Rear suspension BMW 525i 2001 E39 Workshop Manual

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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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020 Maintenance
General ........................... .02 0.2
Special tools ........................ .02 0.2
Service Interval Indicator (Sll) ........... .02 0.3
Service Interval Indicator (Sll), resetting ... .02 0.3
Inspection I, Inspection 11 ............... .02 0.5
Maintenance Tables ................ .02 0.6
Fluid and Lubricant Specifications .. .02 0.9
Fluids and lubricants ................. .02 0.10
Engine Oil Service ................ .02 0.1 I
Engine oil. checking level ............. .02 0.12
Engine oil and filter. changing .......... .02 0-13
Engine Compartment Maintenance . .02 0.14
Accelerator and linkage ............... .02 0.14
Air filter. replacing ................... .02 0.1 4
Cooling system service ............... .02 0.15
Engine drive belt service .............. .02 0.16
Idlespeed .......................... 020-19
Catalytic converter and oxygen sensors .. .02 0.19
Power steering fluid, checking level ..... .02 0.20
Spark plugs ........................ .02 0.20
Spark plugs, replacing ................ .02 0.21
Interior ventilation microfilter, replacing ... .02 0.22
Other Mechanical Maintenance ..... .02 0.22
Battery, checking. cleaning. and replacing .02 0-22
Brake fluid. replacing ................. .02 0-24
Brake pad 1 rotor wear. checking ........ .02 0.24
Brake system, inspecting ............. .02 0.25
Parking brake. checking ............... 020-25
Clutch fluid. checking ................. 020-26
Differential oil level. checking ........... 020-26
Drive axle joint (CV joint) boots. inspecting 020-27
Exhaust system. inspecting ............ 020-27
Fuel filter. replacing .................. 020-27
Fuel tank and fuel lines. inspecting ...... 020-28
Suspension. front. inspecting ........... 020-29
Suspension. rear. inspecting ........... 020-29
Tires. checking inflation pressure ........ 020-29
Tires. rotating ....................... 020-29
Transmission service. automatic ........ 020-29
Transmission service. manual .......... 020-30
Transmission fluid. checking and filling
(manual transmission)
................ 020-30
Wheels. aligning ..................... 020-30
Body and Interior Maintenance ..... 020-31
Body and hinges. lubricating ........... 020-31
Exterior washing ..................... 020-31
Interior care ........................ 020-31
Leather upholstery and trim ............ 020-31
Polishing ........................... 020-32
Seat belts .......................... 020-32
Special cleaning ..................... 020-32
Washing chassis ..................... 020-32
Waxing ............................ 020-32
Windshield wiper blade maintenance ..... 020-33

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Maintenance
Suspension, front, inspecting
Inspection of the front suspension and steering includes a
check of all moving parts
forwear and excessive play. Inspect
ball joint and tie-rod rubber seals and boots for cracks
ortears
that could allow the entry of dirt, water, and other
contaminants. See
310 Front Suspension.
Suspension, rear, inspecting
Differential and rear drive axle service consists of checking
and changing the gear oil, inspecting for leaks, and checking
the drive axle
CV joint boots for damage.
The areas where
lealts are most likely to occurare around the
drive shaft and drive axle mounting flanges. For more infor-
mation on identifying oil leaks and theircauses, see
330 Rear
Suspension and
331 Final Drive.
Tires, checking inflation pressure
Correct tire pressures are important to handling and stability,
fuel economy, and tire wear. Tire pressures change with tem-
perature. Pressures should be
checked oRen during season-
al temperature changes. Correct inflation pressures can be
found on the driver's door pillar and in the owner's manual.
Note that tire pressures should be higher when the car is
more heavily loaded.
WARNING-
Do not inflate any tire to a pressure higher than the tire's max-
imum inflation pressure listedon the sidewall. Use care when
adding air to warm tires. Warm tire pressures can increase as
much as
4 psi (0.3 bar) over their coldpressures.
Tires, rotating
BMW does not recommend tire rotation. Due to the car's sus-
pension design, the front tires begin to wear first at the outer
shoulder and the reartires begin to wearfirst at the middle of
the tread or inner shoulder. Rotating the tires may adversely
affect road handling and tire grip.
Transmission service, automatic
The automatic transmissions installed in E39 models are
filled with special automatic transmission fluid. The transmis-
sion lubricant type can be found on the "type-plate" on the
side of the transmission. The recommended lubricants are
listed earlier in this repair group. See Fluids and lubricants.
If in doubt, consult an authorized BMW dealer for alternate

