610 BMW 325i 1994 E36 Workshop Manual

General
Data
and



010
FundamentalsfortheDo-lt-YourselfOwner

Maintenance



020
Maintenance
Program

Engine

Transmission

Suspension,

Steering
and

Brakes

4
Body

100
Engine-General

110



Engine
Removal
and
Installation
113



Cylinder
Head
Removal
and
Installation
116



Cylinder
Head
and
Valvetrain
117



Camshaft
Timing
Chain

119



Lubrication
System

200
Transmission-General
210
Clutch
230
Manual
Transmission

510



Exterior
Trim,
Bumpers



520



Seats

Bo
y
Equipment



512
DoorWTdws



540



nr
t

513



InteriorTrim



541



Convertible
Top

515



Central
Locking
and
Anti-Theft

600



Electrical
System-General



620



Instruments

Electrical
S



stem
610
Electrical
Component
Locations



630
Exterior
Lighting

611



Wipers
and
Washers



640



Heating
and
Air
Conditioning

6



612



Switches
and
Electrical
Accessories



650



Radio

Equipment
and



720
SeatBelts

Accessories



721
Airbag
System
(SRS)

Electrical
Wiring

Diagrams

Foreword
.
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.
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.
...
.
.
.
.
.
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.
.
.
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......
.
................
.
.
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.....
v

Warnings
and
Cautions
.....
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
..........
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
......
.
.........
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
......
.
.
.
.
.
............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.vii

Index
..............
.
.
.
.....
.
............
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
........
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.......
.
......
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
........
.
.
.
..
back
of
book

300



Suspension,
Steering
and



330



RearSuspension

Brakes-General



331



Final
Drive

310



Front
Suspension



340



Brakes

320



Steering
and
Wheel
Alignment

400
Body-General



411
Doors

410



Fenders,
Engine
Hood



412



Trunk
Lid

120



Ignition
System
121



Battery,Starter,
Alternator
130



Fue¡
Injection
160



Fuel
Tank
and
Fuel
Pump
170



Radiator
and
Cooling
System180



Exhaust
System

240



Automatic
Transmission
250



Gearshift
Linkage

260
Driveshaft

11
.
Draín
engine
coolant
and
Rmove
coolant
hoses
at-
tached
to
cylinder
head
.

"
Drain
engine
block
byremoving
block
drain
.
"
Disconnect
hoses
from
thermostat
housing
in
front
of
cylinder
head
.

"
Disconnect
heater
hoses
at
rear
of
engine
.
See
Fig
.
9
.
"
Drain
radiator
by
removingthreaded
plastic
plug
from
lower
left
comer
.

NOTE-

"
The
block
drain
plug
is
located
oh
the
exhaust
side
to-
wards
rear
ofengine
.

"
Remove
small
plastic
lock
clipto
pulíradiator
draín
plug
out
completely
.

NOTE-

CAUTION-

Radiatorfan
has
left
hand
threads
.

ENGINE
REMOVAL
AND
INSTALLATION



110-
5

Fig
.
9
.



Coolant
hoses
at
heater
valve
and
heater
core
to
be
discon-
nected
(arrows)
.

12
.
Remove
radiator
cooling
fan
and
radiator
as
described
in
170
Radiator
and
Cooling
System
.

13
.
Label
and
disconnectcoolant
hoses,
cables,
and
har-
ness
connectors
from
throttle
housing
.
See
Fig
.
10
.

14
.
Working
atrearof
intake
manifold,
label
and
then
re-
move
fuel
supply
and
fuel
retum
lines
.
Disconnect
fuel
lines
from
support
bracket
on
manifold
.
See
Fig
.
11
.

uu12ivu
Fig
.
10
.
Throttle
housing
assemblyon
M52
engine
.
Disconnect
hos-
es,
cables
and
harness
connectors
at
and
around
housing
.

0012699

Fig
.
11
.
Special
fuelline
fitting
at
fuel
rail
on
M52/S52US
engine
.
Use
BMW
special
tool
16
1
050
to
releaselocking
fittings
at
ends
offuel
lines
.

