suspension BMW 325i 1997 E36 Repair Manual

Fig
.
20
.
Trailing
arm
front
bracket
bolts
(arrows)
.

NOTE-

BMW-supplied
replacement
trailing
arms
come
with
the
bushings
installed
.
Anew
wheel
bearing
will
have
to
be
installed
.

0013222

11
.
If
trailing
arm
is
being
replaced,
transfer
trailing
arm
front
bracket
.
Transfer
attached
brake
system
compo-
nents
to
newarm
as
described
in
340Brakes
.
Insta¡¡
a
new
wheel
bearing
as
described
earlier
under
Rear
Wheel
Bearings
.

12
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
"
Alwaysuse
new
self-locking
nuts
.
"
Have
car
professionally
aligned
when
job
is
complete
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Drive
axle
#o
final
drive
unit
mounting
flange
M8
Torx
bolt
......
.
...
.....
.
..
..
64
Nm
(47
ft-Ib)
M10
Torx
bolt
.....
...
.
....
.....
100
Nm
(74
ft-Ib)

"
Road
wheel
to
wheel
hub
.
...
100±10
Nm
(74t7
ft-Ib)

"
Shock
absorber
to
trailing
arm
......
77
Nm
(57
ft-Ib)
"
Trailing
arm
tofront
bracket
.......
110
Nm
(81
ft-Ib)

"
Trailing
arm
bracket
to
body
........
77
Nm
(57
ft-Ib)

"Trailing
arm
to
upper

or
lower
control
arm
(M12
bolt)
....
110
Nm
(81
ft-Ib)

REAR
SUSPENSION



330-
1
1

Trailing
arm
bushing,
replacing

NOTE-

When
replacing
any
bushing
in
the
rear
trailing
arm,
measure
and
recordthe
orientation
and
protrusion
of
the
bushing
from
its
boss
.
Press
in
new
bushing
to
match
the
positionof
theold
one
.

1
.
Remove
trailing
arm
as
described
above
.

2
.
Pressbushing
out
of
trailing
arm
using
appropriate
press
tools
.

3
.
Coat
new
bushing
with
Circolight
9
lubricant
or
equiva-
lent
.

4
.
Using
appropriate
press
tools,
draw
new
bushing
into
trailing
arm
until
previously
measured
protrusion
is
achieved
.

5
.
If
front
bracket
bushing
was
replaced,
alignfront
brack-
et
before
tightening
bolt
.
See
Fig
.
21
.

A

B=8mm
measured
upfrom
cast-
ing
mark
on
trailing
arm
.
0013237

Fig
.
21
.
When
installing
trailing
arm
front
bracketuising
8mm
bar
stock
.

6
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

"
Have
car
professionally
aligned
when
job
is
complete
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Trailing
arm
tofront
bracket
.......
110
Nm
(81
ft-Ib)

"Trailing
arm
bracket
to
body
......
.
.
77
Nm
(57
ft-Ib)

REAR
SUSPENSION
ARMS

330-
1
2



REAR
SUSPENSION

Upper
control
arm,

removing
and
installing

1.
Raise
rear
end
of
car
and
remove
wheel
.

WARNING
-

Make
sure
that
the
car
is
firmly
supportedon
jack

stands
designed
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jack

stands
beneatha
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not

place
jack
stands
under
suspension
parts
.

2
.
Remove
drive
axle
as
described
earlier
.

3
.
Remove
stabilizer
bar
link
fromupper
control
arm
.

4
.
Support
trailing
arm
from
below
with
a
transmission

jackorequivalent
.

WARNING
-

It
is
recommended
that
a
retaining
chain
be
in-

stalled
between
the
bottom
coil
of
the
coil
spring

and
the
upper
control
arm
to
retain
thespring
in

case
of
accidental
release
.
Personal
injury
can
re-

sult
if
the
compressed
coil
spring
ís
not
released
slowly
and
carefully
.

5
.
Remove
lower
shock
absorber
bolt
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
18
.

Slowly
lower
trailing
arm
until
coil
spring
is
fully
re-

leased
.
Remove
restraining
chain
and
remove
spring
.

7
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

"
Always
use
new
self-locking
nuts
.

"
Have
car
professionally
aligned
when
job
is
complete
.

"
Insta¡¡
drive
axle
as
described
earlier
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Drive
axleto
final
drive
flange

M8
Torx
bolt
..........
..
.
..
....
64
Nm
(47
ft-Ib)

M10
Torx
bolt
.........
..
..
.
...
100
Nm
(74
ft-Ib)

"
Shock
absorber
to
trailing
arm
..
..
..
77
Nm
(57
ft-Ib)

"
Upper
control
arm

to
final
drive
carrier
(M12
bolt)
...
..
.
77
Nm
(57
ft-Ib)

"
Upper
control
arm

to
trailing
arm
(M12
bolt)
.........



