technical data BMW CONVERTIBLE 1998 Manual PDF

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The battery is located behind the right-
side trim panel in the luggage compart-
ment. A separate positive terminal in
the engine compartment is available for
jump-starting (also refer to page 153).
Only certain battery types may be used
on the BMW convertible. Consult your
BMW Retailer for details.
The battery is maintenance-free, mean-
ing that the electrolyte will normally last
for the life of the battery.
Should the electrolyte drop to below
the minimum level - e.g., during extend-
ed operation in hot climates - add dis-
tilled water (no acid!).
Electrolyte level: Up to the "MAX" mark
on the outside of the battery in each
cell, approx. 0.2 inches (5 mm) above
the top of the plates.
Keep the top of the battery clean and
dry.
SymbolsYou will find the following symbols on
your car battery. To avoid injury, please
observe the corresponding precautions
whenever you work with or near the
battery.

360de125
Before working with the battery,
read the following:
R
Wear eye protection. Avoid let-
ting acid or lead particles come
into contact with your eyes, your
skin or your clothing.
S
Battery acid is extremely corro-
sive. Wear eye protection and
protective gloves. Do not tilt the
battery; acid could emerge from the
ventilation openings.
T
Ensure that children keep well
away from batteries and battery
acid.
U
Never allow sparks or open
ßame, and do not smoke in the
vicinity of the battery. Avoid
sparks from electrical cables and
equipment. Never short-circuit the bat-
tery terminals. There is a danger of
injury from powerful sparks.
V
A highly-explosive gas is gener-
ated when the battery is
charged.
W
If you happen to get acid in your
eyes, rinse thoroughly for sev-
eral minutes with clear water.
Then consult a physician immediately. If
you get acid spray on your skin or cloth-
ing, apply soap immediately to neutral-
ize the acid, then rinse with plenty of
water. If electrolyte is accidentally
ingested, consult a physician immedi-
ately.
X
To protect the casing against
ultraviolet radiation, avoid
exposing it to direct sunlight.
A discharged battery can freeze; always
store the battery in areas where the
temperature remains above freezing.
Battery

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If an electrical device fails, switch it off
and check the fuse.
The fuse box (electrical distribution
center) with spare fuses, relays and
plastic tweezers, is located on the left-
hand side of the engine compartment.
dPress the retaining flap in and lift off
the cover.
dRemove the fuse of the defective
consumer from the socket with the
plastic tweezers.
dIf the fuse is burned through (the
metal wire will have melted and sep-
arated), replace it with a new fuse of
the same ampere rating.A list of the fuses with their respective
ampere ratings and the equipment in
their circuits is provided in the fuse box
lid.
a
Do not patch burned out fuses or
replace them with fuses of a different
color or ampere rating, since this could
cause an overload on an electrical wire
and lead to fire in the vehicle.c
If the fuse continues to burn through,
refer the problem to a BMW Retailer for
repair.
360de102Fuses

15 3
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Never use spray starter fluids to start
the engine.
When the battery is discharged, you
can use two jumper cables to start your
car with power from the battery in a
second vehicle. Always use jumper
cables with fully insulated handles on
the terminal clamps.a
When the engine is running, con-
tact with electrical conductors and com-
ponents is dangerous and can be fatal.c
Carefully observe the following instruc-
tions to avoid personal injury as well as
damage to one or both vehicles:
1 Ensure that the battery on the sup-
port vehicle is also rated at 12 volts,
and that the capacity (Ah) is roughly
comparable (printed on casing).
2 Leave your battery connected to the
car's electrical system.
3 The bodies of the two vehicles must
not touch, or a short circuit could
result.4 Start by connecting the positive ter-
minal of both batteries with a jumper
cable. If the battery of the BMW is not
installed in the engine compartment,
a supplementary positive terminal is
provided in the engine compartment
(the cover is marked "+", remove by
pulling tab, see arrow 1 in illustration).
Then connect up the batteries' nega-
tive poles. Attach the cable to either
the support vehicle's negative battery
terminal, or to a suitable ground on its
engine or bodywork. On the BMW
there is a special nut, refer to arrow 2;
the nut might also be located further
forward, on the suspension strut
dome.
a
Observe the same sequence for
connecting the jumper cables when
helping other vehicles; this will help pre-
vent sparks from being generated at the
battery.c
5 If the battery on the support vehicle is
weak, start the engine and let it run.
Start the engine on the vehicle need-
ing the jump-start, and allow it to run
as usual. If necessary repeat the
attempt to start after a few minutes;
this allows for current intake by the
discharged battery.
Before disconnecting the jumper
cables from your BMW, turn on the
lamps, rear window defroster and
highest blower speed to prevent a
voltage surge at the voltage regulator.
Then disconnect the jumper cables in
reverse sequence.
Depending on the cause of the fault,
recharge the battery.
12
360de105
Jump-starting

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Controls and featuresCare and maintenanceAdvanced technology
Technical data
Owner service procedure
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Index
15 5
Airbags156
Automatic Stability Control
plus Traction (ASC+T)156
Radio reception157
Safety belt tensioner157