WARNING
-

"
Fuel
may
be
expelled
under
pressure
.
Do
not
smoke
or
work
near
heaters
or
other
fire
haz-ards
.
Keep
a
fire
extinguísher
handy
.
Before
dis-
connecting
fuel
hoses,
wrapa
cloth
around
fuel
hoses
to
absorb
any
leaking
fuel
.
Plug
all
oyen
fuel
fines
.

"
Always
unscrew
the
fuel
tank
cap
to
release
pres-
sure
ín
the
tank
before
working
on
the
tank
or
lines
.

OnM52
and
S52US
engines,
special
fittings
are
used
to
retain
the
fuel
lines
to
the
fuel
rail
.
Use
BMW
special



16
.
Remove
intake
manifold
from
engine
byremoving
sev-
tool
no
.
161050
to
compress
the
locking
clip
insidethe



en
mounting
nuts
from
above
andtwo
mounting
bracket
end
of
the
fuel
line
fittings
to
release
the
fine
.



boits
from
below
.
See
Fig
.
12
.

15
.
Unbolt
power
steering
fluid
reservoir
from
its
mounting



CAllTION-
bracket
.
Use
stiff
wire
to
hang
reservoir
to
one
side
.
Do



Stuff
clean
rags
into
the
open
intake
ports
to
pre-
not
disconnect
fluid
fines
.



vent
any
parts
from
falling
into
the
engine
intake
.

ENGINE
REMOVAL
AND
INSTALLATION

Oxygen
Sensor
FUEL
DELIVERY
TESTS
FUEL
INJECTION



130-
9

"
Voltage
at
¡dle
..
.
..
..
....
0
.2
to
0
.8
VDC,
fluctuating



Checking
fuel
delivery
is
afundamental
part
of
trouble-
shooting
and
diagnosing
the
engine
management
system
.
Fuel
pressure
directly
influences
fuel
delivery
.
An
accurate

NOTE-



fuel
pressure
gauge
will
be
needed
to
make
the
tests
.

To
check
sensorresponse
to
lean
and
rich
mixtures,
createenairleak,
orpull
vacuumhoseofffue¡
pressure



There
are
three
significant
fuel
delivery
values
to
be
mea-

regulator
to
increase
fuel
pressure
.



sured
:

3
.
Separate
sensorharness
connector
from
sensor
.
Check

for
battery
voltage
between
terminals
3
and
4
(green

wire
and
brown
wire)
in
main
wiring
harness
side
of
con-

nector
with
engine
running
.
If
voltage
is
not
present,

check
oxygen
sensor
heater
relay
.
See610
Electrical

Component
Locations
.

4
.
Check
heater
element
resistance
between
terminals
3
and
4
in
sensor
side
of
connector
.
If
element
is
electri-

cally
open
(no
continuity),
replace
sensor
.

NOTE-

The
oxygen
sensor
heater
relay
is
mounted
in
the
main
power
distributfon
box
in
the
left
rear
of
the
engine
com-
partment
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
6
.
The
heater
relay
is
energized
wíth
positive
(+)
battery
voltage
from
the
main
relayanda
switched
ground
from
the
ECM
.
See
Electrical
Wir-
ing
Diagrams
.

"
Oxygen
sensor
to
exhaust
pipe
...
..
55
Nm
(41
ft-Ib)

"
System
pressure-created
by
the
fuel
pump
and
main-
tained
by
the
pressure
regulator
.

"
Fuel
delivery
volume-created
by
the
fuel
pump
and
af-
fected
by
restrictions,
suchasclogged
fuel
filter
.

"
Residual
pressure-the
pressure
maintained
in
the
closed
system
after
the
engine
and
fuel
pump
are
shut

off
.

Procedures
for
measuring
the
first
two
quantities
arede-
scribed
in
160
Fuel
Tank
and
Fuel
Pump
.
Residual
fuel
pres-
sure
is
checked
using
the
procedure
detailed
later
in
this

group
.

Operating
fuel
pump
fortests

To
operate
the
fuel
pump
for
testing
purposes
without
hav-

íng
to
runthe
engine,
the
fuel
pump
relay
can
be
bypassed
to

power
the
pump
directly
.
Fuel
pump
relay
location
is
shown
in

Fig
.
6
.