110
Nm
(81
ft-Ib)

Lower
control
arm,

1
.
Raise
rear
end
of
car
and
support
it
securely
on
jack-

stands
.
Remove
rear
wheel
.

2
.
Remove
both
lower
control
arm
mounting
bolts
.

FINAL
DRIVE
CARRIER

3
.
Use
a
soft
hammer
to
tap
control
arm
out
of
its
mount-

ing
points
.

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

NOTE-

Use
a
new
bolt
and
washer
assembly
at
the
final
drive

carrier
mountíng
point
forthe
control
arm
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Lower
control
arm

to
final
drive
carrier
(M12
bolt)
......
77
Nm
(57
ft-Ib)

"
Lower
control
arm

to
trailing
arm
(M12
bolt)
....
..
.
..
110
Nm
(81
ft-Ib)

FINAL
DRIVE
CARRIER

Final
drive
carrier,

removing
and
installing

1
.
Raise
rear
end
of
car
and
support
it
securely
on
jack

stands
.
Remove
rear
wheels
.

2
.
Remove
driveshaft
.
See
260
Driveshaft
.

3
.
Remove
both
drive
axles
as
described
earlier
.

6
.
Remove
both
upper
control
arm
mounting
bolts
.
Re-

move
control
arm
.



4
.
Disconnect
stabilizer
bar
from
upper
control
arms
.
Re-

move
stabilizer
bar
mounts
.

5
.
Disconnect
speedometer
harness
connector
on
final

drive
(where
applicable)
.

6
.
Remove
rear
section
of
exhaust
system
.
See
180
Ex-

haust
System
.

NOTE-

It
may
be
easier
to
remove
complete
exhaust
asonepiece
.
See
180
Exhaust
System
.

7
.
Remove
upper
and
lower
control
arms
as
described

earlier
.

8
.
Support
final
drive
carrierwith
transmissíon
jack
.
Re-

move
mounting
bolts
and
nuts
at
final
drive
carrier

bushing
mounts
.
See
Fig
.
22
.

9
.
Slowly
lower
final
drive
and
final
drive
carrier,
detaching

removing
and
installing



wire
harness
and
connectors
as
necessary
.

10
.
Finaldrive
may
now
be
unbolted
from
final
drive
carrier
.

GENERAL
......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
331-1



Final
Drive
Oil
Seals



.
.
...
.
.
.
.......
.
.
.
.
.
331-1

Finaldrive
flange
oil
sea¡,
replacing
....
.
.
.
..
331-2

FINAL
DRIVE
SERVICE
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
331-1



Finaldrive
inputshaft
oil
seal,
replacing
.
.
.
.
.
331-3

Final
drive
oí¡,
draining
and
filling
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
331-1



Finaldrive
unit,
removíng
and
installing
.
.
.
.
.
.
331-3

GENERAL

This
repa¡r
group
covers
repair
operations
that
do
not
re-

quire
complicated
disassembly
of
the
final
drive
.
Internal
re-

pairs
and
final
drive
disassembly
are
not
covered
in
this

manual
.

FINAL
DRIVE
SERVICE

Al¡
final
drive
work
requires
some
method
of
raising
thecar

and
supporting
it
securely
while
the
work
is
performed
.
Jack

stands
and
a
floor
jack
can
easily
be
used,
but
use
extreme

caution
when
working
beneath
the
car
.
See010
Fundamen-

tais
for
the
Do-It-Yourself
Owner
.

NOTE-

Removal
of
final
drive
carrier
is
covered
in
330
Rear
Suspension
.

Final
drive
oil,
draining
and
filling

1
.
Drive
car
to
warm
final
drive
fluid
.

2
.
Raise
car
and
support
safely
.

WARNING
-

Make
sure
that
thecar
is
firmly
supported
on
jack
standsdesigned
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jack
standsbeneatha
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not
place
jack
stands
under
suspension
parts
.

5
.
Fill
final
drive
with
appropriate
type
and
quantity
of
lu-

bricant
.
Insta¡¡
and
tighten
fill
plug
.

331
Final
Drive

0

Fig
.
1
.



Final
drivedrain
plug
(A)
and
fill
plug
(B)
.

D

NOTE-

The
final
drive
fluid
level
is
correct
when
the
fluid
begins
to
spill
from
the
fill
plug
.

Final
Drive
Oil
Seals

FINAL
DRIVE



331-1

0013113

Final
DriveDrain
and
Fill

"
Oil
specifications

w/o
limited
slip



.
.......
BMW
SAF-XO
Synthetic
Oil

with
limited
slip
.
......
BMW
SAF-XIS
Synthetic
Oil

"
Final
drive
oil
capacity

4-cylinder
.
.
.
...
................
1
.1
liters
(1
.2
qt)

6-cylinder
.
.
.
...
................
1
.7liters(1.8
qt)

3
.
Place
a
drain
pail
below
final
drive
andremove
drain

and
fill
plugfrom
final
drive
.
See
Fig
.
1
.



