1992 BMW M3 manual transmission

121-
8



BATTERY,
STARTER,
ALTERNATOR

1f
the
solenoid
audibly
cliicks
but
the
motor
does
not
turn,



Starter,
removing
and
installing
switch
on
the
lights
andtum
the
key
to
the
start
position
.
lf
the



(6-cylinder
engine
with
lights
go
out
while
attempting
to
start,
the
battery
cable
may
be



manual
transmission)
loose
or
the
starter
may
have
a
short
circuit
.
If
the
lights
stay

on,the
solenoid
is
most
likely
atfault
.
The
starter
on
a
6-cylinder
car
with
manual
transmission
is

Starter,
removing
and
installing

(4-cylinder
engine)



1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.

1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
cable
from
battery
.

CAUTION-

Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery

disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this

manual
on
page
viii
.

2
.
Remove
guide
tube
for
oil
dipstick
.

3
.
Raise
vehicle
.

WARNING
-

Make
sure
the
car
ís
stable
and
wefl
supported
at
all
times
.
Use
a
professional
automotive
lift
or
jack
stands
designed
forthe
purpose
.
A
floor
jack
is
not
adequate
support
.

4
.
Disconnect
wiring
from
starter
.

5
.
Remove
top
and
bottom
starter
bolts
.
Bottom
bolt
must

be
removed
from
below
car
.
Remove
starter
support

bracket,
if
applicable
.

removed
from
below
.

2
.
Raise
vehicle
.

3
.
Remove
reinforcing
cross
bracefromunder
transmís-

sion,
if
applicable
.

4
.
Remove
cover
from
fuel
filter
and
fuel
lines
on
left
side

underneath
car,
if
applicable
.
Detach
fuel
lines
and
har-

ness
connectors
from
retainingbrackets,
as
necessary

5
.
Disconnect
wiring
from
starter
.

6
.
Loosen
andremove
bolts
and
nuts
fastening
starter
to

transmission
bell
housing
and/or
engine
block
.
Remove

starter
supportbracket
.

7
.
Remove
starter
from
below
.

8
.
Check
starter
pinion
gear
and
flywheel
teeth
for
dam-

age
.

9
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

6
.
Pull
starter
downward
and
turn
until
solenoid
is
at
top,



Tightening
Torques

then
remove
from
car
.



"
Re¡
nforcing
cross
brace

to
chassis
(M10)
..
...............
42
Nm
(31
ft-Ib)

7
.
>Check
starter
pinion
gear
and
flywheel
teeth
for
dam-



"
Starter
to
engine
block
(M10
bolt)
...
50
Nm
(37
ft-Ib)

age
.



"
Support
bracket
to
starter
(M5
nut)
...
5
Nm
(44
in-lb)

"
Support
bracket

8
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.



to
engine
block
(M10
bolt)
.........
47
Nm
(35
ft-Ib)

"
Wire
to
terminal
50
(M6
nut)
.........
6
Nm
(53
ín-Ib)

"
Wire
to
terminal
30
(M8
nut)
.........
12
Nm
(9
ft-lb)

Tightening
Torques

"
Starter
to
engine
block
(M10
bolt)
...
50
Nm
(37
ft-lb)

Wire
to
terminal
50
(M6
nut)
........
6
Nm
(53
in-lb)

"
Wire
toterminal
30
(M8
nut)
...
,
..:.
12
Nm
(9
ft-Ib)

STARTER
SERVICE

170-2



RADIATOR
AND
COOLING
SYSTEM

Cooling
Fans



TROUBLESHOOTING

Belt-driven
coolingfan
.
The
primary
cooling
fan
is
belt-

driven
.
It
is
mounted
to
the
frontof
the
coolant
pump
through
a

fan
clutch
.
The
fan
clutch
is
a
viscous
fluid
coupling
that
con-

trols
the
speed
of
thefan
based
on
engine
compartment
tem-

perature
.

Electric
cooling
fan
.
Models
with
M44
engine
and
stan-

dard
transmission
substitute
an
electric
fan
for
the
belt-driven

viscous
fan
.
This
is
attached
to
the
rear
of
the
radiator
and

controlledvia
the
DME
5
.2
engine
management
system
.