5
.
¡f
oxygen
sensor
doesn't
produce
a
fluctuating
voltage



To
runthe
fuel
pump,
remove
the
fuel
pump
relay
and
con-
and
preheater
circuit
is
OK,
replace
sensor
.



nect
the
socket
for
relayterminal
30
to
the
socket
for
relay
ter-

mina¡
87
with
a
fused
jumper
wire
.
After
completing
the
tests,

NOTE-



remove
the
jumper
wire
.

If
not
already
applied,
coat
the
oxygen
sensor
threads
with
an
anti-seize
compound
before
installation
.
Do
not



CAUTION-
getthe
compound
on
the
sensor
tip
.
"
Relay
locations
may
vary
.
Use
care
when
identi-
fying
relays
and
making
electrical
checks
at
the
fuselrelay
panel
.
See
610
Electrical
Compo

Tightening
Torque



nent
Locations
for
additional
relay
information
.

"
The
fuel
pump
relay
has
a
1
.5
mm2
red
wire
at
ter-
minal
30
in
the
relay
socket
.
Terminal
87
has
a
1
.5
mm
2
greenlviolet
wire
.
See
Electrical
Wiring
Di-
agrams
for
additional
wiring
information
.

NOTE-

Thejumper
wire
should
be
1.5
mm2
(14
ga
.)
and
in-
clude
an
in-line
tuse
holder
with
a15
amp
tuse
.
To
avoid
fuselrelay
panel
damage
from
repeated
connect-
ing
and
disconnecting,
also
include
a
toggle
switch
.
A
heavy-duty
jumper,
BMW
tool
no
.
61
3
050,
is
also
available
from
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
.

FUEL
DELIVERYTESTS

NOTE-

Some
cars
covered
by
this
manual
may
have
an
alter-
nate
cooling
fan
switchwith
switching
temperatures
of
176%190W
(80%88°C)
.
When
replacing
the
switch
check
theswitching
specifications,
whichshouldbe
stamped
on
the
switch
body
.

1
.
If
coolant
is
circulating
at
normal
operating
tempera-
ture,
but
auxiliary
cooling
fan
does
not
run,
disconnect
connector
from
radiator
temperature
switch
and
make
tests
listed
in
Table
c
.

Table
c
.
Auxiliary
Cooling
Fan
Temperature

Switch
Tests

Wires
jumpered



Test



Test
resuits
conditions

Black/green
(terminal2)
and



Ignition
ON



Fan
runs
on
brown
(terminal
1)



low
speed

Black/gray
(terminal
3)
and



Ignition
ON



Fan
runson
brown
(terminal



I
1)



high
speed
2
.
If
fan
runs
only
when
powered
directly
by
jumpered
connector
and
hot
coolant
is
circulating
through
radia-
tor,
radiator
temperature
switch
is
most
likelyfaulty
.
Use
a
new
sealing
ring
when
replacing
switch

Tightening
Torque

"
Temperature
switch
to
radiator
......
15
Nm
(11
ft-Ib)

3
.
If
auxiliary
fan
does
notrun
when
powered
directly,
check
for
battery
voltage
at
temperature
switch
connec-
tor
(black/green
wire)
with
ignition
on
.
If
battery
voltage
is
not
present,
check
fuses
.
See
610
Electrical
Com-
ponent
Locations
.

RADIATOR
AND
COOLING
SYSTEM



170-
5

~r~nmm
a
00
0

Fig
.
4
.



Auxiliary
radiator
cooling
fan
low
speed
relay
(1)
and
high
speed
relay
(2)
in
power
distribution
box
.
(Relay
locations
may
vary
.)

Auxiliary
Cooling
Fan
Circuit
Fuses



Fig
.
5
.
Auxiliary
radiator
fan
resistor
(arrow)
.
"
Fuse16
.
...................
..
..
...
...
.5
amp

"
Fuse
41
(ex
.
M44
w/man
.
trans)
.
..
.
..
.....
30
amp

"
Fuse
48
(M44
w/man
.
trans
.
only)
..
.
..
.....
40
amp



COOLING
SYSTEM
SERVICE

0013034

4
.
If
no
faults
are
found,
remove
low
speed
relay
and
turn



Coolant,draining
and
filling

ignition
ON
.
See
Fig
.
4
.



