1994 BMW 318i Emergency

increased
power
output
and
road-handling
demands
.

The
steering
geometry
is
modified
by
changing
the
cast-

er/camber
angles
slightly
.
This
is
accomplishedby
reposition-

ing
the
upper
strut
mounting
holes
in
the
frontstrut
towers
and

through
different
front
and
rear
control
arms
.

M3
Brake
System
Improvements

"
Vented
directionalfront
rotors
:
315
mm
dia
.
x
28
mm
thick
.

"
Vented
directional
rear

rotors
:
312
mm
dia
.
x20
mm
thick
.

"
Larger
brake
pads
and
calipers
.

"
Modified
Teves
ABS
system
.

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL



300-
7

M3
SUSPENSION
AND
BRAKES



NOTE-

M3
brake
rotors
are
directional,
having
a
different
part

TheE36
M3
was
introduced
in
late
1994
as
a
1995
model
.



number
for
each
side
.
Rotors
with
an
odd
part
number

The
design
of
the
M3
suspension,
steering
and
brakes
is
a



go
on
the
left
while
rotors
with
en
even
part
numbergo

modification
of
existing
E36
systems
which
accommodates



on
the
right
.

M3
Front
SuspensionImprovements

"
Reinforced
spring
plates,control
arms,
control
arm
bush-

ings,
steering
arms
.

"
Recalibrated
struts,
firmer
springs
.

"
Stiffer
stabilizerbar,
larger
stabilizer
bar
bushings
.

"
Front
stabilizer
linked
to
struts
.

M3
Wheels/Tires

"
Front
wheels
1992-1998
:.....
7
.5J
x
17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Rear
wheel
1992-1997
.......
7
.5J
x17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Rear
wheel
(option)
........
.8
.5
Jx17
in
.
light
alloy

"
Front
and
rear
tire

1992-1997
.............
.
.
.
...
...
235/40
x
17
in
.

"
Front
tire
1998
only
......
...
.
.
.
...
225/45
x
17
in
.

"
Rear
tire
1998
only
.......
.
.
.
...
...
245/40
x
17
in
.

CAUTION-

In
en
emergency,
an
M3
front
wheel/tire
assembly
may
be
mounted
on
the
rearaxle
.
However
a
rear
wheel/tire
assemblymust
not
be
mounted
on
the
front
axle
.

M3
RearSuspensionImprovements

"
Reinforced
trailing
arms
.

"
Recalibrated
shock
absorbers,
firmer
springs
.



SUSPENSION
AND
STEERING

TROUBLESHOOTING

Stable
handling
and
ride
comfort
both
depend
on
the
integ-

rity
of
the
suspension
and
steering
components
.
Any
symp-

tom
of
instability
or
imprecise
road
feel
may
be
caused
by

worn
or
damaged
suspension
components
.

When
troubleshooting
suspension
and
steering
problems,

also
consider
the
condition
of
tires,
wheels,
and
their
align-

ment
.
Tire
wear
and
incorrect
inflation
pressures
can
dramati-

cally
affect
handling
.
Subtie
irregularities
in
wheel
alignment

angles
also
affect
stabílity
.
Mixing
different
types
or
sizes
of

tires,
particularly
on
the
same
axle,
can
affect
alignment
and

may
unbalancea
car's
handling
.

Table
b
lists
the
symptoms
of
common
suspension
and

steering
problems
and
their
probable
causes,
and
suggests

corrective
actions
.
Bold
type
indicates
the
repair
groups

where
applicable
test
and
repair
procedures
can
befound
.

SUSPENSION
AND
STEERING
TROUBLESHOOTING

GENERAL

This
repair
group
covers
interior
trim
removal
and
installa-
tion
procedures
.
Forremoval
and
installation
of
interior
switches,
including
interior
lighting
equipment,
see
612

Switches
and
Electrical
Accessories
.

Most
of
the
interior
trim
and
finish
paneis
are
clipped
or

screwed
into
place
.
Many
of
the
trim
retaining
clips
arede-

signed
to
be
used
only
once
.
When
removing
trim
that
is
held
in
place
with
clips,
it
is
a
good
idea
lo
have
spareson
hand
be-
fore
beginningthejob
.