Low
oil
level
caused
by
faulty
oil
seals
may
be
the
cause
of

noisy
final
drive
operation
or
limited-slip
chatter
.
The
drive

NOTE-



flange
(side)
and
inputshaft
(front)
oil
seals
can
be
replaced

"
Use
a14
mm
alíen
bit
socket
to
remove
the
drain
plug
.



while
the
final
drive
is
installed
.

Alternatively,
cut
approximately
30
mm
(1
.2
in)
from

an
alíen
key
and
usea
box
end
wrenchon
the
key



NOTE-
stub
.
Do
not
mistake
leaking
CV
joints
for
flangeseal
leaks
.

4
.
Install
and
tighten
drain
plug
.



It
may
be
helpful
to
degrease
the
final
drive
to
pinpoint
the
source
of
the
leak
prior
to
replacing
seals
.

FINAL
DRIVE
SERVICE

331-2



FINAL
DRIVE

Make
sure
that
the
car
is
firm1y
supportedon
Tjack

.
.-



"
:
.-



:
.
n



-

2
.
Detach
drive
axle(s)
from
final
drive
.
See330
Rear

Suspension
.

CA
UTION-

Suspend
the
detached
drive
axlefrom
the
car
body
with
a
stiff
wire
hook
to
prevent
damage
to
the
outer
CV
joint
.

Fig
.
3
.



Drive
flange
snap
ring
(arrow)
to
be
removed
from
final
drive

3
.
Pry
drive
flange
from
final
drive
.
See
Fig
.
2
.



housing
.

Fig
.
2
.



Drive
flange
being
pried
off
.
For
leverage,
use
a
wooden
dowel
as
shown
.

4
.
Remove
wire(snap)
ring
from
final
drive
opening
.
See

Fig
.
3
.

NOTE-

Inspect
flangeat
the
point
where
the
oil
seal
rides
on
the
shaft
.
Replace
the
flange
assembly
if
there
is
agrooveworn
in
the
shaft

FINAL
DRIVE
SERVICE

9
.
Attach
drive
axle
and
tighten
bolts
.

10
.
Top
off
final
drive
with
ofl
.

B315

5
.
Pry
old
oil
sea¡
from
its
recess
using
a
hooked
seal
re-

moval
tool,
or
a
large
screwdriver
.
Use
pan
to
catch

draining
fluid
.

CA
UTION-

Be
careful
not
to
mar
the
final
drive
housing
when
removing
the
sea¡
.

6
.
Dip
new
seal
in
final
drive
lubricant
and
drive
seal
into

place
untilfully
seated
.

7
.
Insta¡¡
new
snap
ringin
groove
of
final
drive
housing
.

Make
sureboth
ends
ofring
are
fully
seated
in
groove
.

8
.
Insta¡¡
drive
flangeby
pressing
it
in
by
hand
until
snap
ring
engages
.
It
may
benecessary
to
turn
drive
flange

slightly
while
pushing
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Drive
axle
to
final
drive
flange

M8
Torx
bolt
..
..................
64
Nm
(47
ft-Ib)

M10
Torx
bolt
.
.................
100
Nm
(74
ft-Ib)

Final
driveinputshaft
oil
sea¡,
replacing

1
.
Raise
car
and
support
safely
.

2
.
Drain
final
drive
oil
as
described
earlier
.

3
.
Remove
driveshaft
from
final
drive
inputshaft
flange
.

See
260
Driveshaft
.

4
.
Make
matching
marks
on
input
shaft
and
inputshaft
collar
nut
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Fig
.
4
.



Make
matching
marks
on
input
shaft
collar
nut
and
flange
.

5
.
Pry
lockplate
from
nut
.
Hold
input
flange
andremove

collar
nut
.
If
necessary,
usea
pullerto
remove
input

flange
.

6
.
Remove
final
drive
front
dust
cover
.

8
.
Install
new
final
drivefront
dust
cover
.

9
.
Lightly
lubricate
inputshaft
and
press
input
flange
back

on
.
Insta¡¡
collar
nut
and
slowly
tighten
until
matching

marks
line
up,
coming
as
close
aspossible
to
specified

torque
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Final
driveinputshaft
flange
to
pinion

with
4
bolt
side
covers
.



