystem
is
independent
of
the
main
braking

system
and
may
requireperiodic
adjustment
dependingon
use
.
Adjust
the
parking
brake
if
the
brake
lever
can
be
pulled
up

more
than
8
clicks
.
Check
that
the
cable
moves
freely
.
A
de-

scription
of
the
parking
brake
and
parking
brake
adjustment

can
be
found
in
340Brakes
.

UNDER-CARMAINTENANCE

GENERAL
..
.
......
.
.
.
.....
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
200-1

Manual
Transmission
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.'
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
200-1

Automatic
Transmission
.........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
200-1

Transmission
ID
Codes
..........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
200-2

GENERAL

E36
models
areequipped
with
a
longitudinal
drivetrain
.
The

transmission
is
bolted
directly
to
the
rear
of
the
engine
.
A

driveshaft
connects
the
output
shaft
of
thetransmission
to
the

final
drive
.
The
final
drive
is
mounted
lo
the
rear
suspension

and
the
body
.
Individual
drive
axles
with
integrated
constant

velocity
joints
transfer
rotational
power
to
the
rear
wheels
.

Manual
Transmission

Due
to
different
power
characteristics
and
performance
re-

quirements,
four
different
manual
transmissions
are
used
in

the
models
coveredby
this
manual
.
Manual
transmission
ap-

plications
are
given
in
Table
a
.

TRANSMISSION-GENERAL
200-1

200
Transmission-General

TABLES

a
.
Manual
Transmission
Applications
..
...........
200-1
b
.
Automatic
Transmission
Applications
...........
200-1

Fig
.
1
.



ZF-manufacturedmanual
transmission
.

For
transmission
gear
ratio
information
and
repair
informa-

tion,
see
230
Manual
Transmission
.



Automatic
Transmission

E36
carswith
standard
transmission
use
a
single-disc
clutch
with
dual-mass
flywheel
.
For
further
information,
see
210
Clutch
.

Table
a
.
Manual
Transmission
Applications

Model
Year
Engine
Transmission
318ifisfC



1992-1995



M42



Getrag
S5D
200
G'

1996-1998



M44



Getrag
S5D
250
G

323is/iC



1998



M52



Getrag
S5D
250
G

325ifsriC



1992-1995



M50



Getrag
S5D
250
G

3281/isfC



1996-1998



M52



ZF
S5D320
Z

M3



1995



S50US



ZF
S5D310
Z

1996-1998



S52US



ZF
S5D320
Z

'The
1992
M42
engine
may
be
fitted
witheither
the
Getrag
SSD
200
G
trans-
mission
or
S5D
250
Getrag
.
The
S5D
200G
was
discontinued
in
production
in
as
of
9/92
.
Thistransmission
is
interchangeable
with
Getrag
S5D
250
G
.

Four
different
automatic
transmissions
are
used,
depend-

ing
on
model
and
model
year
and/or
production
date
.
All
of
the

automatic
transmissions
are
electrohydraulically
controlled

with
either
four
or
five
forward
speeds
.
Automatic
transmis-

sion
applications
are
given
in
Table
b
.

For
automatic
transmission
repair
information,
see
240Au-

tomatic
Transmission
.

Table
b
.
Automatic
Transmission
Applications

Model
1
Year
1
Engine
1
Transmission

318i1is/1C



1992-1995
~
M42
323isfiC



1998



M52



A4S
310
R
3251/is/1C
1992-1995
M50

3181/isfC



11996-1998



M44



A4S
270
R
328i/is/1C
1996-1998
M52

M3



1996-1998



S50US



I
A5S
310
Z
S52US

GENERAL

300-4



SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL

Three-channel
ABS
ís
used
on
al[
E36
cars
equipped
with



Al¡
Season
Traction
(AST)
standard
ABS
.
Each
front
wheelhas
a
separate
solenoid

valve
to
modulate
hydraulic
pressure
to
that
brake
caliper
.