CENTER
CONSOLE

The
front
section
center
console
houses
the
Multi-Informa-

tion
Display
(MID)
module,the
front
ashtray
and
cigarette

lighter
;
shifter
lever,
power
window
switches
and
the
hazard
warning
switch
.
The
rear
center
console
section
houses
the

ashtray(s)
and
covers
the
emergency
brakecable
ends
.

Center
console,
removing
and
installing

1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
cable
from
battery
and
cover

terminal
with
insulating
material
.

CA
UTION-

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

2
.
Remove
shifter
boot
or
selectorlever
cover
.
See250

Gearshift
t-inkage
.

3
.
Remove
rear
ashtray
retaining
screws
totake
out
ash-

tray
.
Remove
rear
console
retaining
screwunder
ash-

tray
.

513
Interior
Tri
m

INTERIORTRIM



513-1

GENERAL
..
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
......
.
.
.
513-1



DASHBOARD
.....
.

.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
:
.
.513-2

Glove
compartment,removing
and
installing
.
.513-2
CENTER
CONSOLE
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.........
513-1



Lower
left
dash
panel,
Center
console,
removing
and
installing
.....
513-1



removing
and
installing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
513-2

Dashboard,removing
and
installing
.
.
.
.
...
.
.513-3

4
.
Remove
Multi-Information
Display
module
.
See620
In-
struments
.

5
.
Remove
hazardwarning
switch
and
power
window
switches
bypushing
up
and
out
from
below
.

6
.
Remove
lower
left
dashboard
panel
and
glove
compart-

ment
as
described
later
in
this
repair
group
.

7
.
Remove
retaining
screwunder
hazard
light
switch
.
Pull
rear
console
back
and
remove
retaining
nut
at
back
of
front
console
.
See
Fig
.
1
.

Fig
.1.



Console
retaining
screw
.

8
.
Take
out
rear
console
first,
then
front
console
.

0013154

CENTER
CONSOLE

GENERAL
...
.
.
.
.
.
................
.
.
.
.
540-1



Sunroof
panel,
emergency
closing
.......
.
.
.540-2

Sunroof
panel,
adjusting
..
.
...........
.
.
.540-2

SUDE-TILT
SUNROOF
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
......
.
.
540-2



Sunroof
motor,
removing
and
installing
...
.
.
.540-3

GENERAL



NOTE-

"
Be
sure
to
check
thedrains
in
the
front
comers
of
the
The
electrically-operated
slide-tilt
sunroof
is
controlled
by
a



sunroof
carrier
if
water
ls
entering
the
car
through
the

set
of
cables
that
move
the
sunroof
panelalongguide
rails



headliner
.

when
the
motor
is
operated
.
The
sunroof
canbe
adjusted



.
Removal
and
repairof
the
sunroof
and
other
compo-
without
removing
it
from
thecar
.
Replacement
of
the
sunroof



nents
insidethe
roof
cavity
is
beyond
the
scope
ot
this
liner
or
components
suchas
the
cable
assembly
require
that



manual
.
the
sunroof
panel
be
removed
.

The
components
of
the
slide-tilt
sunroof
are
shown
in
Fig
.
1
.

Fig
.
1
.



Slide-tilt
sunroof
assembly
.

540
Sunroof

SUNROOF
540-1

1
.
Sunroof
panel



5
.
Cable



9
.
Lever

2
.
Wind
deflector



6
.
Motor



10
.
Sea¡

3
.
Frame



7
.
L]ner



11
.
Center
rail

4
.
Drain



8
.
Lever



12
.
Sea]

GENERAL

540-2
SUNROOF

SLIDE-TILT
SUNROOF

Sunroof
panel,
emergency
closing

1.
Remove
access
panel
frombelow
sunroof
motor
.
See

Fig
.
2
.

Fig
.
2
.



Sunroof
motor
access
coverbeing
pried
off
.