.........
175
Nm
(129
ft-Ib)

(or
until
match
marks
line
up)

"
Finaldriveinputshaft
flange
to
pinion
with
6
bolt
side
covers
...........
185
Nm
(137
ft-Ib)

(or
until
match
marks
line
up)

CA
UTION-

If
the
input
flange
nuttorque
is
exceeded,
or
the
nut
is
tightened
past
the
marks,
the
crushable
col-
lar
sleeve
behind
theflange
will
need
to
be
re-
placed
.
This
operation
requires
disassembly
of
the
final
drive
unit
.

10
.
Install
a
new
lockplate
and
refill
final
drive
with
lubri-

cant
.

11
.
Remaining
assembly
is
reverse
of
disassembly
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Driveshaftto
final
dríve
flange
...
See260
Driveshaft

"
Flex-disc
to
driveshaft
or
transmission
flange
...........
See260
Driveshaft

"
Finaldrivedrain
and
fill
plugs
...
.
..
.
70
Nm
(52
ft-Ib)

Final
drive
unit,

removing
and
installing

FINAL
DRIVE



331-
3

1
.
Raise
rear
end
of
car
and
support
it
securely
on
jack
stands
.
Remove
rear
wheels
.

2
.
Remove
driveshaft
from
final
drive
input
flange
.
See
7
.
Pry
faulty
sea¡
from
its
recess
using
a
hooked
sea¡
re-



260
Driveshaft
.
moval
toolor
a
large
screwdriver
.
Dip
new
sea¡
in
final

drive
lubricant
and
drive
it
into
position
.



3
.
Remove
both
drive
axles
from
final
drive
unit
.
Suspend

axle
using
stiff
wire
.
See
330
Rear
Suspension
.

CAUTION
-

ee
careful
not
to
mar
the
housing
when
removing



4
.
Disconnect
stabilizer
bar
from
upper
control
arms
.
Re-

the
seas
.



move
left
and
rightstabilizer
bar
mounts
.

5
.
Disconnect
speedometer
harness
connector
on
final

drive
(where
applicable)
.

6
.
Support
final
drive
with
transmission
jack
.
Remove

mounting
bolts
atfront
and
rear
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

7
.
Slowly
lower
final
drive
unit
and
remove
towards
rear
.

FINAL
DRIVE
SERVICE

Brake
rotor,
removing
and
installing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
340-7

MASTER
CYLINDER
............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.340-7

Master
cylinder,
removing
and
installing
.
...
.
340-7

GENERAL



TROUBLESHOOTING

WARNING
-

"
Although
semi-metallic
and
metallic
Brake
friction
materials
in
Brake
pads
or
shoes
no
longer
con-
tain
asbestos,
they
produce
dangerous
dust
.
"
Brake
fluid
is
poisonous,
highly
corrosive
and
dangerous
to
the
environment
Wear
safety
glasses
and
rubber
gloves
when
working
with
Brake
fluid
.
Do
not
siphonBrake
fluid
with
your
mouth
.
Immediately
clean
away
any
fluid
spilled
on
painted
surfaces
and
wash
with
water,
asBrake
fluid
will
remove
paint
.

"
Always
use
new
Brake
fluid
froma
fresh,
un-
opened
container
.
Brake
fluid
will
absorb
mois-
ture
from
the
air
.
This
canlead
to
corrosion
problems
in
the
brakingsystem,
and
will
also
low-
er
the
Brake
fluid's
boiling
point
.
Dispose
of
Brake
fluid
properly
.

"
Do
notreuse
self-locking
nuts,bolts
or
fasteners
.
They
are
designed
to
be
used
only
once
and
may
failif
reused
.
Always
replace
them
with
new
self-
locking
fasteners
.

BMW
E36
models
areequipped
with
vacuum
power-assist-

ed
four-wheel
disc
brakes
with
an
integral
Antilock
Brake
Sys-

tem
(ABS)
.
Single-pistoncalipers
act
on
solid
or
vented
front
rotors
and
solid
rear
rotors
.
A
brake
pad
wear
sensor
for
each

axle
indicates
when
brake
padsneed
replacement
.
The
dual

drum-type
parking
brakesystem
is
integrated
with
the
rear
brake
rotors
.

NOTE-

M3
models
havevented
directional
Brake
rotors
on
the
rearaxle
as
well
ason
the
front
.

