wheel size BMW 318i 1997 E36 Workshop Manual

Valves

Valve
specifications
are
listed
in
Table
d
.
Remove
carbon

deposits
from
thevalves
using
a
wire
brush
or
wire
wheel
.

Specification



M42
engine



M42IM44
engines



M50
engine



M50,
M52
engines



S50
USIS52
US
(1992)



(1993-1998)



(1992)



(1993-1998)



I
engine
(1995-1998)

Valve
head
dia
.
Intake



133
.0
mm
(1
.299
in)



133
.0
mm
(1
.299
in)



33
.0
mm
(1
.299
in)



33
.0
mm
(1
.299
in)



130
.0
mm
(1
.181
in)
Exhaust



30
.5
mm
(1
.201
in)



30
.5
mm
(1
.201
in)



30
.5
mm
(1
.201
in)



~
30
.5
mm
(1
.201
in)



27
.0
mm
(1
.063
in)

Valve
stem
dia
.
Standard
Intake



6
.975-0
.015
mm



5
.975-0
.015
mm



6
.975-0
.015
mm



5
.975-0
.015
mm



5
.975-0015
mm
(0
.2746-00006
in)



(0
.2352-00006
in)



(0
.2746-00006
in)



(0
.2352-00006
in)



(0
.2352
-
00006
in)
Exhaust



6
.960-0015
mm



5
.960-0
.015
mm



6
.960
--0
.015
mm



5
.960
-0
.015
mm



5
.960-0
.015
mm
(0
.2740-00006
in)



(0
.2345-0
.0006
in)



(0
.2740--0
.0006
in)



(0
.2345-0
.0006
in)



(0
.2345-0
.0006
in)

Intake



7
.075-0
.015
mm



6
.075-0
.015
mm



7
.075-0
.015
mm



6
.075-0
.015
mm



6
.075-0
.015
mm
(0
.2785-00006
in)



(0
.2392-0
.0006
in)



(0
.2785-00006
in)



(0
.2392
-
00006
in)



(0
.2392-00006
in)
Exhaust



7
.060-0015
mm



6
.060-0015
mm



7
.060-0
.015
mm



6
.060-0015
mm



6
.060-0015
mm
(0
.
2779-0
.0006
in)



(0
.2386-00006
in)



(0
.2779-00006
in)



(0
.2386-00006
in)



(0
.2386-00006
in)

Oversize
2
Intake



7
.175-0
.015
mm



6
.175-0
.015
mm



7
.175-0
.015
mm



6
.175-0
.015
mm



6
.175-0
.015
mm
(0
.2825-00006
in)



(0
.2431-00006
in)



(0
.2825-00006
in)



(0
.2431--0
.0006
in)



(0
.2431-00006
in)
Exhaust



7
.160-0015
mm



6
.160-0015
mm



7
.160-0
.015
mm



6
.160-0015
mm



6
.160-0-015
mm
(0
.2819
-
00006
i
n
)



(0
.2425-00006
in)



(0
.2819-00006
in)



(0
.2425-00006
in)



(0
.2425-00006
in)

Valves,
leak
test
NOTE-

BMW
speclal
tools
are
available
to
remove
the
valve
To
test
thevalves
for
leakage,
the
camshafts
and
camshaft



stem
oil
seals
.
As
an
alternative,
standard
valvesea¡

carriers
(where
applicable)
should
first
be
removed
.
Instali
the



removal
tools
are
available
from
most
automotive
parts

valve
assemblies
and
the
spark
plugs
in
each
cylinder
.
Place



stores
.
See
Flg
.
17
.

the
cylinder
head
on
a
workbench
with
the
combustion
cham-

ber
facing
upward
.
Fill
each
combustion
chamber
with
a
thin

non-flammable
liquid,
suchas
a
parts
cleaning
fluid
.
After
fif-

teenminutes,
check
the
leve¡
of
the
fluid
.
If
the
fluid
level
in
any

cylinder
drops,
thatcylinder
is
not
sealing
properly
.