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11 9-2
Lubrication System
This repair group covers lubrication system troubleshooting
as well as oil pan removal and oil pump replacement.
In 6-cylinder models, removal of the oil pan requires the re-
moval of the exhaust system and some front suspension
components. Those procedures are fully covered in:
180 Exhaust System
210 Clutch
230 Manual Transmission
0 240 Automatic Transmission
310 Front Suspension
320 Steering and Wheel Alignment
NOTE-
Oil change procedure and oil filter replacement are covered
in
020 Maintenance.
CAUTIOG
V8 engines: The oil pump fasteners (including the sprocket
retaining nut) are known to vibrate loose. This can result in oil
starvation and engine failure. Be sure to check oil bolts and
nut tightness whenever the
oilpump is accessible. If any fas-
teners are found to be loose, remove them and reinstall with
Loctite
Band torque to specifications.
Special tools
The engine needs to be properly supported while the front
suspension
subframe is lowered to access the oil pan.
A standard oil pressure gauge may be used for measuring oil
pressure.
Engine support bracket
(Tool No, BMW 00 0 20012011202~2041208)
4 6-cylinder crankshalt rear main seal tools
(Tool No. BMW 00 5 50011
1 1 260)

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300 Suspension. Steering and Brakes .
Genera8
General ........................... .30 0.2
Aluminum suspension components
...... .30 0.2
Front Suspension ................. .30 0.2
Front suspension 6-cylinder models
(525i.5281. 530i) ..................... .30 0.3
Front suspension V-8 models (540i) ...... .30 0.4
Rear Suspension .................. .30 0.5
Sedan models
....................... .30 0.5
Rear suspension sedan models ........ .30 0.6
Sport Wagon models ................. .30 0.6
Rear suspension Sport Wagon
(with coil springs)
.................... .30 0.7
Rear suspension Sport Wagon
(EHC with air springs)
................. .30 0.8
EHC operational diagram .............. .30 0.9
Steering ......................... .30 0.10
Rack-and-pinion steering ............. .30 0.10
Recirculating ball and nut steering ...... .30 0.10
..................... Brake System 300-10
Wheels and Tires ................. 300-1 1
............... Rim and tire sizes table 300-1 1
Electronic Brake and Stability
.................. Control Systems 300-1 1
E39 electronic brake and stability
........ control systems application table 300-12
........................ ABS system 300-1 2
Automatic Stability Control (ASC)
....... 300-12
ABSIASC traction control system ....... 300-13
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
........ 300-14
Ride Height ....................... 300-14
......... Front ride height specifications 300-1 5
......... Rear ride height specifications 300-16