340
Brakes

BRAKES
340-1

GENERAL
.
.
.
.
.
.
.........
.
.
.
..........
340-1



BRAKE
BOOSTER
.........
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
340-8

TROUBLESHOOTING
.......
.
......
.
...
340-1



Brake
booster,
removing
and
installing
....
.
.
340-8

PARKING
BRAKE
.
.....
.
...
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
340-10
BLEEDING
BRAKES
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..........
340-3



Parking
brake,adjusting
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
340-10
Pressure
bleeding
brakes



Parking
brake
shoes,
removing
and
installing
.
340-11(except
cars
with
AST)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.340-3



Parking
Brake
cable,
replacing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
340-11

BRAKE
PADS,
CALIPERS,



ANTILOCK
BRAKE
SYSTEM
(ABS)
.
.
.
.340-11
AND
ROTORS
..........
.
.......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
340-3



ABS
System
Inspection
.
...
.
.......
.
.
.
..
340-12
Brake
pads,
replacing
............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
340-4
ABS
wheel
speed
sensors,
replacing
.
.
.
.
..
340-12
Brake
caliper,
removing
and
installing
.
..
..
.
340-6

TABLES

a
.
Brake
System
Troubleshooting
.....
...
.
.
.....
.340-2
b
.
Brake
Rotor
Reconditioning
Specifications
.
.....
.340-7

Brakeperformance
is
mainly
affected
by
three
things
:
the
leve¡
and
condition
of
the
brake
fluid,
the
system's
abilíty
to
create
and
maintain
hydraulic
pressure,
and
the
condition
of
the
friction
components
.

Air
in
the
Brake
fluid
will
make
the
Brake
pedal
feel
spongy

during
braking
or
will
increase
the
Brake
pedalforce
required

to
stop
.
Fluid
contaminated
by
moisture
or
dirt
can
corrode
the

system
.
Inspect
the
Brake
fluid
inside
the
reservoir
.
Ifit
is
dirty
or
murky,
or
is
over
a
year
old,
the
fluid
should
be
replaced
.

Visually
check
the
hydraulic
system
startingat
the
master

cylinder
.
To
check
the
function
of
the
master
cylinder
hold
the

brake
pedal
down
hard
with
the
engine
running
.
The
pedal

should
feelsolid
and
stay
solid
.
If
the
pedal
slowly
falls
to
the

floor,
either
the
master
cylinder
is
leaking
internally,
or
fluid
is
leaking
externally
.
If
no
leaks
canbe
found,
the
master
cylin-
der
is
faulty
and
should
be
replaced
.
Check
all
Brake
fluid
lines

and
couplings
for
leaks,
kinks,
chafing
and
corrosion
.

Check
the
Brake
booster
by
pumping
the
Brake
pedal
ap-

proximately
10
times
with
the
engine
off
.
Hold
the
pedal
down
and
start
the
engine
.
The
pedal
should
fa¡¡
slightly
.
If
not,
check

for
any
visiblefaults
before
suspecting
a
faulty
brake
booster
.

Check
for
strong
vacuum
at
the
vacuum
hose
fitting
at
the

booster,
and
check
the
non-retum
valve
for
one-way
flow
.

Worn
or
contaminated
brake
pads
will
cause
poor
braking

performance
.
Oil-contaminated
or
glazed
pads
will
cause

stopping
distances
to
increase
.
Inspect
the
rotors
for
glazing,

discoloration
and
scoring
.
Steering
wheel
vibration
while

braking
at
speed
is
often
caused
by
warped
rotors,
but
can
also
be
caused
byworn
suspension
components
.

TROUBLESHOOTING

340-2
BRAKES

When
troubleshooting,
keep
in
mind
that
tire
inflation,
wear

and
temperature
can
affect
braking
and
suspension
.
See310

Front
Suspension
for
more
information
on
front
suspension

parts
inspection
.

Table
a
lists
symptoms
of
brake
problems,
their
probable

causes,
and
suggested
corrective
actions
.

Table
a
.
Brake
System
Troubleshooting

Symptom



1



Probable
cause



1



Repairs

Brake
squeal



a
.
Incorrectly
installed
brake
pads
or



a
.
Check
component
installation
.
parking
brake
shoes
b
.
Brakepad
carriers
dirty
or
corroded



b
.
Remove
brake
pads
and
clean
calipers
.
c
.
Brake
pad
anti-rattle
springs
faulty
or



c
.
Install/replace
anti-rattle
springs
.
missing
d
.
Brakepads
heat-glazed
or
oil-soaked



d
.
Replace
brake
pads
.
Clean
rotors
.
Replace
leaking
calipers
as
required
.
e
.
Wheel
bearings
worn
(noise
most



e
.
Replace
worn
bearings
.
See310
Front
Suspension
pronounced
when
turning)



or
330
Rear
Suspension
.

Pedal
goes
to
f
loor
when
braking



a
.
Brake
fluid
leve¡
low
due
to
system



a
.
Check
fluidlevel
and
inspect
hydraulic
system
for
leaks



signs
of
leakage
.
Fill
and
bleed
system
.
b
.
Master
cylinder
faulty



I
b
.
Replacemaster
cylinder
.

Low
pedal
after
system
bleeding



1
a
.
Master
cylinder
faulty



1
a
.
Replace
master
cylinder
.