NOTE-

The
electric
cooling
fan
in
these
models
is
activated
by
the
engine
control
module
(ECM)
.

Auxiliary
coolingfan
.
In
al¡
models
a
two-speed
electric

auxiliary
cooling
fan
is
mounted
behind
the
front
grill
and
in

front
of
the
radiator
.
This
fan
is
primarily
used
for
the
A/C
sys-

tem,
but
also
operates
when
the
coolant
temperature
ex-

ceeds
a
predetermined
leve¡
.

Warnings
and
Cautions

The
following
warnings
and
Cautions
should
beobserved

when
working
on
the
cooling
system
.

WARNING
-

"
Atnormal
operating
temperature
the
cooling
sys-
tem
is
pressurized
.
Allow
the
system
to
cool
as
long
as
possible
before
opening-a
minimum
of
an
hour-then
release
the
cap
slowly
to
allow
sale
release
of
pressure
.

"
Releasing
the
cooling
system
pressure
lowers
the
coolants
boiling
point
and
the
coolant
may
boíl
suddenly
.
Use
heavy
gloves
and
wear
eye
and
laceprotection
to
guard
against
scalding
.

"
Use
extreme
care
when
draining
and
disposing
of
engine
coolant
.
Coolant
is
poisonous
and
lethal
to
humans
and
pets
.
Pets
are
attracted
to
coolant
because
of
its
sweet
smell
and
taste
.
Consult
a
veterinarian
immediately
if
coolant
is
ingested
byan
animal
.

CAUTION-

"
Avoidadding
cold
water
to
the
coolant
while
the
engine
is
hot
or
overheated
.
If
it
is
necessary
to
add
coolant
to
ahot
system,
do
so
only
with
the
engine
running
and
coolant
pump
tuming
.

"
Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
bat-
tery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
viii
.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Most
cooling
system
faults
can
be
grouped
into
one
of
three

categories
:

"
Cooling
system
leaks

"
Poor
coolant
circulation

"
Radiator
cooling
fan
faults

When
investigating
the
cause
of
overheating
or
coolant

loss,
begin
with
a
visual
inspection
.
Be
sure
to
check
the
con-

dition
and
tension
of
the
coolant
pump
drive
belt
.
Check
hoses

for
cracks
or
softness
.
Check
clamps
for
looseness
.
Check

the
coolant
leve¡
and
check
for
evidence
of
coolantleaks
from

the
engine
.

Check
that
the
radiator
fins
are
not
blocked
with
dirt
or
de-

bris
.
Clean
the
radiator
using
low-pressure
water
or
com-

pressed
air
.
Blow
outward,
fromthe
engine
side
out
.

Inspect
the
coolant
pump
by
first
removing
the
drive
belt

from
the
pump
.
Firmly
grasp
opposite
sídes
of
the
pulley
and

check
for
play
in
all
directions
.
Spin
the
pulley
and
check
that

the
shaft
runs
smoothly
.

NOTE-

The
coolant
provides
lubrication
for
the
pump
shaft,
soan
occasional
drop
of
coolant
leaking
from
the
pump
is
acceptable
.
If
coolant
drips
steadily
from
the
vent
hole,
the
pump
should
be
replaced
.

The
cooling
system
becomes
pressurized
at
normal
operat-

ing
temperature,
which
raises
the
boiling
point
of
the
coolant
.

Leaks
may
prevent
the
system
from
becoming
pressurized,

allowing
the
coolant
to
boil
at
a
lower
temperature
.
If
visual
ev-

idence
is
inconclusive,
a
cooling
system
pressure
test
can

help
to
pinpointhard-to-find
leaks
.

If
the
cooling
system
is
full
of
coolant
and
holds
pressure,

the
next
most
probable
cause
of
overheating
are
:

"
Faulty
radiator
fan

"
Loose
or
worn
drive
belt

"
Failed
thermostat
or
coolant
pump

"
Clogged/plugged
radiator
or
coolant
passages
.

