1993 BMW M3 E36 m3

400-2
BODY-GENERAL

4-door
Sedan

Coupe

-
saas3
.7""

351
/



37
.3
O



I
x
`-193



267

o
oa

'3281
model
"M3
model

Convertible

BODYASSEMBLY

55
ass
.e
iss
""
-
66
.9
-

Fig
.
2
.



E36
body
dimensíons
.

BODY
ASSEMBLY

29
.4

29
4

The
BMW
3
Series
chassis
is
a
unibodydesign
constructed
ofhigh
strength
steel
.
Attaching
parts,
suchas
the
front
fend-
ers,
rear
quarter
panels,
doors,
trunk
lid
and
hood
are
also
constructed
of
steel
.

706
.31108
.7"



I
38
.5
174
.5

174
.5

O



oo

196
.3/106
.7'
"



35_5



1.
.
55
.9,566
".

106
.3/196
.7""



i.
358
-1745-

55
9/56
3'/56
6"
-
J

0013099

Windows
bonded
flush
to
the
body
and
the
guided
flow
of
cooling
air
into
the
engine
compartment
provide
a
good
coeffi-
cient
of
drag(CD)
.
TheE36
cars
have
a
CD
of
approximately
0
.30for
the
sedan
and
coupe
models,
and
0
.35
for
the
con-
vertible
models
:

The
exterior
panels
are
corrosion-resistant
zinc
coated

steel
.
The
front
fenders
are
bolted
on
and
easily
replaceabie
.
The
body
styles
of
E36
cars
coveredby
this
manual
arethe



See410
Fenders,
Engine
Hood
.
4-door
sedan,
2-door
coupe
and
convertible
.
Body
dimen-
sions
vary
slightly
betweenmodels
.
See
Fig
.
2
.



The
front
and
rear
bumpers
use
an
aluminum
framework
with
an
overlaid
high-impact,
deformable
plastic
cover
.
This
Exterior
and
Aerodynamics



bumper
system
keeps
damage
to
a
minimum
in
head-on
colli-
sions
of
up
to
10
m
.p
.h
.
(15
km/h)
.
See
510
Exterior
Trim,
TheE36
can
be
immediatelyrecognized
asa
typical
BMW
.



Bumpers
.
With
its
traditionalstyling
features,
suchas
the
BMW
kidney
grille,
circular
headlights
behind
a
glass
cover
(for
reasons
of
streamliníng),
and
the
"kick"
in
the
rearmost
roof
pillar
(C-pil-
lar)
.

TheE36
convertible
is
an
all-season
vehicle
with
a
high
lev-
e¡offunctionality,
excellent
interior
comfort,
and
acoustic
re-

finement
.
Interior
materials
and
colors,
the
soft
top
and
the

light-alloy
wheelshave
been
carefully
matched
.

Various
versions
of
manual
and
automatic
soft
tops
have
been
used,
with
the
fully
automatic
convertible
roof
being
in-

stalled
beginning
in
the
1997
model
year
.

A
hard-top
in
body
color
with
heated
rear
window
is
avail-

ableas
an
option
for
the
cold
season
.

BODY-GENERAL
400-
3

Coupe
Models



The
convertible
body
structure
includes
many
passive
safe-

ty
refinements
over
its
fixed-top
counterparts
.
Some
of
the
en-

TheE36
coupe
is
similar
to
the4-door
sedan,
but
has
a



hancements
include
:

more
stretched
and
sleeker
appearance
.
Thus,
with
the
same

wheelbase
and
identicallength,
it
looks
different
but
still
famil-



"
More
rígíd
underbody
.

iar
.



"
Transverse
seat
members
.

"
Reinforced
windshield
frame
with
bonded
windshield,

The
2-door
variant
differs
from
the
4-door
sedan
by
a
3
.12



and
tubular
door
reinforcements
.

inch
(8
cm)
longer
front
end,
a
flatter
hood
line
with
air
slits,



"
Rollover
protection
system,
which
is
tripped
into
position

and
a
roof
almost
1
.2
inches
(3
cm)
shorter
.
Additional
differ-



in
a
fraction
of
second
.
This
is
available
as
optional

ences
include
wider
doors
with
frameless
Windows,
glass-



equipment
(standard
on
the
1998
328iC)
and
may
be
fit-

covered
door-posts
(B-pillars)
and
a
shorter
and
lower
lug-



ted
to
earlier
convertible
models
.
With
this
feature,
two

gage
compartment
lid
.



bars
fully
independent
of
each
other
come
up
behind

each
rear-seat
backrest
when
the
vehicle
is
in
danger
of

Convertible
Models



turning
over
.