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[~us~ension, Steering and Brakes - General
This section of the manual covers front and rear suspension,
braking and steering systems, and contains wheel, tire and
wheel alignment information and specifications. Also covered
here are the integrated braking and suspension systems in-
cluding
antilock braking (ABS), traction control (ASCIDSC),
and electronic height control (EHC).
Vehicle ride height information is at the end of this repair
group. Alignment information is in
320 Steering and Wheel
Alignment.
Aluminum suspension components
In order to reduce vehicle weight, aluminum suspension com-
ponents are used in some models. A test with a magnet will
easily reveal the metal used. If working with aluminum com-
ponents, be sure to read and follow the cautions below.
CAUTION-
* Due to the chemical and corrosion characteristics of alumi-
num, do not bring into contact with battery acid.
Do not use wire brushes with brass or iron bristles.
Only use brushes with stainless steel bristles.
Do not expose to flying sparks from
grinding/cutting op-
erations.
Do not subject to steel welding splashes.
Do not expose to temperatures over
80°C (176"F),
even for short periods. Temperatures in painting facili-
ties are not a problem.
The E39 front suspension subframe is used as a rigid mount-
ing platform for the front suspension arms, stabilizer bar and
steering gear.
The suspension arms, known as the lower control arms and
the tension struts (thrust arms), are connected to the
sub-
frame through rubber bushings. The arms are connected to
the steering
knucltles in a double pivot configuration.
Each front strut assembly includes a tubular strut and a coil
spring. The upper strut mount includes a bearing. The lower
end of each strut housing is fitted to the steering knuckle. The
integral wheel bearing and hub are bolted to the steering
Iknucltle.
6-cylinder and V-8 models use different steering systems and
other front suspension components.

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300-5
Suspension, Steering and Brakes - ~enerall
The E39 rear suspension subframe is used as a rigid mount-
ing platform
forthe differential (also called final drive) and rear
suspension components. The differential is mounted to the
subframe and the subframe is bolted to the body through rub-
ber bushings which help isolate drivetrain noise and vibration.
The
€39 rear suspension is known as a modified multi-link
system. Three control arms on each side locate the rear
wheels.
The lowercontrol arm, called the swing arm, is attached to the
wheel bearing carrier through a pivoting integral link.
An eccentric mounting bolt at the rear inner mounting of the
swing arm is used for rear camber adjustment.
The inner end of the upper front control arm, called the trac-
tion strut, is also mounted with an eccentric fastener, used to
adjust rear toe.
Drive axles with constant-velocity (CV) joints at both ends
transfer power
from the differential to the road wheels.
Sedan models
The rear suspension in sedan models uses coil springs over
strut shock absorbers. The bottom of each strut bolts to the
wheel
carrier.The top strut mount attaches just below the rear
parcel shelf of the car.
Sedan models fitted with EDC (Electronic Dampening Con-
trol) use air struts.

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300-6
/Suspension, Steering and Brakes - General
Rear suspension sedan models
Coil spring
Strut
-
'01 arm
Sport Wagon models
In order to provide a wide, ilat iloor in the cargo compartment,
the rear suspension on the Sport Wagon is unique to itself.
The shoclcabsorber is attached diagonally between the lower
swing arm and a mounting bracket on the subframe. The
spring on each side is mounted between a perch at the top
oi
the wheel bearing carrier and the bottom of the cargo com-
partment floor.
Starting with
1999 Sporl Wagon models, a self-leveling air
suspension system with electronic height control (EHC) was introduced. The system is standard on
V-8 models and op-
tional on 6-cylinder models.
On models fitted with electronic height control (EHC) rear
suspension, the standard coil springs are replaced by air
springs. Air pressure in the air springs is automatically con-
trolled by the
EHC system to compensate for ride height and
load variations.

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--- .
Suspension, Steering and Brakes - General
Rear suspension Sport Wagon
(with coil springs)
Shock absorber 1

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300-8
Suspension, Steering and Brakes - General
Rear suspension Sport Wagon
(EHC with air springs)
Air sprIn9 Shock absorber I
(tiaction strut) arA
(lower control arm) Integral arm 502330210
EHC initiates a control sequence as necessary. The system
offers the following features:
Control system independent from vehicle engine (no en-
gine driven hydraulic pump system)
Individual control of rear wheels
Uneven load identified and compensated for
Uneven road surfaces identified and not compensated for
Automatic control interrupted when cornering
System diagnosable using the
BMW Service Tester (DIS-
plus, GTI, or MoDiC)