1
.
Remove
expansion
tank
cap
.
Set
temperature
controls
"
Check
for
power
at
terminal
30
and
terminal
86
of
relay



to
full
warm
.
socket
.

"
Reinstall
low
speed
relay
and
repeat
testat
high
speed



WARNING
-
relay
socket
.
Fix
any
wiring
faults
found
.



Allow
the
cooling
system
to
cool
before
openlng
or

On
early
productioncars
(up
to
9/92)
:
If
fan
operates
only
on



draining
the
cooling
system
.

high
speed
and
no
electrical
faults
have
been
foundup
to
this
point,
usean
ohmmeter
to
check
that
fan
resistor
is
not
electri-



2
.
Place
3
ra
allo

ug
.



beneath
radiator
drain
plug
and
re-

cally
open
.
Resistor
is
mounted
on
auxiliary
cooling
fan
housing



move
drain
plg
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

behind
front
grille
.
See
Fig
.
5
.
Wiring
diagrams
for
the
radiator

cooling
fan
canbefoundunder
Electrical
Wiring
Diagrams
.



3
.
Place
3-g



pail
beneath
rear
of
engine
blo
.
Loos-
en
and
re

mlon

ove
engine
blockcoolant
drain
plug
k
.

COOLING
SYSTEM
SERVICE

Fig
.
10
.
Align
contact
slide
(1)
with
slot
in
switch
housing
(2)
before
in-
stalling
gear
position/neutral
safety
switch
.

Fig
.
11
.
Engage
release
button
pin
to
hole
in
pull
rod
before
installing

The
automatic
shiftlock
uses
an
electríc
solenoid
to
lock
the
selector
lever
in
P
or
N
.
Depressing
the
foot
brake
withthe
ig-
nition
on
energizes
the
solenoid,
allowingthe
lever
to
be
moved
into
a
drive
gear
.
The
solenoid
is
energized
only
when

the
engine
speed
is
below
2,500
rpmand
thevehicle
speed
is

below
3
mph
.
The
solenoid
ís
mounted
in
the
right-hand
side

of
theselector
lever
housing
.
See
Fig
.
12
.

1
.
With
engine
running
and
car
stopped,
place
selector
le-
ver
in
P
or
N
.

2
.
Without
depressing
brake
pedal,
check
that
selector
le-

ver
is
locked
in
position
P
or
N
.

3
.
Depress
brakepedal
firmly
.
Solenoid
should
be
heard

to
energize
.

GEARSHIFT
LINKAGE



250-
5

Fig
.
12
.
Automatic
shiftlock
prevents
drive
gear
selection
until
the
brakepedal
is
depressed
.

4
.
Check
thatselector
lever
can
now
be
moved
out
of
P
or
N
.

NOTE
-

The
next
test
should
be
performed
in
anopen
area
with
the
parking
brake
on
and
with
extreme
caution
.

5
.
With
selector
lever
in
P
or
N
and
brake
pedal
de-

pressed,
raise
engine
above
2,500
rpm
.
Check
that
se-

lector
lever
cannotbe
moved
outof
P
or
N
.

shift
lever
handle
.



If
any
faults
are
found
check
the
electrical
operation
of
the
shiftlock
solenoid
and
check
for
wiring
faultsto
or
from
the
Automatic
shiftiock,
checking
function



transmission
control
module(TCM)
.
See610
Electrical

(automatic
transmission)



Component
Locations
and
Electrical
Wiring
Diagrams
.

NOTE
-

The
solenoid
is
controlled
viathe
TCM,
using
brakepedal
position,
engine
speed,
and
road
speed
as
con-
trolling
inputs
.

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
GEARSHIFT

Ambient
temperaturelclock

MÍM
Aa
.Mi}rm
-Mil"
IMua~naa~u~itacar
"
za
.~

Central
Body
Electronics

0013028

Fig
.
4
.



Different
versionsof
Multi-information
Display(MID)
installed
in
E36
cars
.

The
E36
cars
are
equipped
with
a
sophisticated
centralized

body
electric/electronics
plan
.
The
system
is
self-diagnostic

and
incorporates
many
functions
into
a
single
control
module
.