A
convertible
body
normally
flexes
and
vibrates,
transfer-

ring
oscillations
to
the
luggage
compartment
.
In
the
E36
con-

vertible,
BMW
utilizes
a
special
battery
in
the
luggage
compartment,
in
conjunction
with
a
unique
battery
tray,
asa

vibration
dampening
system
to
counteract
thisoscillation
.

CAUTION
-

The
E36
convertible
requires
a
specialbattery
which
is
designed
for
constant
vibration
.

Information
for
the
convertible
top
and
its
related
mecha-

nisms
can
be
found
541
Convertible
Top
.

BODYASSEMBLY

400-
4
BODY-GENERAL

INTERIOR
EQUIPMENT

E36
interiors
have
a
unique
character,
with
a
combínation
of
sporty
features
and
innovative
design
.
Al¡
body
versions
were
made
in
a
wide
choice
of
interior
and
exterior
colors
.
New

colors
with
matching
leather
and/or
fabric
upholstery
were
in-
troduced
for
each
model
year,
including
light-alloy
wheels
in
new
designs
.

Driving
comfort
is
enhanced
by
power
steering,
tilt
steering
wheel
(optional),
height-adjustable
front
seats,
and
electrical-
ly
adjustable
and
heated
rear-view
mirrors
.
Inside
thecar
there
are
reading
lights
at
four
seating
positions
.

Seats
and
Seat
Belts



NOTE-

Theseat
base
usedon
cars
with
pyrotechnic
seatbelt

Anatom¡cal
ly-correct
seats
are
constructed
from
polyure-



tensioners
is
not
interchangeable
with
the
earlier
seat

thane
foam
containing
areas
or
"zones"
of
different
firmness
.



base
.

The
seat
bases
have
steel
springs
for
added
support
and
strength
.
The
power
seats
are
provided
with
conveniently
lo-



Instruments
and
Controls
cated
switches
along
the
outside
edge
of
the
seat
.
Heated
seats
are
an
option
in
all
models
.
See
520
Seats
for
more
de-



Everything
in
the
interior
passenger
compartment
essential
tails
.



to
the
driver
is
logically
grouped
and
easy
to
reach
.
Al¡
instru-
ments
and
controls
havebeen
arranged
ergonomically
and
The
M3
sport
seat
is
shown
in
Fig
.
3
.



are
fully
integrated
into
the
overall
design
of
the
vehicle
.

Fig
.
3
.



M3
sport
seat
.

INTERIOR
EQUIPMENT

0013195

The
early
E36
cars
areequipped
with
a
single
(driver
side)
airbag
in
the
steering
wheel
.
Startingwith
the
1994
models,
a
dual
airbag
Supplemental
Restraint
System
has
been
stan-
dard
equipment
.
Side-impact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
are
op-
tional
in
1997
4-door
cars
and
standard
equipment
in
all
1998
models
.

Through
1996,
E36
seatbelts
were
equipped
with
BMW's
original-designspring
tensioners
.
In
1997,
the
seat
base
de-
sign
was
modified
to
accommodate
a
pyrotechnic
(explosive
charge)
seatbelt
tensioner
.
Both
types
of
tensioners
arede-
signed
to
automatically
tension
the
belts
by
about2
inches(55
mm)
in
the
event
of
a
collision
.

The
padded
dashboard
houses
the
instrument
cluster
and
the
ventilation
and
heating
system
.
The
instrument
cluster
uses
large
easy-to-read
analog
instruments
and
is
removable
as
a
unit
without
removing
the
dashboard
.
The
Service
Inter-
val
Indicator
(SII)
will
remind
the
driver
when
thecar
requires
service
.
See
620
Instruments
.