Pedal
spongy
or
brakes
work
only



a
.
Air
in
brake
fluid



a
.
Bleedsystem
.
when
pedal
is
pumped



b
.
Master
cylinder
faulty
(interna¡
return



b
.
Replacemaster
cylinder
.
spring
weak)
c
.
Leaking
line
or
hose
unions



c
.
Repair
or
replace
lines
and
hoses
.
Bleed
system
.

Excessive
braking
effort



a
.
Brake
pads
wet



a
.
Use
light
pedal
pressure
to
dry
pads
while
driving
.
b
.
Brake
pads
heat-glazed
oroil-soaked



b
.
Replace
brake
pads
.
Clean
rotors
.
Replace
leaking
calipers
.
c
.
Vacuum
booster
or
vacuum
hose
con-



c
.
Inspect
vacuum
lines
.
Test
vacuum
booster
and
re
nections
to
booster
faulty



place
as
required
.
Test
vacuum
non-return
valve
for
one-way
air
flow
.

Brakes
pulsate,
chatter
or
grab



a
.
Warped
brake
rotors



a
.
Resurface
or
replace
rotors
.
b
.
Brake
padsworn



b
.
Replace
brake
pads
.
c
.
Brake
pads
heat-glazed
or
oil-soaked



c
.
Replace
brake
pads
.
Clean
rotors
.
Replace
leaking
calipers
.

Uneven
braking,
car
pulís
to
one



a
.
Incorrect
tire
pressures
or
worn
tires



a
.
Inspect
tire
condition
.
Check
and
correct
tire
pres-
side,
rear
brakes
lock



sures
.
b
.
Brake
pads
on
one
side
of
car
heat-



b
.
Replace
brake
pads
.
Clean
rotors
.
Replace
leaking
glazed
or
oil-soaked



calipers
.
c
.
Caliper
or
brake
pads
binding



c
.
Clean
and
recondition
brakes
.
d
.
Worn
suspension
components



d
.
Inspect
for
worn
or
damaged
suspension
compo-
nents
.
See
310
Front
Suspension
or
330
Rear
Sus-
pension
.

Brakes
drag,
bind
or
overheat



a
.
Brake
caliper
or
brake
pads
binding



a
.
Clean
or
replace
caliper
.(
b
.
Master
cylinder
faulty



b
.
Replacemaster
cylinder
.

WARNING
-

On
cars
with
All
Season
Traction
(AST),
special
BMW
service
equipment
is
required
to
properly
bleed
the
ABS/AST
system
.
For
safety
reasons,
the
brake
system
on
carswith
ABS/AST
must
not
be
bled
using
the
procedures
described
inthis
repair
group
.

BLEEDING
BRAKES

Brake
bleeding
is
usually
done
for
one
of
two
reasons
:
Ei-
ther
to
replace
oíd
brake
fluid
as
part
of
routine
maintenance
or
to
expel
trapped
air
in
the
system
that
resulted
from
open-
ingthe
brake
hydraulic
system
during
repairs
.

BLEEDING
BRAKES

Alwaysuse
new
brake
fluid
from
an
unopened
container
.It

is
important
to
bleed
the
entire
system
when
any
part
of
the

hydraulic
system
has
been
opened
.
On
cars
not
equipped
with
traction
control
(AST),
brake
system
bleeding
should
be

done
with
a
pressure
bleeder
.
On
cars
with
AST,
brake
bleed-

ing
should
be
done
by
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
.

WARNING
-

On
cars
with
All
Season
Traction
(AST),
special
BMW
service
equipment
is
requíred
to
properly
bleed
the
ABS/AST
system
.
For
safetyreasons,
the
brake
system
on
carswith
ABS/AST
must
not
be
bled
using
the
procedures
described
inthís
repair
group
.

When
bleeding
the
brakes,
startat
the
wheel
farthest
from



4
.
Close
bleeder
screw
and
release
brake
pedal
.
Refill
the
master
cylinder
and
progress
in
the
following
order
:



brake
fluid
reservoir
and
proceed
to
rear
left
wheel
.

"
right
rear
brake



5
.
Proceed
with
the
remaining
wheels
using
the
order
list-

"
left
rear
brake



ed
earlier
.

"
rightfront
brake

"
left
front
brake

Pressure
bleeding
brakes

(except
carswith
AST)

1
.
Top
off
brake
fluid
in
reservoir
and
connect
pressure

bleeder
to
reservoir
.
Connect
bleeder
hose
and
bottle
to
right
rearcaliper
bleeder
screw
.
Pressurize
system

to
approximately
1
bar
(14
.5
psi)
.

