ECT BMW 528i 1998 E39 User Guide

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General
Much of the necessary maintenance and minor repairthat an
automobile will need can be done with ordinary tools. Below
you'll find important information on how to work safely, a dis-
cussion of what tools will be needed and how to use them.
Safety
Although an automobile presents many hazards, common
sense and good equipment can help ensure safety. Many ac-
cidents happen because of carelessness. Pay attention and
stick to the safety rules in this manual.
Lifting the car
4 The proper jacking points should be used to raise the car
safely and avoid damage. The
jack supplied with the car can
only be used at the four side points (arrows) just behind the
front wheels or just in front of the rear wheels.
WARNING-
. Never work under a lifted car unless it is solidly supported
on
jack stands that are intended for that purpose.
When raising the car using a floorjack or hydraulic lift,
carefully position the jack pad to prevent damaging the
car body.
* Watch the jack closely. Male sure it stays stable and
does not shift or tilt.
As the car is raised, it may roll
sliahtlv and the
jack mav shift.
Raising car
- Park car on flat, level surface.
- If changing a tire, loosen lug bolts before raising car. See
Changing
a tire.
Place jack into position.
Malte sure jack is resting on flat, sol-
id surface. Use a board or other support to provide a firm sur-
face for jack, it necessary.
- Raise car slowly while constantly checking position of jack
and car.
- Once car is raised, bloclc wheel that is opposite and farthest
from jack to prevent car from unexpectedly rolling.

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(General
WARNING-
Do not rely on the transmission or the parking brake to
keep the car from rolling. They are not
a substitute forpos-
itively bloclcing the opposite wheel.
Never
work undera car that is supported only by a jaclc.
Use jack stands designed to support the car. See
Tools.
Working under car
- Disconnect negative (-) cable from battery so that car cannot
be started. Let others know what you will be doing.
CAUTION-- Prior to disconnecting the battery, read the battery discon-
nection cautions given in
001 General Cautions and
Warnings.
- Raise car slowly as described above.
- Use at least two jack stands to support car. Use jack stands
designed for the purpose of supporting a car. See Tools.
WARNING-
* A jaclc is a temporary lifting device and should not be used
alone to support the car while you are under it.
Do not use wood, concrete
blocks, or bricks to support
a
ca,: Wood may split Blocks and bricks, while strong,
are not designed for that kind of load, and may break or
- Place jaclc stands on firm, solid surface. If necessary, use a
flat board or similar solid object to provide a firm footing.
- Lower car slowly until its weight is fully supported by jack
stands. Watch to
make sure that the jack stands do not tip or
lean as the car settles on them.
- Observe all jacking precautions again when raising car to re-
move jack stands.

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General
ADVICE FOR THE BEGINNER
The tips that follow are general advice to help the do-it-your-
self BMW owner
periorm repairs and maintenance taslts
more easily and more professionally.
Planning ahead
Know what the whole job requires before starting. Read the
procedure thoroughly, from beginning to end, in
orderto know
just what to expect and what parts will have to be replaced.
Workshop practices
Keeping things organized, neat, and clean is essential to do-
ing a good job. When working under the hood, iender covers
will protectthe finish from scratches and otherdamage. Make
sure the car finish is clean so that dirt under the cover does
not scratch the iinish.
Any repair job will be less troublesome if the parts are clean
For cleaning old parts, there are many solvents and parts
cleaners commercially available.
For cleaning parts prior to assembly, commercially available
aerosol cans of parts cleaner or brake cleaner are handy to
use, and the cleaner will evaporate completely.
WARNING-
Most solvents used for cleaning parts are highly flammable
as well as toxic, especially in aerosol form. Use with extreme
care. Do not smoke. Do not use these products indoors or
near any source of heat, sparks or flame.
Non reusable fasteners
Many fasteners used on the cars covered by this manual
must be replaced with new ones once they are removed.
These include but are not limited to: bolts, nuts (self-locking,
nylock, etc.), roll pins, clips and washers. Genuine BMW
parts should be the only replacement parts used for this pur-
pose.
Some bolts are designed to stretch during assembly and are
permanently altered, rendering them unreliable once re-
moved. These are known as torque-to-yield fasteners. Al-
ways replace fasteners where instructed to do so. Failure to
replace these fasteners could cause personal injury
orvehi-
cle damage. See an authorized BMW dealer for applications
and ordering information.

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General
Table a. General bolt tightening torques in Nm
(max. permissible)
Bolt Class (according to DIN
267)
Gaskets and seals
Gasket aredesigned to crush and become thinner as the mat-
ing parts are bolted together. Once agasket has been used, it
is no longer capable
;f malting as good a seal as when new,
and is much more likely to leak.
Forthis reason, gaskets
should not be reused.
Some gaskets and seals are
d~rectional. Make sure thatthese
are
~nstalled correctly. In places where a shaft must pass
through a housing,
flex~ble lip seals are used to keep the lubri-
cating
011 or grease from leaking out past the rotatlng shaft.
Seals should never be reused once they have been removed.
When
rernovlng a seal, be careful not to damage the metal
surfaces.
The ltey to seal installation is to get the seal in straight without
damaging it. Use a seal driver that is the same diameter as
the seal housing to gently and evenly install into place.
If a
proper size seal driver is not available, a socket of the right
size will do.
Some seals are directional and special installation instruc-
tions apply. Make sure a seal is installed with the lip facing the
correct way. Note the installation direction of the old seal be-
fore removing it.