0011816

2
.
Insert
hex
key
into
drive
in
sunroof
motor
and
turn
hex
key
to
Glosepanel
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

SLIDE-TILT
SUNROOF

0~i18r7

Fig
.
3
.



Use
hexkey
to
manually
Glose
sunroof
.
Turn
hexkey
to
mah-
ually
Glose
sunroof
.

NOTE-

The
hex
key
for
manually
(emergency)
closing
the
sun-

roof
canbe
found
in
the
tool
kit
located
in
the
luggage

compartment
.

Sunroof
panel,
adjusting

The
sunroof
panel
should
be
adjusted
whenever
thetop
of

the
closed
sunroof
becomes
misaligned
with
the
roof
of
the

car,
ifit
does
not
Glosesquarely,
if
there
arewind
noises
at

speed,
if
there
arewater
leaks,
or
if
the
sunroof
has
been
re-

moved
.

1
.
Open
sunroof
slightly
.
Rear
of
sunroof
should
be
2
to
3

mm
below
surface
of
roof
.

2
.
Slide
sunroof
liner
slowly
and
carefully
back
into
roof

cavity
as
far
as
possible
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Fig
.
4
.



Slide
sunroof
liner
back
into
roof
cavity
.

3
.
Shut
sunroof
fully
.

CAUTION
-

Do
not
open
sunroof
with
liner
inthis
position
.
Damage
to
sunroof
mechanism
could
result
.

4
.
Rear
adjustment
:
Loosen
rear
adjusting
wedges
and
push
in
or
out
until
rear
of
sunroof
is
aligned
correctly
withroof-top
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

0013103
Fig
.
5
.



Adjust
rear
of
sunroof
by
loosening
nuts
1
and3
.
Push
adjust-
íng
wedges2
in
or
out
to
achieve
correctheight
.

NOTE-

"
Push
sunroofforward
before
retightening
wedge
fas-
teners
.

0013170

Fig
.
6
.



Adjust
front
of
sunroof
by
loosening
screw
(arrow)
.
Push
sun-
roof
up
or
down
to
achieve
correctheight
.

SUNROOF
540-
3

NOTE-

Use
Loctite®
270
or
an
equivalent
thread
sealing
com-
pound
when
reinstalling
theretaining
screws
.
Alterna-
tively,
install
new
screws
.

6
.
Open
sunroof
slightly
.
Rear
of
sunroofshould
be2
to
3
mm
below
surface
of
roof
.

7
.
Slide
sunroof
liner
slowly
and
carefully
forward
out
of
roof
cavity
as
far
as
possible
.

Sunroof
Height
Adjustment
Specifications

"
Rear
........
....
.
.
flush/1
mm
higher
than
roof
top
"
Front
...
..
.
....
..
.
..
flush/l
mm
lower
than
roof
top

Tightening
Torque

"
Front
orrear
adjusting
fasteners
...
...
6
Nm
(53
in-lb)

Sunroof
motor,
removing
and
installing
"
Use
Loctite®270
oran
equivalent
thread
sealing
com-
pound
when
reinstalling
the
retaining
fasteners
.
Alter-



The
sunroofshould
be
in
theclosed
posítion
before
remov-
natively,install
new
fasteners
.



ing
or
installing
the
sunroof
motor
.
If
necessary,
manually

5
.
Front
adjustment
:
Loosen
retaining
screws,
then
push



close
the
sunroof
panel
as
described
under
Sunroof
panel,

frontof
sunroof
panel
up
or
down
until
it
is
aligned
cor-
emergency
ciosing
.

rectly
with
roof-top
.
Retighten
screws
.
See
Fig
.
6
.



1
.
With
ignition
switch
off,
Rmove
access
panel
from
be-low
sunroof
motor
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
2
.

2
.
Remove
sunroof
motormountingscrews
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

0011825

Fig
.
7
.



Sunroof
motor
mountingscrews
(A
and
B)
.
Screw
at
A
is
longer
than
screws
at
B
.