NOTE
-

"
Some
early
style
coolant
pumps
were
fitted
wíth
fi-
berlplastic
type
impellers
.
Over
time,
this
impeller
can
wear
away
and
result
in
overheating
.
The
plastic
im-
peller
can
also
slip
or
free-wheel
on
the
pump
shaft
.
If
the
engine
overheats
and
no
other
faults
canbe
found,
theold
style
impeller
may
be
the
cause
of
the
problem
.

"
Only
pumps
with
the
updated
metal
impeller
should
be
used
for
replacement
.

170-
4



RADIATOR
AND
COOLING
SYSTEM
A
quick
testat
the
coolant
temperature
gauge
sender
can



The
auxiliary
cooling
fan
comes
on
when
coolant
tempera

determine
if
the
gauge
is
functioning
correctly
.



ture
exceeds
a
predetermined
leve¡
or
whenever
the
air
condi-

tioning
is
on
.
A
dual-range
temperature
switch
for
cooling
fan
lf
the
gauge
needie
remains
at
the
rest
position
with
theen-



control
is
mounted
on
the
right
side
of
the
radiator
.
See
Fig
.
3
.
gine
warm,
remove
the
harness
connector
from
the
sender
and
jumper
the
correct
terminals
in
the
connector
to
simulate
a
high
engine
temperature
.
See
Table
a
.
Turn
the
ignition
on
.

If
the
gauge
needle
moves
upward,
the
sender
is
faulty
.
If
the

gauge
does
not
respond,
the
wiring
to
the
gauge
is
broken
(open
circuit)
or
the
gauge
itselfis
faulty
.

WARNING
-

1996
and
laten
models
are
OBD
11
compliant
.
Dis-
connecting
electrical
connectors
wíth
the
ignition
turned
on
may
set
fault
codes
in
the
ECM
.
It
is
rec-
ommended
that
you
leave
the
diagnosis
of
faults
in
the
coolant
temperature
sensorsystem
to
the
BMW
dealer
service
department
which
has
specialized
OBD
11
scan
tool
equipment
.

If
the
gauge
needle
reads
too
high
when
the
engine
is
cold,
remove
the
harness
connector
from
the
sender
.
Turn
the
igni-

tion
on
.
lf
the
gauge
needle
position
does
not
change,
the
wir-

ing
or
the
gauge
is
shorted
to
ground
.
If
the
gauge
needle

drops,
the
sender
is
faulty
and
should
be
replaced
.
When
re-

placing
a
faulty
coolant
temperature
sender,
the
gasket
ring
on
the
sender
should
also
be
replaced
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Temperature
gauge
sender
to
engine
18
Nm
(13
ft-Ib)

Cooling
fan,
testing

NOTE-

OnM44
engines
with
manual
transmission,
the
primary
electric
cooling
fan
is
mounted
on
the
engine
side
of
the
radiator
and
is
controlled
by
the
engine
control
module
(ECM)
.
Troubleshooting
thiscircuit
should
be
left
to
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
with
the
proper
diagnostic
equipment

An
otherwise
sound
cooling
system
may
still
overheat,
par-
ticularly
with
prolonged
idling,
due
to
a
failure
of
the
coolíng

fan(s)
.

The
belt-driven
cooling
fan
is
controlled
by
a
temperature
dependent
viscous
clutch
.
A
failed
fan
clutch
may
affect
air
flow
through
the
radiator
resulting
in
overheating
orpossibly
overcooling
.
Speed

Low
sp
High
s

With
the
engine
off,
check
thefan
clutch
by
spinning
thefan
.



eed
The
fan
should
spin
on
the
clutch
with
some
resistance
.



peed
Check
for
signs
of
leaking
fluid
from
the
clutch
.
If
thefan
free-
wheels
with
no
resistance,
cannot
be
tu
rned
by
hand,
or
there
are
signs
of
oil
leakage,
the
clutch
should
be
replaced
.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Fig
.
3
.



Radiatorcooling
fan
temperature
switch
(arrow)
.

WARNING
-

"
Use
caution
when
testing
the
electric
cooling
fan(s)
and
coolant
temperature
switch
.
Keep
hands
and
wires
clear
of
thefan
blades
.
The
cool-
ing
fan(s)
can
run
any
time
the
ignition
is
ON
.

