tailgate BMW 528i 1997 E39 Workshop Manual
Page 3 of 1002
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YOU are now in Volume I 
I 
Foreword ................... .. ........................................................................\
.......... v 
Index 
........................ .. ................................................................ rear  of manual 
General, 001 General Warnings and Cautions 002 Vehicle Identification and VIN Decoder 
Maintenance OiO 020 Maintenance 
Engine 
100 Engine-General 110 Engine Removal  and Installation 
113 Cylinder Head Removal  and 
Installation 
116 Cyiinder  Head and  Valvetrain 117 Camshaft Timing Chain 
119 Lubrication System 
200 Transmission-General 
2 Transmission 210 clutch 230 ManualTransmission 
I20 Ignition System 
121 Battery, Starter, Alternator 
130 Fuel Injection 
160 Fuel Tank and Fuel Pump 170 Radiator  and Cooling System 
180 Exhaust System 
240 Automatic Transmission 
250 Gearshift Linkage 260 Driveshaft 
Suspension, 300 Suspension, Steering and 330 Rear  Suspension 
Brakes-General 331 Final Drive 
Steering and No Front Suspension 340 Brakes 
320 Steering and Wheel Alignment 
400 Body-General 
410 Fenders, Engine  Hood 411 Doors 
412 Trunk Lid, Tailgate 
510 Exterior Trim, Bumpers 512 Door Windows 
Equipment 513 Interior  Trim 
7 
Equipment and 720 seat Belts 
Accessories 721 Airbag System (SRS) 
OBD On-Board  Diagnostics 
. ............ .. 
515 Central Lociting and 
Anti-Theft 
520 Seats 540 Sunroof 
.................................................................... Foreword .............................. .. v 
Index ................... .. ................................................................ rear  of manual 
Electrical 
6 system 
600 Electrical System-General 620 Instruments 
610 Electrical Comoonent Locations 630 Liohts 
611 wipers and washers 612 Switches  eati in^ and  Air Conditioning 
Radio 
. ........... ........ ......................... 
Electrical Wiring Diagrams    
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400 Body-General 
........................ General ........................... .40 0.2  Roof paddin~ 400-7 
Body Assembly ................... .40 0.2 
Body dimensions (in inches) 
............ .40  0.2 
Bodyshell 
........................... 400-3 
Exterior  and aerodynamics 
............. .40 0.3 
Sport Wagon ...................... .40 0.4 
Tailgate 
............................ .40  0.5 
Tailgate lock  system 
.................. .40 0.5 
Rear wiper  system ................... .40 0.6 
Antenna  and sound system ............ .40 0.6 
Safety  and Security  Features ....... .40 0.7 
Safety cage 
......................... .40  0.7 
Door  locks  and door  handles 
........... .40 0.7 
. 
........................... Seat belts  400-7 
Airbags ............................ 400-8 
Battery safety terminal (BST) 
........... 400-9 
Security 
............................ 400-9 
Interior  Features ................... 400-9 
............................. Seats 400-10 
Instruments and controls .............. 400-10 
Central body  electronics 
.............. 400-1 1 
Heating and Air 
Conditioning (IHKA) 
............... 400-12    
Page 799 of 1002
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400-5 
Body-General 
Tailgate 
The E39 Sporl Wagon tailgate is large with a low sill  for easy 
cargo loading.  The tailgate opens to  an angle  of 
88" mea- 
sured from the  rear roof pillar (D-pillar)  and to a height  of 
2029 
mm (79.8 in) measured  from the ground  to the upper edge  of 
the  raised tailgate. 
The  rear window is  bonded to a load  bearing  frame and can 
be  opened separately  from the main  tailgate.  Tailgatesupport 
gas springs  are recessed into cavities  in the roof. 
Tailgate  lock system 
A mechanical tailgate lock cylinder is not  used; the tailgate is 
opened  by the unlock  pad above the license plate,  the remote 
tailgate  switch located  in the drivers kick panel, or via 
FZV 
(Iteyless entry) control. 
4 An emergency  release mechanism is incorporated  into the 
latch assembly  to open  the hatch from  the vehicle interior  if a 
malfunction occurs. 
The  tailgate lock assembly includes  an automatic soft close 
(SCA) feature.  The electrical operation  of SCA  is a function  of 
central  body electronics 
(ZKE Ill). The SCA actuator  is locat- 
ed  in the  rear cowl  panel below  the tailgate.  The actuator is 
controlled by  a load relay in the  General Module.  A locking 
cam  is mounted  on an eccentric that is driven by  the actuator. 
4 The  SCA cam always turns  in the same  direction to open  or 
close the  tailgate. The cam  turns 
180" to open  or to close. 