SLIDE-TILT
SUNROOF

GENERAL
.
...
.
.
.
......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
......
541-1



Visor
Latch
Plate
.....
.
....
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
...
.541-4

Visor
Latch
..
.
............
.
.
.
..........
541-4

MANUAL
CONVERTIBLE
TOP
.
.
.
.
...
.
..
541-1



Visor
Latch
Motor
...
.......
.
.
.
..
........
541-5

Visor
Latch
Plate
.
.
......
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
541-1



Convertible
top
and
frame,
replacing
........
541-5

VisorLatch
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..........
.
.....
.
.
.541-1



Convertible
top
drive
motor,
replacing



......
541-7

Convertible
Top
Lid
Release
Mechanism
.
.
.
.
541-2



Convertible
Top
Emergency
Operation
.....
.541-7

Convertible
top
and
frame,
replacing
....
.
.
.
541-2



Convertible
Top
Lid
.
.
.
.
...........
.
.....
541-9

POWER
CONVERTIBLE
TOP
.
.
.
.
....
.
.
.
541-2



ROLLOVER
PROTECTION
SYSTEM
..
.
.
541-9

FrontLatching
Mechanism
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
......
.
541-4

GENERAL

The
convertible
top
comes
in
three
versions
:
a
manually
op-erated
top,
a
semi-automatic
power
top
and
a
fully
automatic
power
top
.

NOTE-

The
convertible
top
control
module
(CVM)
is
located
behind
the
left
rearside
trim
panel
.
For
the
location
of
other
convertible
top
electric
components
see610
Electrical
Component
Locations
.

The
rear
window
in
the
convertible
models
is
made
of
a
strong,
flexible
vínyl
which
is
available
separately
.
Replace-

ment
of
the
rear
window
is
not
covered
in
this
manual
.

The
left
and
right
visor
latch
plates
can
be
accessed
by
re-
moving
the
trim
and
moldings
around
the
sides
and
top
of
the

windshield
.
Each
latch
is
secured
to
thetop
of
the
windshield

usingthree
bolts
.
Latch
position
is
adjusted
as
follows
:

541
Convertible
Top

CONVERTIBLE
TOP



541-1

"
Loosen
bolts

"
Latch
top

"
Align
top

"
Retighten
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
1
.

BMW
has
designed
a
specialbattery
tray
for
the
convertible

which,
in
conjunction
with
the
mass
of
the
battery
in
the
lug-

gage
compartment,
serves
to
dampen
convertible
body
flex
ing
and
vibration
.



Fig
.
1.



Visor
latchplate
is
held
to
top
of
windshieldwith
three
bolts
(arrows)
.

CAUTION-

The
E36
convertible
requires
a
specialbattery



VisorLatch
which
is
designed
for
constant
vibration
.
A
battery
not
designed
forthis
will
fa¡¡
much
earlier
.



Check
for
ease
of
release
and
locking
of
convertible
top
front
latches
.
Height
of
a
latch
can
be
changed
by
using
the
adjusting
screw
.
To
change
latch
tension,
it
is
necessary
to
re-
MANUAL
CONVERTIBLE
TOP



move
the
trim
on
the
front
bow
of
thetop
.
The
ball-joint
pull-rod
length
can
then
be
adjusted
.
Lubricate
latch
if
necessary
.
See

Visor
Latch
Plate



Fig
.
2
.

MANUAL
CONVERTIBLE
TOP

Convertible
top
drive
motor,
replacing



5
.
Working
in
convertible
top
storage
compartment
be-
hind
driver's
seat,
remove
convertible
top
linkage
rods
1
.
Open
convertible
top
partially,
stopping
when
convert-



from
top
of
motor
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
11
.
ible
top
lid
is
fully
upen
.
Remove
lid
.

2
.
Release
luggage
compartment
lock-out
by
pressing
on
microswitch
in
right
convertible
top
lid
latch
.
See
Fig
.

14
.

0012745

Fig
.
14
.
Rightside
convertible
top
lid
latch
.
Arrow
points
to
location
of
luggage
compartment
lock-out
microswitch
.