The
consolidation
of
several
systems
into
a
single
control

module
minimizes
power
requirements
and
the
incorporation

of
the
diagnostic
link
results
in
more
efficient
and
accurate

troubleshooting
.

Self-diagnostic
codes
are
accessible
electronically
through

the
data-link
connector
in
the
engine
compartment
.
See610

Electrical
Component
Locations
.

BODY-GENERAL
400-
5

Two
versions
of
central
body
electronics
are
used
depend-

ing
on
model
year
.

1992
and
1993
models
are
equipped
with
a
central
locking

module
(ZVM)
which
incorporates
control
of
the
following
sys-

tems
:

"Interiorlighting
"
Central
locking
with
double
lock
feature

"
Output
relays
for
powerwindows
and
sunroof

"
Electronic
power
protection

E36
cars
since
the
1994
model
year
are
equipped
with
ZKE

IV
.
This
is
an
electronic
comfort
and
convenience
system
that

includes
the
following
additional
features
:

"
One
touch
up/down
power
window
operation

"
Power
window
and
sunroof
closure
from
driver
or
pas-

sengerdoor
lock

"
Vehicle
locking
or
unlocking
from
the
trunk
lock
.

Other
features
of
the
system
are
discussed
in
515
Central

Locking
and
Anti-Theft
.

Electronic
Immobilization
System

Beginning
in
model
year
1994,
all
E36
vehicles
incorporate

adriveaway
protection
system
regardless
of
whether
the
vehi-

cle
is
equipped
with
a
BMW
Alarm
System
or
an
On-Board

computer
.
Two
types
of
factory
systems
were
installed,
de-
pending
on
vehicle
production
date
.

On
the
early
system
(model
year
1994
up
to
January
1995),

the
ignition
and
fuel
injection
functions
are
disabled
whenever

the
vehicle
is
locked
in
the
double
lock
mode
.
This
is
referred

lo
as
EWS
or
EWS
I
.

Beginning
in
January
1995,
the
driveaway
protection
sys-

tem
was
upgraded
to
a
more
sophisticated
system,
called

EWS
II
.
This
system
uses
a
wireless
communication
link
be-

tween
a
transponder
chip
in
the
ignition
keyand
the
ring
an-

tenna
surrounding
the
ignition
switch
.
The
EWS
II
control

module
blocksthe
starting
of
the
vehicle
unlessthe
correct

coded
ignition
key
is
used
.

For
further
information
about
drive
away
protection
sys-

tems,
see
515
Central
Locking
and
Anti-Theft
.

INTERIOR
EQUIPMENT

ENGINE
HOOD

Hood,
raising
to
service
position

CA
UTION-

Do
not
switch
on
the
windshield
wipers
wlth
the
engine
hood
raised
.
As
a
precaution,
remove
the
wiper
motor
fuse
.
See
610
Electrical
Compo-
nent
Locations
.

1
.
4-door
models
:
Open
hood
fully
.
Remove
bolt
from

hood
hinge
behind
hood
supports
(left
and
right)
.
Raise
hood
to
service
position
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

2
.
2-door
models
:
Open
hood
fully
.

Fig
.
5
.



Hood
support
bracket
boltto
be
removed
(A)
on
4-door
cars
.

Remove
bolts
at
left
and
right
hinges
.
Swing
bracket
in
direc-
tion
of
arrow
to
raise
hood
into
service
position
.

"
Remove
ground
cable
atright
hood
hinge
.

"
Whilean
assistant
supports
hood,
detach
both
hood

supportsfrom
hood
.

"
Remove
detent
screws
at
back
of
hood
hinges
.
See

Fig
.
6
.
"
Lift
hood
while
pulling
hinge
forward
.
Support
hood
at

higher
position
.

3
.
When
service
work
is
complete,
return
hood
to
lower

position
and
instaf
screws
or
bolts
.

FENDERS,
ENGINE
HOOD



410-
3

Fig
.
6
.



Torx
screw
at
base
of
hood
hinge
(arrow)
.

Hood,
removing
and
installing

0013147

1
.
Raise
hood
.
Where
applicable,
partially
remove
hood

acoustic
insulation
to
access
rear
of
hood
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

Fig
.
7
.