Valve
Stem
Oil
Seals

The
purpose
of
the
valve
stem
oil
sea¡
is
to
prevent
excess

oil
from
entering
the
combustion
chamber
.
The
sign
offautty

valve
stem
oil
seals
is
excessive
oil
consumption
and
smoke

from
the
exhaust
immediately
after
starting
and
during
decel-

erat¡on

NOTE-

Valve
stem
oil
seals
should
not
be
reused
.
ff
valves
are

removed,
new
valve
stem
oil
seals
should
be
installed
.

Valve
stem
oil
sea¡
replacement
requires
that
the
cylinder

head
be
disassembled
and
thevalves
removed
as
described

above
under
Valves,
removing
and
installing
.

CYLINDER
HEAD
AND
VALVETRAIN



116-
11

Table
d
.
Valve
Specifications

Fig
.
17
.
Valve
stem
oil
sea¡
being
removed
from
valve
guide
.

Lubricate
the
new
seals
and
insta¡]
them
using
hand
pres-

sure
only
.
Be
sure
to
install
the
valve
spring
seat(s)
before
in-

stalling
the
sea¡
.

CYLINDER
HEAD
AND
VALVETRAIN,
RECONDITIONING

300-2



SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL

Steering

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

The
steering
linkage
connects
the
rack-and-pinion
unit
through
tie
rodsto
the
steering
arms
.
The
tie
rod
ends
allow
the
wheels
to
pivot
and
react
to
suspension
travel
.

Rear
Suspension

The
rear
axle
carrier
is
the
main
mounting
point
for
the
final

drive
housing
and
the
rear
suspension
components
.

Trailing
arms
locatethe
rear
wheels
and
anchorthe
springs,

shocks
and
stabilizer
bar
.
Driveaxies
with
constant-velocity

(CV)
joints
at
both
ends
transfer
power
from
the
differential
to

the
road
wheels
.
The
differential
is
mounted
to
the
rearaxle

carrier
through
rubber
mountsand
bushings
to
hele
isolate

drivetrain
noise
and
vibration
.

Brakes

E36
cars
areequipped
with
power
disc
brakes
with
an
inte-
gral
antilock
brakes
(ABS)
.
The
parking
brake
is
a
dual-drum

system
integrated
with
the
rear
brake
rotors
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

Power
assist
is
provided
by
a
vacuum
booster
when
the
en-

gine
is
running
.
The
brakepedal
pushrod
is
connected
directly

to
the
master
cylinder,
so
failure
of
the
vacuum
booster
does

not
normally
result
in
total
brake
failure
.

0012124



Each
disc
brakeuses
a
caliper
with
a
single
hydraulic
cylin-
Fig
.
2
.



Front
suspension
control
arm
(arrow)
.



der
.
Brake
pads
in
the
left
front
and
right
rear
contain
wear

sensors
.
When
the
padsneed
replacement,the
sensors
illu-
The
front
suspension
is
designed
with
minimum
positive



minate
a
light
on
the
dashboard
.
steering
offset
.
This
geometry
contributes
to
stability
when

traction
is
unequalfrom
side
to
side
.
Suspension
travel
is
lim-



Tires
and
Wheels
ited
by
rubber
bump
stops
.

The
three
point
mounting
of
each
L-shaped
control
arm
ere-



Tiresize
is
critica¡
to
the
proper
operatíon
of
the
E36
ABS
or

cisely
controls
the
front-to-rear
and
side-to-side
position
of
the



ABS/AST
system
.
Severa¡
different
styles
of
wheels,
in
15,16

strut,
while
the
flexibility
of
the
joints
and
mounts
alsoallows



and
17
inch
diameters,
are
available
from
an
authorized
BMW

the
movement
necessary
for
suspension
travel
.
The
control



dealer
.

arm
mounting
points
are
designed
with
anti-dive
geometry
.

The
suspension
reduces
the
normaltendency
for
the
front
of



NOTE-
the
vehicle
to
dive
under
hard
braking
.



Aftermarket
wheelsshould
be
selected
wlth
care
.
Im-
properly
fitted
wheels
can
contact
anddamage
sus

Control
arm
position
is
fixed,
with
no
adjustment
provisions



pension,
brakeorbodycomponentsandmayadversely

on
the
control
arms
for
alter¡ng
front
wheel
al
ignment
.
A
stabi-



affect
vehicle
stability
.

lizer
bar
mounted
to
both
control
arms
heles
to
reduce
body
rol¡
whencomering
.



INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

Antilock
Brake
System
(ABS)
is
standard
on
all
E36
cars
.

The
variable-assist
power
steering
system
consists
of
an



Standard
on
some
models
and
installed
as
optional
equipment
on

engine-driven
hydraulic
pump,
a
rack-and-pinion
type
steer-



others,
is
All
Season
Traction
(AST)
.

ing
gear,
and
connecting
linkage
to
the
road
wheels
.
TheE36
utilizes
an
engine-speed
dependent
variable
effort
steering



Antilock
Brake
System
(ABS)

system
.
At
low
speeds,
maximum
power
assist
is
provided
to
ease
parking
and
city
driving
.
Athigh
speeds,
assist
is
re-



The
electronically-controlled
ABS
maintains
vehícle
stabili
duced
to
ensure
stability
.



ty
and
control
during
emergency
braking
by
preventing
wheel
lock-up
.
ABS
provides
optimum
deceleration
and
stability
dur-

increased
power
output
and
road-handling
demands
.

The
steering
geometry
is
modified
by
changing
the
cast-

er/camber
angles
slightly
.
This
is
accomplishedby
reposition-

ing
the
upper
strut
mounting
holes
in
the
frontstrut
towers
and

through
different
front
and
rear
control
arms
.

M3
Brake
System
Improvements

"
Vented
directionalfront
rotors
:
315
mm
dia
.
x
28
mm
thick
.

"
Vented
directional
rear

rotors
:
312
mm
dia
.
x20
mm
thick
.

"
Larger
brake
pads
and
calipers
.

"
Modified
Teves
ABS
system
.

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL



300-
7

M3
SUSPENSION
AND
BRAKES



NOTE-

M3
brake
rotors
are
directional,
having
a
different
part

TheE36
M3
was
introduced
in
late
1994
as
a
1995
model
.



number
for
each
side
.
Rotors
with
an
odd
part
number

The
design
of
the
M3
suspension,
steering
and
brakes
is
a



go
on
the
left
while
rotors
with
en
even
part
numbergo

modification
of
existing
E36
systems
which
accommodates



on
the
right
.

M3
Front
SuspensionImprovements

"
Reinforced
spring
plates,control
arms,
control
arm
bush-

ings,
steering
arms
.

"
Recalibrated
struts,
firmer
springs
.

"
Stiffer
stabilizerbar,
larger
stabilizer
bar
bushings
.

"
Front
stabilizer
linked
to
struts
.

M3
Wheels/Tires

"
Front
wheels
1992-1998
:.....
7
.5J
x
17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Rear
wheel
1992-1997
.......
7
.5J
x17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Rear
wheel
(option)
........
.8
.5
Jx17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Front
and
rear
tire

1992-1997
.............
.
.
.
...
...
235/40
x
17
in
.

"
Front
tire
1998
only
......
...
.
.
.
...
225/45
x
17
in
.

"
Rear
tire
1998
only
.......
.
.
.
...
...
245/40
x
17
in
.

CAUTION-

In
en
emergency,
an
M3
front
wheel/tire
assembly
may
be
mounted
on
the
rearaxle
.
However
a
rear
wheel/tire
assemblymust
not
be
mounted
on
the
front
axle
.

M3
RearSuspensionImprovements

"
Reinforced
trailing
arms
.

"
Recalibrated
shock
absorbers,
firmer
springs
.



SUSPENSION
AND
STEERING

TROUBLESHOOTING

Stable
handling
and
ride
comfort
both
depend
on
the
integ-

rity
of
the
suspension
and
steering
components
.
Any
symp-

tom
of
instability
or
imprecise
road
feel
may
be
caused
by

worn
or
damaged
suspension
components
.

When
troubleshooting
suspension
and
steering
problems,

also
consider
the
condition
of
tires,
wheels,
and
their
align-

ment
.
Tire
wear
and
incorrect
inflation
pressures
can
dramati-

cally
affect
handling
.
Subtie
irregularities
in
wheel
alignment

angles
also
affect
stabílity
.
Mixing
different
types
or
sizes
of

tires,
particularly
on
the
same
axle,
can
affect
alignment
and

may
unbalancea
car's
handling
.