3
.
Open
luggage
compartment
.
Remove
trim
and
inner

lining
from
left
side
of
compartment
.

4
.
Disconnect
electrical
harness
connectors
at
top
motor
.

Release
emergency
release
cable
from
lever
.
Push
le-

ver
up
to
release
motor
.
See
Fig
.
15
.

uu12759

Fig
.
15
.
Convertible
top
motor
(A)
and
release
lever
(B)
in
luggage

compartment
.

CONVERTIBLE
TOP



541-
7

6
.
Remove
four
fastenersholding
motor
to
body
and
re-

move
motor
through
luggage
compartment
.
See
Fig
.

16
.

0012761

Fig
.
16
.
Convertible
top
motor
mountingscrews
(arrows)
.
Gasket
(A)
mustbe
renewed
when
motor
is
replaced
.

7
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Keep
the
following
in

mind
:

"
Replace
sealing
gasket
between
top
of
motor
and

body
.

"
Securemotormountingscrews
with
Locktite
®
270
or
equivalent
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Convertible
top
motor
to
body

mountingscrews
...
...
.
.
.........
10
Nm
(7
.5
ft-Ib)

Convertible
Top
Emergency
Operation

A
malfunction
in
the
electrical
system
or
another
fault
in
the

convertible
top
mechanism
can
cause
the
automatic
or
semi-
automatic
top
to
be
stuck
in
open,
shut,
or
intermediate
posi-

tion
.
The
following
general
procedures
are
suggested
in
order

to
close
the
top
in
an
emergency
situation
.
Resetting
proce-

dures
for
convertible
top
synchronization
after
emergency
clo-

sure
are
beyond
the
scope
of
this
manual
.

Main
Motor
.
To
release
thetop
linkage
from
the
motor,
lift

the
left
comer
of
the
rearseat
to
access
emergency
release

handle
.
See
Fig
.
17
.

POWER
CONVERTIBLE
TOP

541-
8



CONVERTIBLE
TOP

CAUTION-

In
caseof
failure
of
the
automatic
or
semi-auto-
matic
convertible
top
function,
only
use
the
emer-
gency
procedure
to
close
the
top,
never
to
open
it
.
An
authorized
BMW
dealer
should
then
be
con-
sulted
.

0012764

Fig
.
17
.
Convertible
topmotor
emergency
release
handle
under
rear
seat
.
Pull
in
direction
of
arrow
to
release
top
.

It
is
then
possible
to
push
thetop
manually
to
a
near
closed
position
.
In
the
case
of
the
semi-automatic
top,
simply
attach

and
lock
the
front
latches
.

Front
Latches
.
Once
the
fully
automatic
convertible
top
has
been
released
from
the
motor
and
manually
pushed
to
near-closure,
emergency
latchíng
ofthetop
is
possible
by
us-
ing
the
S-shaped
hex
key
provided
in
the
emergency
tool
kit
.

First,
remove
the
plastic
cover
over
the
latch
motor
in
the
front
bow
of
the
convertible
top
.
See
Fig
.
18
.

Next,
use
the
hex
key
from
tool
box
to
crank
the
front
latch-
es
shut
.
See
Fig
.
19
.

Luggage
Compartment
Cover
.
A
microswitch
in
the
right
convertible
top
lid
latch
prevents
the
luggage
compartment
from
being
opened
whilethe
lid
is
up
.
This
lockout
can
be
overridden
by
pressing
on
the
microswitch
.
Refer
toFig
.
14
.

POWER
CONVERTIBLE
TOP

Fig
.
18
.
Remove
plastic
cover
from
center
of
convertible
roof
front

bow
to
access
latching
motor
drive
.

0012762

Fig
.
19
.
Using
emergency
hexkey
to
move
front
part
of
convertible
top
.

CAUTION-

The
convertible
top
lid
and
the
luggage
compart-
ment
cover
interfere
with
each
other
and
cannot
beopen
at
the
same
time
.
To
avoid
damage
to
painted
surfaces,
an
assistant
should
keep
the
lid
down
until
the
luggage
compartment
cover
can
beclosed
.