BRAKES
340-
3

Tightening
Torques

"
Bleeder
screws
:

7
mm
screw
..........
..
.
.
.
.
......
5
Nm
(4
ft-Ib)

9
mm
screw
..........
..
.
..
.......
6
Nm
(5
ft-Ib)

BRAKE
PADS,
CALIPERS,
AND
ROTORS

CAUTION-



TheE36
front
brake
caliper
is
shown
in
Fig
.
2
.
The
rear

Do
not
exceed
a
pressure
of
2
bar
(29
psi)
when



brake
caliper
is
shown
in
Fig
.
7
.

pressure
bleeding
the
brake
system
.
Excessive
pressure
will
damage
the
brake
fluid
reservoir
.



Brake
pads
canbe
replaced
without
disconnecting
the
brake
fluid
hose
from
the
caliper
or
having
to
bleed
the
brakes
.

2
.
Have
a
helperhold
brake
pedal
down
.



The
rotors
can
be
replaced
without
disassembling
the
wheel
huband
bearing
.
Always
machine
or
replace
rotors
in
parts
.

3
.
Open
bleeder
screw
.
See
Fig
1
.
Have
helper
slowly
,



Replace
pads
in
sets
.

pump
brakes
about10
times
with
bleeder
screw
open,

holding
pedal
down
on
the
last
pump
.
When
escaping



WARNING-

fluid
is
free
of
air
bubbles,
close
bleeder
screw
.



"
Althoughsemi-metallicandmetallicbrake
friction
materials
in
brake
pads
or
shoes
no
longer
con

CAUTION-



tain
asbestos,
they
produce
dangerous
dust
.

Bleeder
hose
must
alwaysremain
submersed
in



"
Treat
all
brake
dust
asa
hazardous
material
.
the
clean
brake
fluid
whenever
the
bleeder
valve
is
open
.



"
Do
not
create
dust
by
grinding,
sanding,
orclean-
ing
brake
friction
surfaces
with
compressed
air
.

"
Breathing
any
brake
dust
can
cause
serious
dis-
eases
such
as
cancer,
and
may
result
in
death
.

Brake
pads,
replacing

This
procedure
is
applicable
lo
both
front
and
rear
brakes
.

Front
and
rear
brake
assemblies
are
basically
the
same,
ex-

cept
that
the
rear
brake
rotors
house
the
parking
brake
mech-

anism

1
.
Raise
car
andremove
wheels
.

WARNING
-

Make
sure
thecar
is
firmly
supported
onjack
stands
designed
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jack
stands
be-
neath
a
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not
place
jack
stands
undersuspension
parts
.

2
.
Remove
plastic
caps
from
guide
bolts
and
then
remove

guide
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

0012113



3
.
If
applicable,
disconnect
brake
pad
wear
sensor
con-
Fig
.
1
.



Brake
caliper
bleeder
screw
(arrow)
.



nector
and
remove
wiring
from
its
holder
.

4
.
Remove
anti-rattle
clip
from
caliper
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

BRAKE
PADS,
CALIPERS,
AND
ROTORS

340-
1
0
BRAKES

PARKING
BRAKE

The
parking
brake
is
a
brake
drum
system
integrated
into
the
rear
brake
rotors
.
See
Fig
.
14
.

Adjustment
of
the
shoes
may
benecessary
compensate
for
wear
.
The
parking
brake
should
also
be
adjusted
any
time
the
cable,
the
rear
brake
rotor,
or
the
parking
brake
shoes
are
re-
placed
.

Lower
Parking
brake



Parking
brake



retum
shoe
actuator
spring

Fig
.
14
.
Parking
brake
shoeassembly
.

Parking
brake,
adjusting

2
.
Raise
rearof
car
.

PARKING
BRAKE

Shoe
retainer



Rotor
with
and
spring



integrated
parking
brake

Shoe



drum
I

adjuster



Upper
return
spring

-í
<~
:
:

Rotor
mounting
screw

WARNING
-

Make
sure
the
car
is
firmly
supported
on
jack
stands
designed
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jack
stands
be-
neatha
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not
placejack
stands
undersuspension
parts
.

0011265
3
.
Remove
one
lug
bolt
from
each
rear
wheel
.
Turnroad
wheel
until
lug
bolt
hole
lines
úp
with
parking
brake
ad-
juster
(approximately
65°
to
rear
of
wheel
centerline)
.
See
Fig
.
16
.

4
.
Usinga
screwdriver,
turn
adjusterto
expand
brake
shoes
until
road
wheel
canno
longer
turn,
then
back
adjuster
off
.
Repeatprocedureon
other
rear
wheel
.

Fig
.
15
.
Parking
brake
cable
adjustingnuts
(arrows)
.

The
parking
brake
can
be
adjusted
with
the
wheels
in-

stalled,
although
the
rear
wheels
will
have
to
be
raised
off
the



1



f
l



i\
aground
.

1
.
Lift
parking
brake
lever
boot
out
of
console
.
While
hold-
ing
cables
stationary,
loosen
parking
brake
cable
nuts
until
cablesare
completely
slack
.
See
Fig
.
15
.