Table
b
lists
the
symptoms
of
common
suspension
and

steering
problems
and
their
probable
causes,
and
suggests

corrective
actions
.
Bold
type
indicates
the
repair
groups

where
applicable
test
and
repair
procedures
can
befound
.

SUSPENSION
AND
STEERING
TROUBLESHOOTING

Fig
.
6
.



Ride
height
measurement
(A)
is
taken
from
centerof
wheel
archto
bottom
of
wheel
rim
.

Normal
loaded
position

"
Each
front
seat
...
...
.
..
..........
68Kg
(150
Ibs)

"
Rear
seat
(center)
...
.
.
...........
68Kg
(150
Ibs)

"
Trunk
..........
...
.
.
...........
.21
Kg
(46
lbs)

"
Fuel
tank
...
.
..
....
.
.
....................
.fuf

Tablea
.
Front
RideHeight
Specifications

318,323,325,
Wheel
size



M3
models
328
models

15
inch
std
.
suspension



576
mm
(22.67
in)



1555
mm
(21.85
in)
sport
suspension



~
561
mm
(22.09
in)



530
mm
(20
.87
in)

16
inch
std
.
suspension



589
mm
(23.19
in)



1570
mm
(22
.44
in)
sport
suspensíon



~
574
mm
(23.52
in)



545
mm
(21.46
in)

17
inch
std
.
suspension



604
mm
(23.77
in)



585
mm
(23
.03
in)
sport
suspension



~
589
mm
(23.19
in)



~
560
mm
(22
.05
in)

Maximum
variation
between
sides
:
10
mm
(0.4in)
Maximum
deviation
from
specifications
:
10
mm
(0
.4in)

FRONT
SUSPENSION



310-
5

CONTROL
ARMS

On
al¡
models
except
Mas,
theouter
mounting
bushing
and
theouter
ball
joint
on
the
control
arm
are
available
as
replace-

ment
parts
.
If
the
control
arm
center
ball
joint
is
worn,
the
com-

plete
control
arm
will
need
to
be
replaced
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

Fig
.
7
.



Control
arm
.
Outer
ball
joint
and
bushing
are
available
as
re-
placement
parts
(except
M3)
.
Center
ball
joint
is
integral
with
control
arm
.

Special
press
tools
are
requiredto
remove
the
control
arms

and
to
replace
the
control
arm
bushings
.
Read
the
procedure

through
before
beginning
the
job
.

Control
arm,
removing
and
installing

1
.
Raise
car
and
remove
wheel
.

WARNING-

Make
sure
that
thecar
is
firmly
supportedon
jack
standsdesigned
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jack
stands
beneath
a
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not
place
jack
stands
undersuspension
parts
.

2
.
Remove
stabilizer
bar
link
mounting
nut
and
separate

link
from
control
arm
as
described
later
in
this
repair

group
.

NOTE-

On
M3
models,
the
stabilizer
bar
link
attaches
to
the

strut
.

CONTROL
ARMS

GENERAL
.......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.......
.
...
.330-1



CV
boot,
replacing
........
.
.
.
.........
.
.330-8

RIDE
HEIGHT
....
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
330-1



REAR
SUSPENSION
ARMS
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
330-9

Trailing
arm,
removing
and
installing
.
.
.
....
330-10

SHOCK
ABSORBERS
AND
SPRINGS
.
.
.
330-2



Trailing
arm
bushing,
replacing
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
..
330-11

Rear
shock
absorber,
removing
and
installing
330-3



Upper
control
arm,
removing
and
installing
.
.330-12

Coil
spring,
removing
and
installing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
330-4



Lower
control
arm,
removing
and
installing
.
.330-12

REAR
WHEEL
BEARINGS
....
.
...
.
.
.
..
330-4

Rear
wheel
bearing,
replacing
.......
.
....
330-5



Final
drive
carrier,
removing
and
installing
.
.330-12

DRIVE
AXLES
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.............
330-6



TABLE
a
.
Rear
Ride
Height
Specifications
..
.
............
330-1
Drive
axle,
removing
and
installing
.........
330-6

GENERAL

Special
service
tools
are
required
for
some
of
the
work
de-
scribed
in
this
repair
group
.
Read
the
procedures
through
be-
fore
beginning
any
job
.

