differential BMW 318i 1997 E36 Workshop Manual

020-
1
8



MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM

Fig
.
25
.
Inspect
brake
pads
with
the
caliper
removed
.
Minimum
brake
pad
thickness
shown
by
dimension
(A)
.

NOTE-

The
parking
brake
may
lose
some
of
its
effectiveness
if
it
is
not
used
frequently
.
This
is
due
to
corrosion
build-
up
on
the
parking
brake
drum
.
To
remove
corrosion,
ap-
plythe
parking
brake
just
until
it
begins
togrip,
then
pulí
the
lever
up
one
more
stop
(click)
.
Drive
thecar
approx-
imately
400
meters
(1,300
ft
.)
and
release
the
brake
.
To
recheck
the
adjustment
of
the
parking
brake
see340
Brakes
.

UNDER-CAR
MAINTENANCE

0011920

Manual
transmission
fluid,

checking
and
filling

The
manual
transmission
fluid
leve¡
should
be
checked
at

specified
intervals
.
Check
and
fill
the
transmission
with
the
car

ona
leve¡
surface
.
Transmission
(luid
leve¡
checking
and
re-

placement
procedures
are
covered
in
230
Manual
Transmis-

sion
.

Automatic
Transmission
Service

The
automatic
transmission
is
not
equipped
with
a
dipstíck
.

Therefore,
checking
the
ATF
level
is
an
ínvolved
procedure,

which
includes
measuring
and
maintaining
a
specified
ATF

temperature
during
the
checking
procedure
.

For
more
complete
ATF
service,
including
checking
ATF
lev-

e¡
and
ATF
filter
replacement
procedures,
see
240
Automatic
Transmission
.

Front
suspension
and
steering
linkages,

inspecting

Inspection
of
the
front
suspension'and
steering
includes
a
check
of
all
moving
parts
for
wear
and
excessive
play
.
Also
in-

spect
the
rubber
seals
and
boots
for
cracks
or
tears
that
could

allow
the
entry
of
dirt,
water,
and
other
contaminants
.
See
310

Front
Suspension
.

Exhaust
system,
inspecting



Rear
suspension,
inspecting
Exhaust
system
life
varies
widely
according
to
driving
habits



Final
drive
and
rear
drive
axle
service
consists
of
checking

and
environmental
conditions
.
If
short-distance
driving
pre-



and
changing
the
gear
oil,
inspecting
for
leaks,
and
checking
dominates,
the
moisture
and
condensation
in
the
system
will



the
rear
drive
axle
rubber
boots
for
damage
.
not
fully
dryout
.
This
will
lead
to
early
corrosion
damage
and
more
frequent
replacement
.
The
areas
where
leaks
are
most
likely
to
occur
are
around
the
driveshaft
and
drive
axle
mounting
flanges
.
For
more
infor

Scheduled
maintenance
of
the
exhaust
system
is
limitedlo



mation
on
ídentifying
oil
leaks
and
their
causes,
see330
Rear
inspection
.
Check
for
restrictions
due
to
dents
or
kinks
.
Check



Suspension
.
for
weakness
or
perforation
due
to
rust
.
Check
lo
see
that
all
the
hangers
are
in
place
and
properly
supporting
the
system
and
that
the
system
does
not
strike
the
body
.
Alignment
of
the
sys-



Final
drive
oil
leve¡,
checking

temand
the
location
of
the
hangers
aredescribed
in
180
Ex-
haust
System
.



Check
the
lubricant
leve¡
with
thecar
level
.
Remove
the
oil
filler
plug
.
The
leve¡
is
correct
when
the
fluidjust
reaches
the

edge
of
the
filler
hole
.
Install
and
tighten
the
oil
filler
plug
when
Manual
Transmission
Service



the
oil
level
is
correct
.
See
Fig
.
26
.

Manual
transmissionservice
consists
of
inspectingfor
leaks



The
final
drive
should
be
filled
with
a
special
BMW
lubricant
and
checking
and
changing
the
fluid
.



available
through
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
.
In
addition,
the
lubricant
type
varies
depending
onwhether
or
nota
limited-slip
Evidence
of
transmissionleaks
is
fkely
to
beseenaround
the



differential
is
fitted
.
driveshaft
mounting
flange
and
at
the
bottom
of
the
bellhousing
.
For
more
information
on
identifying
oil
leaks
and
their
causes,
see230ManualTransmissionand210
Clutch
.