When the cam turns  in the up direction the notch  in the  cam 
SCA actuator pushes  on a lever  on the  back of the  latch in the tailgate.  This 
mechanically unlocks the latch.  The tailgate is raised  up and 
can be  opened.    
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41 2 Trunk Lid. Tailgate 
........................... General 
......................... Trunk  Lid 
Trunlc lid. removing and installing ........ 
Trunk  lid. adjusting ................... 
Trunk  lid support strut. 
removing and installing 
................ 
Tailgate  (Sport Wagon  Models) ..... 
Tailgate.  emergency release ........... 
Tailgate and window  strut diagram ....... 
Window strut  removal diagram .......... 412-8 
Rear  window  gas strut. 
removing and installing 
................ 412-9 
Tailgate gas strut.  removing and installing 
............... 412-10 
Tailgate. removing  and installing 
........ 412-1 1 
Rear  window. removing  and installing 
.... 412-12 
Rear  window and  tailgate.  alignment 
..... 412-13    
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41 2-2 
Trunk Lid, Tailgate 
This repair group covers trunk lid and tailgate removal and in- 
stallation. Also included here  are replacement  proceduresfor 
the gas-charged support struts  that hold the trunk lid or tail- 
gate  in the open position. 
NO JE - 
The  body  is painted at  the factory  after assembly.  Realign- 
ment  of body  panels  may expose  unpainted  metal. Paint  all 
exposed  metal once the 
work is complete. 
Trunk  lid, removing and installing 
4 Raise trunlc lid. 
Open  tool ltit cover  and remove  screws attaching tool  kit to 
trunlc lid  (black arrows). 
Disconnect tool ltit  cover retaining  strap from 
trunk lid and 
remove  tool kit. 
Remove  insulating liner  expansion  rivets  (white arrows). 
4 Pry out moulded trim  cover (arrow).    
Page 831 of 1002
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Trunk Lid, Tailgate 
4 Pry out trunk  light and disconnect electrical  harness plug 
connector. 
- Gently  pry trunk  liner  away from  lid  and remove. 
4 Disconnect  Wiring connectors A, B and C. Remove wiring 
harness  by pulling through  opening  in lid  frame 
D. 
While  supporting  trunk lid, loosen left and right top hinge  fas- 
teners  (arrow 
A) and remove lower fasteners  (arrow B). 
NOTE- 
Before loosening  hinge bolts, mark hinge  and hinge  bolt lo- 
cations  for 
reins~alla~on 
Lift trunk  lid straight  up to remove. 
Installation  is reverse  of removal.  If necessary, align trunk lid 
to body  as described  in 
Trunk lid, adjusting.    
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/~runk Lid, Tailgate 
Trunk lid, adjusting 
< Trunk lid must  be parallel  to both  side panels  and should  be 
mounted flush  with  body side panels 
(arrows). Lid fit toler- 
ance  is 
rt 1 mm (0.04 in). 
- Raise trunlc lid and  support in open  position. 
Turn  trunk  lid detent buffers  in 
4 Remove trunlc strut  retaining clip (arrow) and disconnect 
struts. 
WARNING- 
Make sure to suppori trunk lid before removing  struts.    
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. .- - 
l~runk Lid, Tailgate 
Trunk lid support  strut, removing and 
installing 
/ Make sure to supporf trunk lid before removing  struts. I 
Open trunk lid and support in  open position. 
Remove trunk  strut  retaining clip 
(arrow) and disconnect 
struts. 
4 Remove  spring clip (arrow) from  lower  end of strut and  re- 
move strut. 
- Installation is reverse  of removal. Replace retaining clips 
damaged during  removal. 
Tailgate, emergency  release 
The tailgate  of the E39 Sport Wagon has  no ltey cylinder. An 
emergency release mechanism  is incorporated into the tail- 
gate latch.  This allows mechanical opening  of the latch  in 
case  of an  electrical failure.  The release is located  in the rear 
cargo area, along  the lower edge  of the  rear apron  behind a 
small  access cover. 
Working  inside car, at base  of tailgate: 
Open  tool compartment  cover. 
Pry out emergency  release cable  cover. 
Pull  plastic cable  to release rear tailgate latch    
Page 835 of 1002
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r Trunk Lid, Tailgate 
Tailgate and window  strut 
diagram 
1. Rear window  frame 
2. Gas struts  for tailgate 
3. Gas struts for rear window 
4. Rear window  frame    
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41 2-8 
l~runk Lid, Tailgate Window strut removal 
diagram 
1.  Rear window 
2.  Rear window gas strut 
3. Inner strut support 
4. Tailgate  gas strut 
5.  Area  to install protective tape 
6. BMW  special tool 51  2 153 
7. BMW  special tool 51  2 152