NOTE
-

A
general
description
of
the
rear
suspension
and
a
troubleshooting
guide
can
be
found
in
300
Suspen-
sion,
Steering
and
Brakes-General
.

RIDE
HEIGHT

Rear
suspension
ride
height
is
controlled
by
the
rear

springs
.
If
the
rear
ride
height
is
not
within
the
specifications

listed,
the
rear
springs
should
be
replaced
.

Ride
height
is
measured
from
the
lower
edge
of
the
wheel

arch
to
the
bottom
edge
of
the
wheel
rim
.
See
Fig
.
1
.

Table
a
lists
rear
suspension
ride
height
specifications
.



ooy

98
These
specifications
apply
to
a
car
in
a
normally
loaded
posi-

tion
.
When
checking
ride
heightor
installing
suspension
com-



Fig
.
1
.



Ride
height
measurement
(A)
is
taken
from
center
of
wheel

ponents,
load
the
caras
follows
:



archto
bottom
of
wheel
rim
.

Normal
loaded
position

"
Each
front
seat
..
...
.
.
.............
68kg
(150
lb)

"
Rear
seat
(center)
..
.
.
.............
68
kg
(150
lb)

"
Trunk
.........
.
.
.
.
.
..............
21kg
(46
lb)

"
Fue¡
tank



.....



.
..



.
.
.
................



.



..
..
.
full

NOTE-

M3
ride
height
is
measured
with
the
car
unladen
.

330
Rear
Suspension

REAR
SUSPENSION



330-1

FINAL
DRIVE
CARRIER
.
.......
.
.
.
.
.
..
330-12

Table
a
.
Rear
RideHeight
Specifications

Wheel
size



318,323,325,



M3
modeis
328
modeis

15
inch
std
.
suspension



518
mm
(20
.39
in)
sport
suspension



~
507
mm
(19
.96
in)

16
inch
std
.
suspension



531
mm
(20
.91
in)
sport
suspension



~
520
mm
(20
.47
in)

Continued

RIDE
HEIGHT

330-2



REAR
SUSPENSION

Table
a
.
Rear
RideHeight
Specifications

Wheel
size



318,323,
325,



M3
modeis
328
modeis

17inch
std
.
suspension



546
mm
(21.69
in)
sport
suspension



~
535
mm
(21.06
in)



1
540
mm
(21
.26
in)

Maximum
variation
between
sides
:
10
mm
(0
.4in)
Maximum
deviation
from
specifications
:
10
mm
(0
.4in)

SHOCK
ABSORBERS
AND
SPRINGS

The
BMW
E36
independent
rear
suspension
is
shown
in

Fig
.
2
.
Refer
tothis
illustration
while
performing
repairs
on

components
covered
in
this
repair
group
.

NOTE-

Shock
absorbers
andlor
springs
shouldalways
be
re-
placed
in
pairs

i

Stabilizer
bar
link

Trailing

arm
-

bushing

Fig
.
2
.



BMW
E36
rear
suspension
.

SHOCK
ABSORBERS
AND
SPRINGS

Lower
control
arm

Trailing
arm

front
bracket

WARNING
-

"
Do
not
reuse
self-locking
nuts
.
They
arede-

signed
to
beused
only
once
and
may
fail
if
re-

used
.
Always
replace
them
with
new
self-locking

nuts
.

"
Personal
injury
may
result
if
procedures
de-
scribed
here
are
undertaken
without
the
proper
service
tools
and
equipment
.
Be
sure
to
have
the
right
tools
onhand
before
beginning
the
job
.

"
Do
not
install
bolts
and
nuts
coated
with
under-
coating
wax,
as
correct
tightening
torque
cannot

be
assured
.
Always
clean
the
threads
with
sol-

vent
before
installation,
or
ínstall
new
parts
.
"
Do
not
attempt
to
weld
or
straighten
any
suspen-
sion
components
.
Replace
damaged
parts
.