The
traction
control
system
works
in
conjunction
with
ABS
The
rear
wheels
are
modulated
asa
pair,
controlled
by
a
sin-



and
the
engine
management
system
to
enhance
vehicle
con
gle
solenoid
valve
.



trol
.
The
main
function
of
the
AST
system
is
to
maintain
the
rolling

contact
between
the
tires
and
the
road
surface
under
al¡
driving
E36
cars
equipped
with
ABS/AST
utilize
a
four
channel
sys-



conditions
.
This
is
achieved
through
exact
application
and
tem,
which
functionsexactly
as
the
three
channelsystem



management
of
braking
and
drivetrain
forces
.
above,except
that
the
rear
wheels
are
modulated
individually
.

IDLE
SPEED
CONTROL
VALVE

HROTTLE
PLATE

6
.

Í
III

i



ADS
ACTU
AT
OR

THROTTLE
PLATE
POSITION
SENSOR

DME

Fig
.
6
.
All
Season
Traction
(AS)
works
withother
drivetrain
systems
to
enhance
vehicle
control
.

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

The
throttle
control
system
used
in
AST
is
illustrated
in
Fig
.

MASS
AIR
FLOW
SENSOR

JADS
THROTTLE
PLATE
POSITION
SENSOR

0013006

340-
1
0
BRAKES

PARKING
BRAKE

The
parking
brake
is
a
brake
drum
system
integrated
into
the
rear
brake
rotors
.
See
Fig
.
14
.

Adjustment
of
the
shoes
may
benecessary
compensate
for
wear
.
The
parking
brake
should
also
be
adjusted
any
time
the
cable,
the
rear
brake
rotor,
or
the
parking
brake
shoes
are
re-
placed
.

Lower
Parking
brake



Parking
brake



retum
shoe
actuator
spring

Fig
.
14
.
Parking
brake
shoeassembly
.

Parking
brake,
adjusting

2
.
Raise
rearof
car
.

PARKING
BRAKE

Shoe
retainer



Rotor
with
and
spring



integrated
parking
brake

Shoe



drum
I

adjuster



Upper
return
spring

-í
<~
:
:

Rotor
mounting
screw

WARNING
-

Make
sure
the
car
is
firmly
supported
on
jack
stands
designed
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jack
stands
be-
neatha
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not
placejack
stands
undersuspension
parts
.

0011265
3
.
Remove
one
lug
bolt
from
each
rear
wheel
.
Turnroad
wheel
until
lug
bolt
hole
lines
úp
with
parking
brake
ad-
juster
(approximately
65°
to
rear
of
wheel
centerline)
.
See
Fig
.
16
.

4
.
Usinga
screwdriver,
turn
adjusterto
expand
brake
shoes
until
road
wheel
canno
longer
turn,
then
back
adjuster
off
.
Repeatprocedureon
other
rear
wheel
.

Fig
.
15
.
Parking
brake
cable
adjustingnuts
(arrows)
.

The
parking
brake
can
be
adjusted
with
the
wheels
in-

stalled,
although
the
rear
wheels
will
have
to
be
raised
off
the



1



f
l



i\
aground
.

1
.
Lift
parking
brake
lever
boot
out
of
console
.
While
hold-
ing
cables
stationary,
loosen
parking
brake
cable
nuts
until
cablesare
completely
slack
.
See
Fig
.
15
.

0011263
0012727

Fig
.
16
.
Access
parking
brake
shoe
adjuster
approxímately
65°
to
rear
of
vertical
.
Use
flat-bladed
screwdriver
to
turnadjuster
.
On
left
wheel,
turn
adjuster
in
direction
1
to
expand
shoes
.
On
ríght
wheel,
turn
adjuster
in
direction
2
to
expand
shoes
.