Tightening
Torque

"
Finaldrive
filler
plug
to
final
drive
housing
..................
70
Nm
(52
ft-Ib)

DRIVESHAFT
SERVICE
.
...
.
.
.
...
.
..
.
.
.260-3

Driveshaft,
aligning
...............
.
...
.
.
260-3

Driveshaft,
removing
..............
.
.
.
.
.
.
260-4

260
Driveshaft

DRIVESHAFT
260-1

GENERAL
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
........
.
...
.
260-1



Driveshaft,
installing
.
....
.
..
.
............
260-4

Flex-disc,
replacing
.....
.
.
.
.............
260-5
TROUBLESHOOTING
..
.
.
.
...
.
.........
260-1



Center
bearing
assembly,
replacing
.
......
.260-6
Frontcentering
guide,
replacing
..
.
.......
.
260-7

TABLE

a
.
Driveshaft
Troubleshooting
.
.
...
......
.
....
..
.
.
260-2

GENERAL



NOTE-

For
rear
drive
axlerepair
information,
see330
Rear
The
two-piece
driveshaft
is
joined
in
thecenter
by
a
sliding



Suspension
.
splined
coupling
.
This
coupling
compensates
for
fore
and
aft
movement
of
the
drive
line
.
The
driveshaft
ís
connected
to
the



Driveshaft
noise
or
vibration
may
be
caused
by
worn
or
transmission
bya
rubber
flex-disc
and
to
the
final
drive
by
a



damaged
components
.
Check
the
universal
joints
for
play
.
universal
joint
.
It
is
supported
in
the
micidle
by
a
center
support



With
the
driveshaft
installed,
pull
and
twist
the
driveshaft
while
bearing
.
The
bearing
is
mounted
in
rubber
to
isolate
vibration
.



watching
the
joint
.
The
BMW
specificationfor
play
is
very
See
Fig
.
1
.



small,
so
almost
any
noticeableplay
could
indicate
a
problem
.

TROU
BLESHOOTING



Check
thetorque
of
thefasteners
at
the
flange
connections
.
Check
therubber
of
the
flex-disc
and
center
bearing
for
dete

The
source
of
driveline
vibrations
and
noise
can
be
difficult



rioration
or
tearíng
and
check
for
preload
at
the
center
bearing

to
pinpoint
.
Engine,
transmission,
rear
axle,
or
wheel
vibra-



with
a
visual
inspection
.
Check
the
driveshaft
for
broken
or

tions
can
be
transmitted
through
the
driveshaft
to
the
car



missing
balance
weights
.
The
weights
are
welded
tabs
on
the

body
.
Noises
from
the
rear
of
thecar
may
be
caused
by
final



driveshaft
tubes
.
In
addition
to
inspecting
for
faulty
driveshaft

drive
problems,
orby
faulty
wheel
bearings,
drive
axies,
or



parts,
the
installed
angles
of
the
driveshaft
should
also
be

evenworn
or
improperly
inflatedtires
.



considered
.

Flex-disc

Center
universal
joint

Fig
.1
.



Driveshaft
and
final
drive
assembly
.

Rear
section
Splined
shaft



of
driveshaft
Center
support



`



Clamping
sleeve
bearíng
assembly

Differential
inputflange

0013110

TROUBLESHOOTING

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-

3
.
Break
open
plastic
retainer
in
back
of
instrument
clus-
ter
andremove
coding
plug
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

5
.
Reset
vehicle
mileage
.

1
ILO

NOTE-

Consultan
authorized
BMW
dealer
service
department
about
resetting
vehicle
mileage
using
the
special
BMW
Service
tester
.

Vehicle
speed
sender,
replacing

0

0013029

Fig
.
5
.



Remove
coding
plug
retainer
with
a
screwdriver
(arrow)
.

4
.
Install
coding
plug
and
new
retainer
.
Reinstall
instru-
ment
cluster
.

The
vehicle
speed
sender
supplies
an
electronic
pulsed

speed
signal
to
the
speedometer
.
The
sender
is
mounted
be-

neath
the
rear
of
the
car,
on
the
differential
cover
plate
.

1
.
Locate
vehicle
speed
sender
electrical
connector
at

back
of
differential
.
Depress
retaininglevers
on
con-
nector
and
remove
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

INSTRUMENTS
620-
3

0013180
Fig
.
6
.



Vehicle
speed
sender
harnessconnector
(A)
and
sender
(B)
.

2
.
Remove
vehicle
speed
sender
retaining
screws
and
re-

move
sender
from
differential
cover
.

3
.
On
installation,
replace
O-ring
and
coat
with
oil
(90W)
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

0011755
NOTE-



'

If
the
speedometer
is
malfunctioning,
check
the
vehicle



Fig
.
7,



O-ring
correctly
installed
on
vehicle
speed
sender,
speed
sensor
hamess
connectoron
the
rear
differen-
tial
.
Water
damage,
frayed
wires
and
corrosion
of
the
connectorcontactsareoftenthecause
ofspeedometer



4
.
Insta¡¡
sender
into
differential
and
tighten
mounting
malfunction
.



bolts
evenly
in
stages
until
the
sender
is
firmly
seated
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Vehicle
speed
sender

to
differential
cover
...
.
.....
6
.6-8
.4
Nm
(53-74
in-lb)

INSTRUMENT
CLUSTER

2
INDEX

Brakes
(cont
.)
pressure
bleeding
brakes
(except
cars
wíth
AST)
340-3
troubleshooting
340-1
Brushes,
alternator
See
Battery,
starter,
alternator
Bulbs
See
Exterior
lighting
See
also
Instruments
Bumpers
See
Exterior
trim,
bumpers