The
Multi-Information
Display
(MID)
unit
in
thecenter
of
the
dashboard
comes
in
a
variety
of
four
configurations,
the
most
advanced
being
the
On-Board
Computer
(OBC)
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Al¡
versions
of
the
MID
have
a
clock
and
calendar
.
In
addi-
tion,
different
versions
areequipped
with
a
"check
control,"

display
for
fuel-economy
information
and
system
warnings
.
Consult
the
owner's
manual
for
fui¡
operating
instructions
.

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

513-2



INTERIOR
TRim

DASHBOARD

Dashboard
removal
is
a
complex
operation,
involving
dis-

connection
and
dismantling
of
a
number
of
electrical
and
dash

structural
components
.

The
BMW
E36
is
equipped
with
SRS
airbags
mounted
in

the
steering
wheel,
in
the
dashboard
(1994
and
later)
on
the

passenger
side,
and
in
the
front
doors(1997
and
later)
.
Air-

bags
units
are
pyrotechnic
devices
and
should
be
treated
with

extreme
caution
.
Improper
handling
of
the
airbags
could

cause
serious
injury
.

WARNING
-

"
The
BMW
Supplemental
Restraint
System
(SRS)
is
complex
and
special
precautions
must
be
ob-
served
when
servicing
.
Serious
injury
may
result
if
system
service
is
attempted
by
persons
unfa-
miliar
with
the
BMW
SRS
and
its
approved
ser-vice
procedures
.
BMW
specifies
that
all
inspection
and
service
shouldbe
performed
byan
authorized
BMW
dealer
.

"
Beforeperforming
any
work
involving
the
steering
wheel
or
interior
trim
in
the
vicinity
of
the
airbags,
disconnect
the
negative
()
battery
cable
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
.

"
SRS
contains
aback-up
power
supply
within
the
SRS
control
module
.
A
10
minute
díscharge
peri-
od
should
be
allowed
after
the
battery
cable
has
been
disconnected
.

Glove
compartment,
removing
and
installing

1.
Open
glove
compartment
door
.

2
.
Remove
glove
compartment
mounting
screws
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

3
.
Pull
glove
compartment
out,
disconnecting
electrical

harness
connectors
as
necessary
.

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

DASH80ARD

Fig
.
2
.



Glove
compartment
mounting
screws
(arrows)
.

Lower
left
dash
panel,

removing
and
installing

0013107

1
.
Remove
lower
dash
panel
retaining
screws
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

0013155

Fig
.
3
.



Lower
left
dash
panel
retaining
screws
(arrows)
.

2
.
Pull
lower
dash
panel
left
and
back
to
disengagefrom
driver's
footwell
retaining
clips
.

3
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

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

002262



In
this
system,
three
microswitches
are
operated
via
the
door
lock
cylinder
at
each
front
door
.
Turning
the
key
approximately
Fig
.
17
.
Pufl
off
luggage
compartment
lock
actuating
rod
in
the
direc-



45°
(position
1)
operates
the
door
locking
microswitch
.
Tuming
tionof
arrow
.



the
key
approximately
90°
(position2)
actuates
the
double
locking
microswitch
.
Tuming
the
key
approximately
45°
in
the
opposite
di-
rection
through
position
0
actuates
the
unlocking
microswitch
and
deactivates
the
alarm
system
(position3)
.
See
Fig
.
19
.

Fig
.
18
.
Luggage
compartment
actuatorwire
connectors
and
attach-
ing
screws
(arrows)
.

LOCKING
SYSTEM
AND

ELECTRONIC
IMMOBILIZATION

The
central
locking
system
uses
electrical
lock
actuators
at

each
door
and
at
the
trunk
lid
.
The
locking
system
can
be
ac-

tuated
by
either
front
door
lock
or
by
the
luggage
compartment

lock
.
Onsome
1994
and
later
cars,
an
additional
remote
con-

trol
keypadcan
also
be
used
to
activate
the
lock
and
anti-theft

systems
.

When
the
key
is
tuned
to
the
lock
position,
a
micro-switch

signals
a
central
control
module
to
lock
all
doors,
luggage

compartment,
gas
tank
flap
and,
in
later
convertibles,
the

glove
box
lid
.
Where
applicable,
this
also
arms
the
anti-theft

system
.