Hood
insulation
retainer
being
pried
out

3
.
Detachgas-charged
hood
supportsfrom
hood
.

CAUTION
-

The
hood
is
heavy
.
Before
removing
the
hood
sup-
ports
or
hood
retainingbolts,
be
sure
to
have
an
assistant
help
support
the
hood
.

0013148

2
.
Disconnect
washer
fluid
hoses
from
washer
nozzles
.

Where
applicable,
disconnect
electrical
harness
con-

nectors
fromheated
nozzles
.

ENGINE
HOOD

515
Central
Locking
and
Anti-Theft

GENERAL
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..:
.
.
.
......
.
.
.
.
515-1



Luggage
compartment
locking
actuator,
removing
and
installing
.
.
.
.
.
...........
.
515-6

DOOR
HANDLES
AND
LOCKS
.........
515-1



LOCKING
SYSTEM
AND
Front
door
lock,
removing
and
installing
....
.515-1



ELECTRONIC
IMMOBILIZATION
......
.515-7
Front
door
handle,
removing
and
installing
...
515-3

Rear
door
lock,
removing
and
installing
.....
515-4



Central
Locking
System(ZVM)
.
.
.
.
.......
.
515-7

Rear
door
handle,
removing
and
installing
...
515-5



Central
Body
Electronics
(ZKE
IV)
.
.
.......
.515-8

Electronic
Immobilization
System
(EWS)
.
.
.
.
.515-8
Door
striker,
rep
lacing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..........
515-6



EWS
II
control
module,
re
lacin



515-10

LOCKING
ACTUATORS
.
.
.
.
.
.
..........
515-6



Ring
antenna,
replacing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
515-10

Door
Locking
Actuator
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..........
515-6



EWS
II
transmitter/receiver
module,

replacing
...........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
515-11

GENERAL

This
section
covers
repair
information
for
the
central
locking

and
the
anti-theft
systems
.
Keep
in
mind
that
E36
cars
are



CA
UTION-

equipped
with
sophisticated
and
self-diagnostic
electrical
sys-



Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery

tems
.
When
experiencing
malfunctions
relatinglo
the
central



disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this

locking
or
the
anti-theft
system,
it
is
recommended
that
the



manual
onpage
vi¡¡
.

systembe
diagnosed
using
the
BMW
service
tester
(DIS)
.

This
advanced
diagnostic
tool
can
usually
pinpoint
electrical



NOTE-
faults
quickly
and
safely
.
Consult
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
.
In
some
models
covered
inthis
manual,
it
is
not
essen-
tial
to
remove
the
side-impact
airbag
to
access
intemal

NOTE-



door
components
.
However,
the
procedure
is
recom-

Additional
general
electrical
information
can
be
found



mended
for
safely
reasons
.

i
n
610
Electrical
Component
Locations
and
Electri-
cal
Wiring
Diagrams
.



4
.
Disconnect
harnessconnector
from
window
motor
to

DOOR
HANDLES
AND
LOCKS

Front
door
lock,
removing
and
installing

1
.
Remove
front
door
panel
and
vapor
barrier
asde-

scribed
in
411
Doors
.

WARNING
-

Some
1997
and
all
1998
cars
are
fitted
with
side-im-

pact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
.
When
servicing
the
door
locks
on
cars
with
front
side-impact
airbags,
al-
ways
disconnect
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
.
See721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
forcautions
andpro-
cedures
relating
to
the
airbag
system
.

2
.
Raise
door
window
completely

CENTRAL
LOCKING
AND
ANTI-THEFT



515-1

3
.
On
cars
with
side-impact
airbags,
disconnect
negative
(-)
cable
from
battery,
then
remove
airbag
module
.

prevent
accidental
operation
.

5
.
On
4-door
cars
:
Peel
back
rubber
window
guide
from

reas
guide
rail
:
Remove
guide
rail
mounting
boltat
bot-

tom
.
Unclip
any
wiring
from
guide
rail
and
pull
guide
rail

downward
and
remove
from
door
.
See
Fig
.
1
.