C

CamberSee
Steering
and
wheel
alignment
Camshaft
See
Cylinder
head
and
valvetrain
Camshaft
position
sensor
See
Ignition
system
Camshaft
timing
chain
general
information
117-1
camshaft
timingchain,
4-cylinder
117-
2
camshaft
timing
chains,6-cylinder
117-6
camshaft
timing
chain,
removing
(4-cylinder
engines)
117-2
camshaft
timing
chains,
removing
(6-cylinder
engines)
117-7vanos
(variable
valve
timing)
117-14
control
unit,
removing
117-16system
operation,
testing
117-14
Caster
See
Steering
andwheel
alignment
Catalytic
convertor
See
Exhaustsystem
Cautions
viü
Center
bearing
See
Driveshaft
Center
console
See
interior
trim
Central
body
electronics
(ZKE
IV)
515-8
Central
locking
system
(ZVM)
515-7
Centrallocking
and
anti-theft
general
information
515-1
door
handles
and
Iocks
515-1
door
striker,
replacing
515-6
front
door
handle,
removing/
installing
515-3
front
door
lock,
removing/installing
515-1
rear
door
handle,
removing/installing
515-5
rear
door
lock,
removing/installing
515-4
EWS
II
control
module,
replacing
515-10
EWS
II
ring
antenna,
replacing
515-10
EWS
II
transmitter/receiver
module,
replacing
515-11
locking
system
and
electronic
immobilization
515-7
luggage
compartment
locking
actuator,
removing/installing
515-6

Clutch
general
information210-1
clutch
hydraulic
system,
bleeding
and
flushing
210-2
clutch,
inspecting
and
installing
210-5
clutch
master
cylinder,
replacing
210-2
clutch,
removing
210-4
clutch
slave
cylinder,
replacing
210-3
transmission
pilot
bearing,
replacing
210-6
Clutch
fluid
See
Maintenance
program
Coil
See
Ignition
system
Coilspring
See
Rear
suspension
Component
locations

See
Electrical
component
locations
Compressor
See
Air
conditioning
Compressor
clutch
See
Air
conditioning
Condenser
See
Air
conditioningControl
arms
See
Front
suspension
See
also
Rear
suspension
Convertible
top
general
information
541-1
manual
convertible
top
541-1
lid
release
mechanism
541-2
replacing
541-2
visor
latch
541-1
visor
latch
píate
541-1
power
convertible
top
541-2
drive
motor,
replacing
541-7
emergency
operation
541-7
front
latching
mechanism
541-4
lid
541-9
replacing
541-5
visor
latch
541-4
visor
latch
motor541-5
visor
latch
plate
541-4
rollover
protection
system
541-9
Coolant
(Anti-freeze)
See
Maintenance
program
Coolant
pump
See
Cooling
system
Cooling
system
general
information
170-1
cooling
fan,
replacing
170-8
coolant
pump,
replacing
170-10
coolant
pump
and
thermostat170-1
coolant,
draining/filling
170-5
cooling
fans
170-2
cooling
fan,
testing
170-4
cooling
system
service
170-5
cooling
system,
bleeding
(radiator
with
integral
expansion
tank)
170-6
cooling
system
pressure
test
170-3
electric
cooling
fan,
replacing
170-8
radiator,
removing/installing
170-11

Cooling
system
(cont
.)
radiator
and
expansion
tank
170-1
radiator
service
170-11

temperature
gauge
quick
check170-3
thermostat
quick
check
170-3
thermostat,
replacing
170-9
troubleshooting
170-2
warnings
and
cautions
170-2Crankshaft
position/rpm
sensor
See
Ignition
system
Crash
sensor
See
Airbag
system
(SRS)
CV
joint
See
Maintenance
program
See
also
Rear
suspension
Cylinder
head
and
valvetrain
general
information
116-1
camshaft116-7
camshafts,
removing/installing
(M42
engine)
116-1camshafts,
removing/installing
(M44
engine)
116-3
camshafts,
removing/installing
(6-cylinder
engine)
116-4
cylinder
head,
disassembly/assembly
116-1
cylinder
head
and
valvetrain,
reconditioning
116-7
cylinder
head
116-7
hydraulic
cam
followers,
checking
and
replacing
(M42
and
al]
6-cylinder
engines)
116-9
hydraulic
valve
adjusters,
checking
and
replacing
(M44
Engine)
116-8
valve
guides
116-10
valveseats
116-12
valve
springs
116-12
valve
stem
oil
seals
116-11
valves
116-11

valves,
leak
test
116-11
valves,removing/installing
116-6
Cylinder
head
removal
and
installation
general
information
113-1
cylinder
head,
removing/installing
(4-
cylinder
engine)
113-1
cylinder
head
(6-cylinder
engine),
removing/installing
113-10

Dashboard
See
Interior
trim

Deck
lid
See
Trunk
lid
Defogger

See
Heating
Differential
See
Final
drive
DISA
(dual
resonance
intake
system)
See
Fuel
injection
See
also
Engine-general
DME
(digital
motor
electronics)
See
Ignition
system
See
alsoFuel
injection