"
For
greatest
safety,
coolíng
fan
and
coolant
tem-perature
switch
tests
shouldbe
performed
on
acoldengine
with
the
air
conditioning
off
.

Table
b
.
Auxiliary
Cooling
Fan
Switching

Temperatures

Switching
temperature
196°F(91°C)
210°F(99°C)

0012506

If
a
faulty
thermostat,
trapped
air,
or
a
restriction
in
the
sys-
tem
is
not
allowing
the
coolant
to
circulate
through
the
radia-
tor,
the
temperature
switch
will
not
close
and
the
auxiliary
cooling
fan
will
not
run
.
Before
making
the
tests
described
be-
low,
make
sure
the
thermostat
is
operating
correctly
as
de-
scribed
earlier
.
The
normal
switching
temperatures
for
the

dual
-speed
switch
are
listed
in
Table
b
.

GENERAL
..
.
......
.
.
.
.....
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
200-1

Manual
Transmission
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.'
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
200-1

Automatic
Transmission
.........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
200-1

Transmission
ID
Codes
..........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
200-2

GENERAL

E36
models
areequipped
with
a
longitudinal
drivetrain
.
The

transmission
is
bolted
directly
to
the
rear
of
the
engine
.
A

driveshaft
connects
the
output
shaft
of
thetransmission
to
the

final
drive
.
The
final
drive
is
mounted
lo
the
rear
suspension

and
the
body
.
Individual
drive
axles
with
integrated
constant

velocity
joints
transfer
rotational
power
to
the
rear
wheels
.

Manual
Transmission

Due
to
different
power
characteristics
and
performance
re-

quirements,
four
different
manual
transmissions
are
used
in

the
models
coveredby
this
manual
.
Manual
transmission
ap-

plications
are
given
in
Table
a
.

TRANSMISSION-GENERAL
200-1

200
Transmission-General

TABLES

a
.
Manual
Transmission
Applications
..
...........
200-1
b
.
Automatic
Transmission
Applications
...........
200-1

Fig
.
1
.



ZF-manufacturedmanual
transmission
.

For
transmission
gear
ratio
information
and
repair
informa-

tion,
see
230
Manual
Transmission
.



Automatic
Transmission

E36
carswith
standard
transmission
use
a
single-disc
clutch
with
dual-mass
flywheel
.
For
further
information,
see
210
Clutch
.

Table
a
.
Manual
Transmission
Applications

Model
Year
Engine
Transmission
318ifisfC



1992-1995



M42



Getrag
S5D
200
G'

1996-1998



M44



Getrag
S5D
250
G

323is/iC



1998



M52



Getrag
S5D
250
G

325ifsriC



1992-1995



M50



Getrag
S5D
250
G

3281/isfC



1996-1998



M52



ZF
S5D320
Z

M3



1995



S50US



ZF
S5D310
Z

1996-1998



S52US



ZF
S5D320
Z

'The
1992
M42
engine
may
be
fitted
witheither
the
Getrag
SSD
200
G
trans-
mission
or
S5D
250
Getrag
.
The
S5D
200G
was
discontinued
in
production
in
as
of
9/92
.
Thistransmission
is
interchangeable
with
Getrag
S5D
250
G
.

Four
different
automatic
transmissions
are
used,
depend-

ing
on
model
and
model
year
and/or
production
date
.
All
of
the

automatic
transmissions
are
electrohydraulically
controlled

with
either
four
or
five
forward
speeds
.
Automatic
transmis-

sion
applications
are
given
in
Table
b
.

For
automatic
transmission
repair
information,
see
240Au-

tomatic
Transmission
.

Table
b
.
Automatic
Transmission
Applications

Model
1
Year
1
Engine
1
Transmission

318i1is/1C



1992-1995
~
M42
323isfiC



1998



M52



A4S
310
R
3251/is/1C
1992-1995
M50

3181/isfC



11996-1998



M44



A4S
270
R
328i/is/1C
1996-1998
M52

M3



1996-1998



S50US



I
A5S
310
Z
S52US

GENERAL

200-2
TRANSMISSION-GENERAL

Transmission
ID
Codes

On
both
manual
and
automatic
transmissions,
the
code
let-

ter
and
transmission
type
numbers
should
be
located
onan
ID

plate
attached
to
the
síde
of
thetransmission
.
Do
not
rely
on

numbers
cast
on
the
transmission
case
for
identification
.