NOTE
-

The
top
of
the
guide
rail
is
"hooked"
to
the
doorsheet
metal
.

6
.
Remove
inside
door
handle
retaining
screw
.
Discon-

nect
inside
handle
from
linkage
and
remove
.
See
Fig
.

2
.

7
.
Cut
wire
ties
and
remove
door
lock
electrical
harness
con-

nector
.
Remove
door
lock
mounting
screws
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

8
.
Working
inside
door,
disconnect
outside
door
handle

and
lockcylinder
linkage
from
door
lock
.
Remove
lock

from
inside
door
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

DOOR
HANDLES
AND
LOCKS

GENERAL
.
...
.
.
.
......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
......
541-1



Visor
Latch
Plate
.....
.
....
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
...
.541-4

Visor
Latch
..
.
............
.
.
.
..........
541-4

MANUAL
CONVERTIBLE
TOP
.
.
.
.
...
.
..
541-1



Visor
Latch
Motor
...
.......
.
.
.
..
........
541-5

Visor
Latch
Plate
.
.
......
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
541-1



Convertible
top
and
frame,
replacing
........
541-5

VisorLatch
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..........
.
.....
.
.
.541-1



Convertible
top
drive
motor,
replacing



......
541-7

Convertible
Top
Lid
Release
Mechanism
.
.
.
.
541-2



Convertible
Top
Emergency
Operation
.....
.541-7

Convertible
top
and
frame,
replacing
....
.
.
.
541-2



Convertible
Top
Lid
.
.
.
.
...........
.
.....
541-9

POWER
CONVERTIBLE
TOP
.
.
.
.
....
.
.
.
541-2



ROLLOVER
PROTECTION
SYSTEM
..
.
.
541-9

FrontLatching
Mechanism
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
......
.
541-4

GENERAL

The
convertible
top
comes
in
three
versions
:
a
manually
op-erated
top,
a
semi-automatic
power
top
and
a
fully
automatic
power
top
.

NOTE-

The
convertible
top
control
module
(CVM)
is
located
behind
the
left
rearside
trim
panel
.
For
the
location
of
other
convertible
top
electric
components
see610
Electrical
Component
Locations
.

The
rear
window
in
the
convertible
models
is
made
of
a
strong,
flexible
vínyl
which
is
available
separately
.
Replace-

ment
of
the
rear
window
is
not
covered
in
this
manual
.

The
left
and
right
visor
latch
plates
can
be
accessed
by
re-
moving
the
trim
and
moldings
around
the
sides
and
top
of
the

windshield
.
Each
latch
is
secured
to
thetop
of
the
windshield

usingthree
bolts
.
Latch
position
is
adjusted
as
follows
:

541
Convertible
Top

CONVERTIBLE
TOP



541-1

"
Loosen
bolts

"
Latch
top

"
Align
top

"
Retighten
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
1
.

BMW
has
designed
a
specialbattery
tray
for
the
convertible

which,
in
conjunction
with
the
mass
of
the
battery
in
the
lug-

gage
compartment,
serves
to
dampen
convertible
body
flex
ing
and
vibration
.



Fig
.
1.



Visor
latchplate
is
held
to
top
of
windshieldwith
three
bolts
(arrows)
.

CAUTION-

The
E36
convertible
requires
a
specialbattery



VisorLatch
which
is
designed
for
constant
vibration
.
A
battery
not
designed
forthis
will
fa¡¡
much
earlier
.



Check
for
ease
of
release
and
locking
of
convertible
top
front
latches
.
Height
of
a
latch
can
be
changed
by
using
the
adjusting
screw
.
To
change
latch
tension,
it
is
necessary
to
re-
MANUAL
CONVERTIBLE
TOP



move
the
trim
on
the
front
bow
of
thetop
.
The
ball-joint
pull-rod
length
can
then
be
adjusted
.
Lubricate
latch
if
necessary
.
See

Visor
Latch
Plate



Fig
.
2
.