0011263
0012727

Fig
.
16
.
Access
parking
brake
shoe
adjuster
approxímately
65°
to
rear
of
vertical
.
Use
flat-bladed
screwdriver
to
turnadjuster
.
On
left
wheel,
turn
adjuster
in
direction
1
to
expand
shoes
.
On
ríght
wheel,
turn
adjuster
in
direction
2
to
expand
shoes
.

Parking
Brake
Adjusting
(initial)

"
Back
off
adjuster
through
wheel
lug
bolt
hole
ex
.
M3
models
.........
..
...
...
.
...
.
18notches
M3
models
............
.
.....
..
..
..
.
.
8notches
5
.
Working
inside
car,
set
parking
brake
several
times
to
seat
cable
.
Then
pull
parking
brake
lever
up
four
notch-
es
.
Tighten
cable
adjusting
nuts
until
it
is
just
possible
to
turnrear
wheels
with
slight
resistance
.

6
.
Release
lever
and
make
sure
rear
wheels
turn
freely
.

7
.
Turn
on
ignition
.
Check
that
light
comes
on
as
soonas



4
.
Remove
parkíng
brake
shoes
as
described
above
.

lever
is
pulled
up
.
5
.
Disconnect
cable
from
parking
brake
actuator
and
then

8
.
Install
parking
brake
lever
boot
.
Install
road
wheel
lug



remove
parking
brakecable
from
cable
holder
on
trail-

bolts
.



ing
arm
.
See
Fig
.
17
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Road
wheel
to
hub
.
..
......
100±10
Nm
(74±7
ft-Ib)

Parking
brake
shoes,

removing
and
installing

1.
Raise
rear
of
car
andremove
road
wheels
.

WARNING
-

Make
sure
the
car
is
firmly
supportedon
jack
stands

designed
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jack
stands
be-

neath
a
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not
place
jack

stands
undersuspension
parts
.

2
.
Without
disconnecting
brake
fluid
hose,
remove
rear

brake
calipers
from
trailing
arms
.
Remove
rear
brake

rotors
.
See
Brake
Pads,
Calipers
and
Rotors
.

CA
UTION-

Do
not
let
the
brake
caliper
assembly
hang
from

the
brake
hose
.
Support
caliper
from
chassis
with
strong
wire
.

3
.
Unhook
upper
return
spring
from
brake
shoes
.
Remove

shoe
retainers
bypushing
them
in
and
rotating
1
/4turn
.

BMW
special
tool
no
.
344
000
can
beused
to
remove

retainers,
if
needed
.

4
.
Spread
shoes
apart
and
lift
them
out
.



7
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Adjust
parking
brake

as
described
earlier
.

NOTE-

When
removing
the
brake
shoes
the
shoe
expander
pivot
pin
in
the
brake
actuator
may
fall
out
.

Two
versions
of
the
Antilock
Brake
System
(ABS)
are
in-

5
.
Inspect
shoe
expander
to
make
sure
it
functions
prop-



stalled
onthe
cars
coveredby
this
manual
.
Early
cars
use
the

erly
.
Apply
a
thin
coat
of
grease
tosliding
parts
and



Teves
Mark
IV
G
ABS
.
Later
cars
use
the
Teves
Mark
20-I

pins
.



ABS
.
The
main
difference
between
the
two
systems
is
that
the

Mark
20-I
system
integrates
the
ABS
control
module
into
the

6
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Be
sure
to
adjust



hydraulic
unit
as
a
single
component
.

parking
brake
cables
as
described
earlier
.

ABS
is
designed
to
be
maintenance
free
.
There
are
noad
Parking
brake
cable,
replacing



justments
that
canbe
made
to
the
system
.
Repair
and
trouble-

shooting
of
the
major
ABS
components
requires
special
test

1
.
Raise
rear
of
car
and
remove
road
wheels
.



equipment
and
knowiedge
and
should
be
done
by
an
autho-

rized
BMW
dealer
.

2
.
Remove
rear
brake
caliper
and
rotor
.
See
Brake
Pads,

Calipers
and
Rotors
.

3
.
Working
inside
car,
lift
parking
brake
lever
boot
out
of

console
.
Remove
cable
adjusting
nut
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
15
.

Fig
.
17
.
Parking
brake
cable
insertion
point
in
rear
trailing
arm
(arrow)
.

6
.
Slide
cable
out
of
housing
.

NOTE
-

BRAKES
340-
1
1

On
some
models
it
may
be
necessary
to
remove
rear

muffler
to
access
the
brake
cabes)
.

ANTILOCK
BRAKE
SYSTEM
(ABS)

0013209

ANTILOCK
BRAKE
SYSTEM
(ABS)