Parking
Brake
Adjusting
(initial)

"
Back
off
adjuster
through
wheel
lug
bolt
hole
ex
.
M3
models
.........
..
...
...
.
...
.
18notches
M3
models
............
.
.....
..
..
..
.
.
8notches
5
.
Working
inside
car,
set
parking
brake
several
times
to
seat
cable
.
Then
pull
parking
brake
lever
up
four
notch-
es
.
Tighten
cable
adjusting
nuts
until
it
is
just
possible
to
turnrear
wheels
with
slight
resistance
.

6
.
Release
lever
and
make
sure
rear
wheels
turn
freely
.

400-
4
BODY-GENERAL

INTERIOR
EQUIPMENT

E36
interiors
have
a
unique
character,
with
a
combínation
of
sporty
features
and
innovative
design
.
Al¡
body
versions
were
made
in
a
wide
choice
of
interior
and
exterior
colors
.
New

colors
with
matching
leather
and/or
fabric
upholstery
were
in-
troduced
for
each
model
year,
including
light-alloy
wheels
in
new
designs
.

Driving
comfort
is
enhanced
by
power
steering,
tilt
steering
wheel
(optional),
height-adjustable
front
seats,
and
electrical-
ly
adjustable
and
heated
rear-view
mirrors
.
Inside
thecar
there
are
reading
lights
at
four
seating
positions
.

Seats
and
Seat
Belts



NOTE-

Theseat
base
usedon
cars
with
pyrotechnic
seatbelt

Anatom¡cal
ly-correct
seats
are
constructed
from
polyure-



tensioners
is
not
interchangeable
with
the
earlier
seat

thane
foam
containing
areas
or
"zones"
of
different
firmness
.



base
.

The
seat
bases
have
steel
springs
for
added
support
and
strength
.
The
power
seats
are
provided
with
conveniently
lo-



Instruments
and
Controls
cated
switches
along
the
outside
edge
of
the
seat
.
Heated
seats
are
an
option
in
all
models
.
See
520
Seats
for
more
de-



Everything
in
the
interior
passenger
compartment
essential
tails
.



to
the
driver
is
logically
grouped
and
easy
to
reach
.
Al¡
instru-
ments
and
controls
havebeen
arranged
ergonomically
and
The
M3
sport
seat
is
shown
in
Fig
.
3
.



are
fully
integrated
into
the
overall
design
of
the
vehicle
.

Fig
.
3
.



M3
sport
seat
.

INTERIOR
EQUIPMENT

0013195

The
early
E36
cars
areequipped
with
a
single
(driver
side)
airbag
in
the
steering
wheel
.
Startingwith
the
1994
models,
a
dual
airbag
Supplemental
Restraint
System
has
been
stan-
dard
equipment
.
Side-impact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
are
op-
tional
in
1997
4-door
cars
and
standard
equipment
in
all
1998
models
.

Through
1996,
E36
seatbelts
were
equipped
with
BMW's
original-designspring
tensioners
.
In
1997,
the
seat
base
de-
sign
was
modified
to
accommodate
a
pyrotechnic
(explosive
charge)
seatbelt
tensioner
.
Both
types
of
tensioners
arede-
signed
to
automatically
tension
the
belts
by
about2
inches(55
mm)
in
the
event
of
a
collision
.

The
padded
dashboard
houses
the
instrument
cluster
and
the
ventilation
and
heating
system
.
The
instrument
cluster
uses
large
easy-to-read
analog
instruments
and
is
removable
as
a
unit
without
removing
the
dashboard
.
The
Service
Inter-
val
Indicator
(SII)
will
remind
the
driver
when
thecar
requires
service
.
See
620
Instruments
.

The
Multi-Information
Display
(MID)
unit
in
thecenter
of
the
dashboard
comes
in
a
variety
of
four
configurations,
the
most
advanced
being
the
On-Board
Computer
(OBC)
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Al¡
versions
of
the
MID
have
a
clock
and
calendar
.
In
addi-
tion,
different
versions
areequipped
with
a
"check
control,"

display
for
fuel-economy
information
and
system
warnings
.
Consult
the
owner's
manual
for
fui¡
operating
instructions
.