15 7
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AM provides substantially longer recep-
tion ranges than FM. AM broadcast sig-
nals, propagated at ground level in the
form of surface waves, are also reßected
from the ionosphere as atmospheric
waves.
Frequency-modulation (FM) provides
substantially better sound quality than
AM. However, because FM transmis-
sions rely on line-of-sight broadcast
waves, their effective reception range is
limited. Although numerous factors combine to
impose inherent limitations on the
reception quality available from mobile
radios, specially designed systems can
be employed to minimize their effects:
The Antenna Diversity system employs
several FM antennas integrated within
the rear window to provide three sepa-
rate sources for receiving broadcast
waves. An integral processor automati-
cally selects the antenna with the best
FM reception quality at any given time.
Because the ongoing antenna selection
process is completed within millisec-
onds, it remains inaudible to the radio
listener. The safety belt tensioner responds to
collisions by tightening the belts to
ensure that occupants remain firmly
positioned in their seats. A gas-pres-
sure system retracts the buckle assem-
bly to tension the shoulder and lap belts
within fractions of a second, preventing
the driver and passenger from slipping
forward.360de084
390de108
Radio reception Safety belt tensioner

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Controls and featuresCare and maintenanceAdvanced technology
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Owner service procedure
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Index
15 9
Engine specifications 160
Dimensions 161
Weights 163
Capacities 166
Electrical system 167
Drive belts 167

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16 1
BMW 318i
SedanBMW 318is
CoupeBMW 318i
Convertible
Length in. (mm) 174.5 (4,433) 174.5 (4,433) 174.5 (4,433)
Width in. (mm) 66.9 (1,698) 67.3 (1,710) 67.3 (1,710)
Height (unloaded) in. (mm) 54.8 (1,393) 53.8 (1,366) 53.1 (1,348)
Wheelbase in. (mm) 106.3 (2,700) 106.3 (2,700) 106.3 (2,700)
Track, front in. (mm) 55.8 (1,418) 55.4 (1,408) 55.4 (1,408)
Track, rear in. (mm) 56.3 (1,431) 55.9 (1,421) 55.9 (1,421)
Minimum turning circle
D
ft. (m) 35.4 (10.8) 35.4 (10.8) 35.4 (10.8)
BMW 323is
CoupeBMW 323i
Convertible
Length in. (mm) 174.5 (4,433) 174.5 (4,433)
Width in. (mm) 67.3 (1,710) 67.3 (1,710)
Height (unloaded) in. (mm) 53.8 (1,366) 53.1 (1,348)
Wheelbase in. (mm) 106.3 (2,700) 106.3 (2,700)
Track, front in. (mm) 55.4 (1,408) 55.4 (1,408)
Track, rear in. (mm) 55.9 (1,421) 55.9 (1,421)
Minimum turning circle
D
ft. (m) 35.4 (10.8) 35.4 (10.8)
Dimensions

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16 3
BMW 318i
SedanBMW 318is
CoupeBMW 318i
Convertible
Vehicle weight empty
(including driver, ready for operation, with full tank of fuel,
options not included)
with manual transmission
with automatic transmissionlbs (kg)
lbs (kg)2,954 (1,340)
3,042 (1,380)2,987 (1,355)
3,075 (1,395)3,153 (1,430)
3,230 (1,465)
Approved gross vehicle weight
with manual transmission
with automatic transmissionlbs (kg)
lbs (kg)3,924 (1,780)
4,012 (1,820)3,957 (1,795)
4,045 (1,835)3,990 (1,810)
4,068 (1,845)
Approved front axle load lbs (kg) 1,830 (830)
1,830 (830) 1,830 (830)
Approved rear axle load lbs (kg) 2,304 (1,045) 2,337 (1,060) 2,348 (1,065)
Maximum payload lbs (kg) 970 (440) 970 (440) 838 (380)
Approved roof load capacity lbs (kg) 165 (75) 165 (75) 88 (40)
Never exceed either the approved axle weights or the gross vehicle weight.
Luggage compartment capacity cu. ft. (liter) 15.4 (435) 14.3 (405) 8.1 (230)
Weights

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16 5
BMW 328i
SedanBMW 328is
CoupeBMW 328i
Convertible
Vehicle weight, empty
(incl. driver, ready for operation, with full tank of fuel,
options not included)
with manual transmission
with automatic transmissionlbs (kg)
lbs (kg)3,131 (1,420)
3,208 (1,455)3,142 (1,425)
3,230 (1,465)3,395 (1,540)
3,472 (1,575)
Approved gross vehicle weight
with manual transmission
with automatic transmissionlbs (kg)
lbs (kg)4,101 (1,860)
4,178 (1,895)4,112 (1,865)
4,200 (1,905)4,233 (1,920)
4,310 (1,955)
Approved front axle load lbs (kg)
1,940 (880)1,940 (880)
1,995 (905)
Approved rear axle load lbs (kg) 2,348 (1,065) 2,370 (1,075) 2,425 (1,100)
Maximum payload lbs (kg) 970 (440) 970 (440) 838 (380)
Approved roof load capacity lbs (kg) 165 (75) 165 (75) 88 (40)
Never exceed either the approved axle weights or the gross vehicle weight.
Luggage compartment capacity cu. ft. (liter) 15.4 (435) 14.3 (405) 8.1 (230)
Weights

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16 7
BatteryBMW 318i, 318is 12 V, 65 Ah
BMW 323i, 323is,
328i, 328is 12 V, 75 Ah
BMW Convertible 12 V, 70 AhSpark plugsDual electrode:
Bosch F7 L DC R or
NGK BKR 6 EK
AC generator - Water pump -
Power steering BMW 318i, 318is
Ribbed V-belt 6 PK x 1733
BMW 323i, 323is, 328i, 328is
Ribbed V-belt 6 PK x 1555Air conditioning compressorBMW 318i, 318is
Ribbed V-belt 4 PK x 889
BMW 323i, 323is, 328i, 328is
Ribbed V-belt 5 PK x 906
Electrical system Drive belts