CENTRAL
LOCKING
AND
ANTI-THEFT



515-7

NOTE-

The
central
locking
system
responds
to
accidents
vía
animpact
(inertia)
switch
.
When
this
function
ís
activat-
ed,
the
doors
are
automatically
unlocked
and
the
haz-
ard
warning
lights
and
interiorlights
are
turned
on
.
The
impact
switches
are
mounted
in
the
left
and
right
foot-
wells
behind
the
speaker
grilles
.

Central
Locking
System
(ZVM)

Different
versions
of
the
central
locking
control
havebeen
used
in
the
E36
cars
.
In
early
production
cars
(model
years
1992
and
1993),
the
locking
system
is
controlled
through
the
central
locking
module
.
This
system
is
referred
to
as
ZVM
.

Fig
.
19
.
ZVM
door
lock
cylinderpositíons
.

CAUTION-

Do
not
engage
double
locking
position
with
pas-
sengers
in
the
car
unless
the
master
key
isavail-
able
.
The
door
cannotbe
opened
from
outside
orinside
without
the
master
key
.

NOTE-

In
case
of
a
discharged
battery,
the
car
can
still
be
locked
orunlocked
using
the
key
.

0011762

LOCKING
SYSTEM
AND
ELECTRONIC
IMMOBILIZATION

515-8



CENTRAL
LOCKING
AND
ANTI-THEFT

Central
Body
Electronics
(ZKE
IV)



Electronic
Immobilization
System
(EWS)

Beginning
withvehicles
produced
9193
(model
year
1994),



The
electronic
anti-theft
system
known
as
EWS
was
first
in-

the
centrallocking
system
was
integrated
with
sunroof
and



troduced
in
January
1994
.
The
early
version
of
the
system

window
closure
into
the
Central
Body
Electronics
(ZKE
IV)



uses
a
starting
inhibition
module
to
interrupt
the
ignition,
the

(generation
four)
system
.
The
control
module
for
this
system



fuel
injection
and
the
starter
motor
.
This
system
is
activated

ís
mounted
in
front
of
the
glove
compartment
.



and
deactivated
by
the
centrallockíng
system
.
The
control

module
for
the
system
is
installed
under
the
left
side
of
the

Inthis
system
two
microswítches
are
operated
viathe
door



dashboard
.

lock
cylinder
at
both
front
doors
.
Turning
the
key
approximate-

ly
45°
(position
1)
operates
the
door
locking
microswitch
and



Startingwith
modeis
built
since
January
1995,
E36
cars

activates
the
alarm
system
.
Holding
the
key
in
thatposition



come
equipped
with
a
sophisticated
coded
electronic
immobi

also
closes
any
open
windows
and
the
sunroof
.



lization
system
called
EWS
II
.
Foraschematic
of
the
system,

refer
to
Fig
.
21
.

Turning
the
key
approximately
45°
in
the
opposite
direction

through
position
0
actuates
theunlocking
microswitch
and
de-

activates
the
alarm
system
(position
2)
.
See
Fig
.
20
.
NOTE
-

The
EWS
11
system
is
also
sometimes
referred
to
as
the

Driveaway
Protection
System
or
the
electronic
immobi-
lization
system
.

On
EWS
II
equipped
cars,
the
ignition
key
is
embedded
with

a
computer
chip
and
permanently
encoded
.
A
primary
code
is

programmed
into
the
keyand
finto
the
vehicle
itself
.
A
second-

ary
code
is
changed
every
time
the
vehicle
is
started
.
If
thekey

code
and
EWS
II
control
module
code
do
notmatch,
the
en-

gine
management
control
module
and
the
starter
are
dis-

abled
.
EWS
II
ignition
keyscannot
be
duplicated
.

The
system
is
designed
to
have
up
to
ten
keys
and
only
an

authorized
BMW
dealer
can
provide
replacement
keys
.
j
NOTE-
0011762a



ft
is
possible
to
damage
the
electronic
circuítry
in
the
Fig
.
20
.
ZKE
IV
door
lock
cylinder
positions
.



key,
rendering
if
unusable
.
In
that
case,
a
new
key

shouldbe
purchased
and
initialized
byan
authorized
BMW
dealer
.

LOCKING
SYSTEM
AND
ELECTRONIC
IMM081LIZATION