In
addition,
thetransmission
lubricant
varies
between
trans-

missions
and
model
years
.
Fluid
application
information
should
be
clearly
marked
on
a
label
on
thetransmission
.

On
manual
transmissions,
either
ATF
(orange
label
reads

ATF-Oil!)
or
a
special
BMW
lubricant
(yellow
label
reads
MTF-

LT
1)
are
used
.
See
230Manual
Transmission
.

Automatic
transmissions
are
filled
with
either
Dexron
III
ATF
(black
trans
.
type
plate
reads
ATF-Oil!),
a
special
ffe-
time
oil
(green
trans
.
type
plate
reading
Life-Time
ó1)
.
See
240AutomaticTransmission
.

GENERAL

CAUTION-

lf
in
doubtas
to
the
typeof
fluid
installed
in
a
par-
ticular
transmission,
consult
and
authorized
BMW
dealer
service
department
for
the
latest
in
operat-
ing
fluids
.

Fig
.
2
.



Typical
location
of
IDpíate
on
automatic
transmission
housing
(arrow)
.
A4S
310R
(THM-R1)

210-2
CLUTCH

Clutch
hydraulic
system,

bleeding
and
flushing

If
the
clutch/brake
fluid
is
murky
or
muddy,
or
has
not
been

changed
within
the
last
two
years,
the
system
should
be

flushed
.
Flushing
the
old
fluid
from
the
clutch
lines
is
done
us-

ing
a
brake
system
pressure
bleeder
.

1
.
Remove
brake
fluíd
reservoir
cap
.
Usinga
clean
sy-

ringe,
remove
brake
fluid
from
reservoir
.
Refill
reservoir

with
clean
fluid
.

2
.
Attach
pressure
brake
bleeder
to
fluid
reservoír
.

CA
UTION-

Do
not
exceed
2
bar
(29
psi)
pressure
at
the
fluid
reservoir
when
bleeding
or
flushing
the
hydraulic
system
.

3
.
Connect
a
length
of
hose
from
clutch
slave
cylinder

bleeder
valve
lo
a
container
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

0012003
Fig
.
2
.



Clutch
slave
cylinder
bleeder
valve
on
left
side
of
transmission
(arrow)
.

4
.
Open
bleeder
valve
and
allow
brake
fluid
to
expel
until
clean
fluid
comes
out
free
of
air
bubbles
.

5
.
Close
bleeder
valve
and
disconnect
pressure
bleeding
equipment
from
fluid
reservoir
.
Hose
on
bleeder
valve
remainsconnected
.

6
.
Slowly
operate
clutch
pedal
about10
times
.
Fill
reser-
voir
with
clean
fluid
asnecessary
.

7
.
Unbolt
slavecylinder
from
transmission
.

8
.
Position
slave
cylinder
so
that
bleeder
valve
is
facing
up
(highest
point)
.

CLUTCH
HYDRAULICS

9
.
Open
bleeder
valve
and
slowly
push
slave
cylinder

pushrod
al¡
the
way
in
.
Close
bleeder
valve
and
slowly

release
pushrod
.
Repeat
procedure
until
fluid
runs
out

clear
and
without
bubbles
.

10
.
Disconnect
bleeder
hose
.
Instan
slavecylinder
lo
trans-

mission
.
Add
cleanbrake
fluid
to
reservoir
as
neces-

sary
.
Check
clutch
operation
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Clutch
slave
cylinder
to
transmission
................
..
22
Nm
(17
ft
lb)

Clutch
master
cylinder,
replacing

The
clutch
master
cylinder
is
mounted
to
the
pedal
assem-

bly,
directly
above
the
clutch
pedal
.
1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
cable
from
battery
.

CAUTION-

Prior
to
disconnectiog
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautionsgiven
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
viii
.