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01 0-1 0
General
Electrical testing
Many electrical problems can be understood and solved with
only a little fundamental knowledge of how electrical circuits
function.
Electrical current
only flows in a complete circuit. To operate.
every electrical device in the car requires a complete circuit
including a voltage source and a path to ground. The positive
(+) side of the battery is the original voltage source, and
ground is any return path to the negative
(-) side of the bat-
tery, whether through the wiring harness or the car body. Ex-
cept for portions of the charging system, all electrical current
in the car is direct current (DC) and flows from positive
(+) to
negative
(-).
4 Switches are used to turn components on or off by complet-
ing or interrupting the circuit.
A switch is "open" when the cir-
cuit is interrupted, and "closed" when the circuit is completed.
See
600 Electrical System-General for electrical trouble-
(LW, 1 shooting
Wire repairs
Light bulb
(consumer) ' - Repairs to a wiring harness require special care to make the
repair permanent. The wire ends must be clean.
if frayed or
Car body otherwise damaged, cut off the end and remove enough insu- (ground) i Battery lation to complete the repair. if the wire is too short, splice in a BOZLiEL new piece of wire of the same size and make two connec-
tions.
Use connectors that are designed for the purpose. Crimped
on orsoldered-on connectors are best. Crimp connectors and
special crimping pliers are widely available. If soldering, use
needle nose pliers to hold the wire near the solder joint and
create a "heat dam". This keeps the heat and the solder from
traveling up the wire. Always use a solder made specifically
for electrical
work (rosin core).
NOJE-
Twisting wires together to make a repair is not recommend-
ed. Corrosion and vibration will eventually spoil the connec-
tion and may lead to irreparable damage to sensitive
electronic components.
Insulate the finished connection. Electronics stores can sup-
ply heat-shrinkable insulating tubing that can be placed on to
the wire before connecting, slid over the finished joint, and
shrunic to a tight fit with a heat gun or hair dryer. The next best
alternative is electrical tape. Make sure the wire is clean and
free of
solder flux or other contamination. Wrap the joint tight-
ly to seal out moisture. See
600 Electrical System-General
for more information.

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- - ..
General
Many of the maintenance and repair tasks in this manual call
forthe installation of new parts, orthe use of new gaskets and
other materials when reinstalling parts. Most often, the parts
that will be needed should be on hand before beginning the
job. Read the introductorytext and the complete procedure
to
determine which parts will be needed.
NOTE-
For some biggerjobs, partial disassembly and inspection is
required to determine a complete parts list. Read the proce-
dure carefully and, if necessary, male other arrangements to
get the necessary parts while your car is disassembled.
Genuine BMW parts
Genuine BMW replacement parts from an authorized BMW
dealer are designed and manufactured to the same high stan-
dards as the original parts. They will be the correct material.
manufactured to same specifications, and guaranteed to fit
and work as intended. Most genuine BMW parts carry a limit-
ed warranty.
Many independent repair shops make a point of using genu-
ine
BMW parts, even though they may at times be more ex-
pensive than parts from other sources. They know the value
of doing the job right with ihe right parts. Parts from other
sources can be as good as BMW parts, particularly if manu-
factured by one of
BMW's or~ginal equipment suppliers, but it
is often difficult to know.
BMW is constantly updating and improving their cars, often
malting improvements during a given model year. BMW may
recommend a newer, improved part as a replacement, and
your authorized dealer's parts department will know about it
and provide it. The BMW parts organization is best equipped
to deal with your BMW parts needs.
Non returnable parts
Some parts cannot be returned, even for credit. The best ex-
ample is electrical parts, which are almost universally consid-
ered non returnable. Buy electrical parts carefully, and be as
sure as possible that a replacement is needed, especially for
expensive parts such as electronic control units. It may be
wise to let an authorized BMW dealer or other qualified shop
confirm your diagnosis before replacing an expensive non re-
turnable
Dart.

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01 0-1 2
1 General
Information you need to know
Model
When ordering parts it is important that you know the correct
model designation for your car. Models covered in this E39
manual are the
525i,5281,530i, 540i in Sedan and Station
Wagon body styles.
Model year
This is not necessarily the same as date of manufacture or
date of sale.
A 1999 model may have been manufactured in
late 1998, and perhaps not sold until early 2000. It is still a
1999 model. Model years covered by this manual are 1997 to
2002.
Date of manufacture
This information is necessary when ordering replacement
parts or determining if any of the warranty recalls are applica-
ble to your car. The label on the driver's door below the door
latch will specify the month and year that the car was built.
Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN)
This is a combination of letters and numbers that identify the
particular car. The VIN appears on the state registration doc-
ument, and on the car itself. One location is on the right front
strut tower in the engine compartment (arrow), another in the
lower left corner of the windshield.
Engine code
5 Series car covered in this manual are powered by
6 and 8 - cylinderengines. For information on engine codes and en- -. -
gine applications, see 100 Engine-General. -
Transmission code
The transmission type with its identifying code may be
impor- :
tant when buying clutch parts, seals, gaskets, and other .- transmission-related parts. For information on transmission
codes and applications, see 200 Transmission-General.