MANUAL
CONVERTIBLE
TOP

600
Electrical
System-General

GENERAL
.
...........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
...
600-1

Voltage
and
Polarity
........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
600-1

Ming,
Fuses
and
Relays
............
.
.
.
.
600-1

Electrical
System
Safety
Precautions
...
.
.
.
.
600-1

Electrical
Test
Equipment
.....
.
.
.
....
.
.
.
.
600-2

WIRING
DIAGRAMS
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
........
600-2

Ming
Codes
and
Abbreviations
..
.
...
.
....
600-2

ELECTRICAL
TROUBLESHOOTING
..
.
..
600-3

Voltage
and
Voltage
Drops
..........
.
.
.
.
.
600-4

GENERAL



Electrical
System
Safety
Precautions

A
brief
description
of
the
principal
parts
of
the
electrical
sys-
tem
is
presented
here
.
Also
covered
here
are
basic
electrical
system
troubleshooting
tips
.

Voltage
and
Polarity

The
vehicle
electrical
system
is
a
12-volt
direct
current
(DC)
negative-ground
system
.
A
voltage
regulator
controls
system
voltage
at
approximately
the
12-volt
rating
of
the
battery
.
Al¡
circuits
are
grounded
by
direct
or
indirect
connection
to
the

negative
(-)
terminal
of
the
battery
.
A
number
of
ground
con-

nections
throughout
the
car
connect
the
wiring
harness
to

chassis
ground
.
These
circuits
are
completedby
the
battery

cable
or
ground
strap
between
the
body
and
the
battery
nega-

tive
(-)
terminal
.

Wiring,
Fuses
and
Relays

Nearly
all
parts
of
the
wiring
harnessconnect
to
compo-

nents
of
the
electrical
system
with
keyed,
push-on
connectors

that
lock
into
place
.
Notable
exceptions
arethe
heavy
battery

cables
and
the
starter
wiring
.
The
wiring
is
color-coded
for
cir-

cuitidentification
.

With
theexception
of
the
battery
charging
system,
most

electrical
power
is
routed
from
the
ignition
switch
or
the
bat-
tery
through
the
main
fuse/relay
panel,
located
in
¡he
left
rear

comer
of
the
engine
compartment
.
Fuses
are
color
coded
to

indicate
current
capacities
.

The
relays
and
control
units/modules
are
mounted
in
vari-

ous
places
throughout
the
vehicle
.
See610
Electrical
Com-

ponent
Locations
.

ELECTRICAL
SYSTEM-GENERAL
600-1

Voltage,
measuring
.
.
.
................
.
.
600-4

Voltage
drop,
testing
.
.
.....
.
.....
.
......
600-4

Continuity,
checking
..
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
600-5
Short
Circuits
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
600-5

Short
circuit,
testing
with
ohmmete'r
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
600-6

Short
circuit,
testing
with
voitmeter
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
600-6

TABLES
a
.
Terminal
and
Circuit
Numbers
..............
..
.600-3
Please
read
the
following
warnings
and
cautions
before
do-
ing
any
work
on
your
electrical
system
.

WARNING
-

"
The
cars
covered
by
this
manual
are
equipped
with
aSupplemental
Restraint
System
(SRS)
that
automatically
deploys
one
or
more
airbags
.
Each
airbag
unit
houses
an
explosive
powerful
charge
.
Any
work
involving
the
SRS
system
should
only
be
performed
byan
authorized
BMW
dealer
.
Making
repairs
without
the
proper
knowledge
and
special
test
equipment
may
cause
serious
per-
sonal
injury
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
.

"
The
ignition
system
of
the
car
operates
at
lethal
voltages
.
People
with
pacemakers
or
weak
hearts
should
not
expose
themselves
to
the
ignition
sys-
tem
.
Extra
caution
mustbe
taken
when
working
on
the
ignition
system
or
when
servicing
theen-
gine
while
it
is
runningor
the
key
is
on
.
See
120
Ignition
System
for
additional
ignition
system
warnings
and
cautions
.

"
Before
operating
the
starter
without
starting
the
engine
(as
when
making
a
compressfon
test),
dis-
able
the
ignition
system
as
described
in
120
Igni-
tion
System
.

"
Keep
hands,
clothing
and
other
objects
clear
of
the
electric
radiator
coollng
fan
when
working
on
a
warm
engine
.
The
fan
may
start
at
any
tíme,
even
when
the
ignition
is
switched
off
.

GENERAL