2
.
Remove
brake
fluid
reservoir
cap
.
Usinga
clean
sy-

ringe,
remove
brake
fluid
from
reservoir
.

CA
UTION-

Brake
fluid
is
poisonous,
highly
corrosive
and
dan-gerous
to
the
environment
.
Wear
safety
glasses
and
rubbergloves
when
working
with
brake
fluid
.
Do
notsiphonbrake
fluid
with
your
mouth
.
Imme-
diately
clean
away
any
fluid
spilled
on
painted
sur-
faces
and
wash
with
water,
asbrake
fluid
will
remove
point
.

3
.
Disconnect
fluid
supply
hose
from
master
cylinder
.

Placea
pan
under
hose
to
catch
any
excess
fluid
.

4
.
Working
in
engine
compartment,
disconnect
fluid
line
fitting
frommaster
cylinder
.

5
.
Working
in
passenger
compartment,
remove
lower
in-
strument
panel
trim
above
pedal
cluster
.

6
.
Disconnect
clutch
pedal
from
clutch
master
cylinder
push
rod
by
removing
clevis
pin
locking
clip
and
slide
out
clevis
pin
.

7
.
Remove
master
cylinder
mounting
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

8
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Fill
fluid
reservoir
with
clean
fluid
.
Bleed
clutch
hydraulics
as
described
earlier
.

Connect
negative
cable
to
battery
last
.

210-
4
CLUTCH

Clutch,
removing

1
.
Remove
transmission
fromengine
.
See230
Manual

Transmission
.

2
.
Remove
release
bearing
from
transmission
inputshaft
.

3
.
Remove
clutch
release
lever
by
sliding
it
out
from
under

spring
clip
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

Fig
.
5
.



Remove
clutch
release
lever
by
pulling
away
from
spring
clip
in
direction
of
arrow
.

4
.
Lock
flywheel
in
posítion
using
a
suitable
locking
tool
(BMW
Special
tool
no
.
11
2
170,or
equivalent)
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

Fig
.
6
.



Flywheel
locking
tool
(arrow)
installed
to
rear
of
cylinder
block
.

CLUTCH
MECHANICAL

0011581

0012008

5
.
Install
a
clutch
centering
tool
through
clutch
assembly

to
prevent
clutch
disc
from
falling
out
when
removing

pressure
plate
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

Fig
.
7
.



Clutch
centering
tool
(arrow)
shown
installed
through
clutch
disc
and
flywheel
.

6
.
Remove
six
bolts
from
perimeter
of
pressure
plate
.
Re-

move
pressure
plate
and
clutch
disc
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

Fig
.
8
.



Clutch
pressure
plate
mounting
bolts
(arrows)
.

0012009

6529

210-
6
CLUTCH

9
.
Clean
and
inspectrelease
bearing
guide
sleeve
on

transmission
.
Install
release
lever
and
release
bearing
.

See
Fig
.
11
.

A

0011582

Fig
.
11
.
Clutchrelease
bearing
correctly
installed
on
guide
sleeve
(A)
.
Bearing
tabs
(B)
align
with
contact
points
(C)
on
release
lever
.

10
.
Insta¡¡
transmission
.
See230
Manual
Transmission
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Flywheel
to
crankshaft
(use
new
bolts)

M42/M44
engines
....
.
..
...
....
120
Nm
(89
ft-Ib)
All
others
..........
..
.
..
......
105
Nm
(77
ft-Ib)

"
Pressure
píate
to
flywheel

M8
8
.8
grade
......
...
.
.
........
24
Nm
(18
ft-Ib)
M8
10
.9
grade
.....
..
..
..
.......
34
Nm
(25
ft-Ib)

CLUTCH
MECHANICAL

Transmission
pilot
bearing,
replacing

1
.
Remove
clutch
as
described
earlier
.

2
.
Remove
transmission
pilot
bearing
from
end
ofcrank-

shaft
using
BMW
special
tool
no
.
11
2
340,
or
equiva-
lent
.

3
.
Press
new
bearing
finto
placeusing
BMW
Specíal
Tool

no
.
11
2
350,or
equivalent
.