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BMW dealers are uniquely qualified to provide service for
BMW cars. Their authorized relationship with the large BMW
service organization means that they have access to special
tools and equipment, together with the latest and most accu-
rate repair information.
The BMW dealer's service technicians are highly trained and
very capable. Authorized BMW dealers are committed to sup-
porting the BMW product. On the other hand, there are many
independent shops that provide quality repairwork.
Checking
with other BMW owners for recommendations on service fa-
cilities is good way to learn of reputable BMW shops in your
area.
Most maintenance can be accomplished with a small selec-
tion of tools. Tools range in quality from inexpensive junk,
which may break at first use, to very expensive and
well-
made tools for the professional. The best tools for most do-it-
yourself BMW owners lie somewhere in between.
Many reputable tool manufacturers offer good quality, moder-
ately priced tools with a lifetime guarantee. These are your
best buy. They cost a little more, but they are good quality
tools that will do what
Is expected of them. Sears' Craftsman@
line is one such source of good quality tools.
Some of the repairs covered in this manual require the use of
special tools, such as a custom puller or specialized electrical
test equipment. These special tools are called out in the text
and can be purchased through an authorized BMW dealer.
As an alternative, some special tools mentioned may be pur-
chased from the following tool manufacturers and/or distribu-
tors:
Specialty tool suppliers
Assenmacher Specialty Tools
6440 Odeli Place
Boulder. CO 80301
Baum Tools Unlimited, Inc.
P.O. Box 5867
Sarasota.
FL 34277-5867

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Sockets Socltets are used with a ratchet handle for speed and conve-
nience and can be combined with extensions and universal
joints (swivels) to reach fasteners more easily. The most
common socket drive sizes are
114 inch, 318 inch and 112 inch.
Sockets come in
6 point and 12 point styles. The 6 point offers
a better grip on tight nuts and bolts.
6 mm to 19 mm socltets
are the most needed sizes. Below is a list of typical bolt
diarn-
eters and the corresponding wrench sizes.
Common bolt diameters and wrench sizes
M5 8 rnrn
M6
10 rnm
M8 12rnrnor13rnrn
MI 0 17 rnrn
MI2 19 rnrn
M14 22 mm
Spark plug socket
4 A 518" deep-well socket for sparlt plugs includes a rubber in-
sert to both protect the spark plug from damage and grip it for
easier removal.
Pliers
There are many types of pliers including snap-ring,
needle-
nose, adjustable-joint, slip-joint (Channel-lock@), and locking
(Vice-Grip@) most of which are used for holding irregular ob-
jects, bending, or crimping. Some have special applications.
Needlenose pliers are used for gripping small and poorly ac-
cessible objects, and are useful forwiring and other electrical
work. Locking pliers such as the Vise-Grip@ are useful be-
cause of their tight grip.
Snap-ring and circlip pliers with special tipped jaws are used
to remove and install snap-rings or circlips. Channel-lock@ or
water pump pliers have adjustable jaws that can be quicltly
changed to match the size of the object being held to give
greater leverage,

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.-
General
4 An adjustable wrench can be a useful addition to a small tool
kit. It can substitute in a pinch if two wrenches of the same
size are needed to remove a nut and bolt. Use extra care with
adjustable wrenches, as they tend to loosen, slip, and dam-
age fasteners.
Jack stands
v
BOOBFNG
4 Strong jack stands are extremely important for any work that
is done under the car. Use only jack stands that are designed
for the purpose.
Blocks of wood, concrete, bricks, etc. are not
safe or suitable substitutes.
A
jaclc should be used only to raise the vehicle, not to support
the car for a long period. Always use
jack stands to support a
Jackstands are available in several styles. The best ones are
:
made of heavy material for strength, have a wide base for sta-
bility, and are equipped to positively lock in their raised posi-
tion. Get the best ones available.
Compared to
a wrench of the correct size, an adjustable
Oil change equipment
wrench is always second best. They should only be used
when the correct size wrench is not available. Choose one of
average size range, about
6 to 8 inches in length.
4 Changing engine oil requires a 17 mm socket or wrench to
loosen and tighten the drain plug and a drain pan (at least
8
quart capacity). A wide, low drain pan will fit more easily un-
der the car. Use a funnel to pour the new oil into the engine.
BMW engines use an oil filter canister with a disposable filter
cartridge insert. A
36 mm socket or wrench is required to re-
move the oil filtercanistercover. See
020 Maintenance foroil
change instructions.