1994 BMW 325i automatic

250-
4



GEARSHIFT
LINKAGE

r%
;
5

(((((C
"
~
;

Fig
.
7
.



Selector
lever
cable
clamping
nut
(A)
.
Counterhold
clamping
bolt
when
loosening
nut
.

Gear
position/neutral
safety
switch,

replacing
(automatic
transmission)

NOTE-

The
gear-positionlneutral
safetyswitch
is
also
some-
times
referred
to
as
the
automatic
transmission
range
switch
.

Failure
of
the
gear
positionlneutral
safetyswitch
can
cause

a
no-start
condition
.
In
acidition,
since
it
signals
gearshift
posi-

tion
tothe
transmission
control
unit,
a
faulty
switch
can
cause

erratic
transmission
operation
.

1
.
Remove
hex-head
screw
(3mm
allen
key)
from
shift
le-

ver
handle
and
remove
handle
.
Carefully
pry
up
cover

from
gearshift
lever
console
.

2
.
Disconnect
harness
connector
from
gear
positionlneu-

tral
safety
switch
andremove
mounting
screws
.
See

Fig
.
8
.

3
.
Remove
gear
positionlneutral
safety
switch
by
moving

selector
until
pin
on
lever
aligns
with
slot
on
switch
.
Pull

switch
straight
up
and
off
.
See
Fig
.
9
.

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal,
noting
the
following
:

"
Before
installing
switch,
align
plastic
contact
slide
in-

sideswitch
with
slot
in
switch
.
See
Fig
.
10
.

"
Instan
switch
so
that
contact
slide
on
switch
aligns
with

slot
on
switch
.
Then
position
gearshift
lever
pin
to
slot

on
switch
and
install
switch
.

"
When
installing
shift
lever
handle,
engage
pín
on
re
leasebutton
to
hole
in
pulí
rod
.
See
Fig
.
11
.



Fig
.
9
.



Contact
slide
in
switch
aligns
toslot
on
switch
and
pin
on
le-
ver
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Console
to
body
..............
...
.
7
Nm
(62
in-lb)

"
Gear
positionlneutral
safety
switch

to
shift
console
.................
.
4
.5
Nm
(40
in-lb)

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
GEARSHIFT

Fig
.
8
.



Disconnect
harness
connector
to
gear
position/neutral
safety

switch
by
pressing
connector
retaining
clips
together
(ar-
rows)
.
Switch
mountingscrews
shown
at
1
.

Fig
.
10
.
Align
contact
slide
(1)
with
slot
in
switch
housing
(2)
before
in-
stalling
gear
position/neutral
safety
switch
.

Fig
.
11
.
Engage
release
button
pin
to
hole
in
pull
rod
before
installing

The
automatic
shiftlock
uses
an
electríc
solenoid
to
lock
the
selector
lever
in
P
or
N
.
Depressing
the
foot
brake
withthe
ig-
nition
on
energizes
the
solenoid,
allowingthe
lever
to
be
moved
into
a
drive
gear
.
The
solenoid
is
energized
only
when

the
engine
speed
is
below
2,500
rpmand
thevehicle
speed
is

below
3
mph
.
The
solenoid
ís
mounted
in
the
right-hand
side

of
theselector
lever
housing
.
See
Fig
.
12
.

1
.
With
engine
running
and
car
stopped,
place
selector
le-
ver
in
P
or
N
.

2
.
Without
depressing
brake
pedal,
check
that
selector
le-

ver
is
locked
in
position
P
or
N
.

3
.
Depress
brakepedal
firmly
.
Solenoid
should
be
heard

to
energize
.

GEARSHIFT
LINKAGE



250-
5

Fig
.
12
.
Automatic
shiftlock
prevents
drive
gear
selection
until
the
brakepedal
is
depressed
.

4
.
Check
thatselector
lever
can
now
be
moved
out
of
P
or
N
.

NOTE
-

The
next
test
should
be
performed
in
anopen
area
with
the
parking
brake
on
and
with
extreme
caution
.

5
.
With
selector
lever
in
P
or
N
and
brake
pedal
de-

pressed,
raise
engine
above
2,500
rpm
.
Check
that
se-

lector
lever
cannotbe
moved
outof
P
or
N
.

shift
lever
handle
.



If
any
faults
are
found
check
the
electrical
operation
of
the
shiftlock
solenoid
and
check
for
wiring
faultsto
or
from
the
Automatic
shiftiock,
checking
function



transmission
control
module(TCM)
.
See610
Electrical

(automatic
transmission)



Component
Locations
and
Electrical
Wiring
Diagrams
.

NOTE
-

The
solenoid
is
controlled
viathe
TCM,
using
brakepedal
position,
engine
speed,
and
road
speed
as
con-
trolling
inputs
.

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
GEARSHIFT

250-
6



GEARSHIFT
LINKAGE

Shift
interlock,
checking
function



1
.
Shift
selectorlever
to
park
(P)
position
and
turn
ignition

(automatic
transmission)

The
shift
interlock
usesa
cable
between
the
ignition
switch

and
the
shift
lever
to
lock
the
shift
lever
in
the
park
position

when
the
key
is
in
the
off
position
or
removed
.
This
feature

also
prevents
the
key
from
being
removed
from
the
ignition

lock
until
the
selectorlever
is
in
P
.
Fig
.
13
.

Fig
.
13
.
Shift
interlock
serves
two
safety
functions
:
1)
it
locks
shift
le-

ver
in
park
(P)
when
thekey
is
removed,
and
2)
it
prevents
re-
moval
of
key
untilshift
lever
is
moved
into
P
.

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
GEARSHIFT

Latchirig
Gate
0012714

key
to
the
"zero"
(off)
position
.

2
.
Remove
ignition
key
.
Check
that
selectorlever
cannot

be
shifted
out
of
P
position
.

NOTE-

"
lt
must
only
be
possible
to
remove
ignition
key
with

selector
lever
in
P
position
.

"
Shiftinterlock
cable
must
not
be
kinked
.

3
.
Turn
ignition
keyon
and
depressbrakepedal
.
Check

that
selectorlever
moves
freely
from
gear
to
gear
.

4
.
With
the
selectorlever
in
a
gear
position
other
than
P,

attempt
to
move
thekey
to
the
zero
position
.
The
key

shouldnot
go
into
the
zero
position
.

If
any
faults
arefound
check
the
cable
for
kinks
and
theca-

ble
attachment
points
for
damage
or
faults
.

Wheel
brake
caliper

Electronic
control
module
Fig
.
4
.



Schematic
representation
of
ABS
.

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
ANDBRAKES-GENERAL



300-3

Fig
.
3
.



Schematic
view
ofdual
circuit
brakes
with
4-channel
ABS
.

ing
adverse
conditions
.
It
automatically
adjusts
brake
system
hydraulic
pressure
at
each
wheel
to
prevent
wheel
lock-up
.

The
system's
main
components
arethe
wheel
speed
(pulse)
sensors,
the
ABS
control
module,
and
the
hydraulic

control
unit
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Warning
lamp

u
Master

Whee

_

l
speed



I-lydraulic



cylinder

sensor



control
unit



0012135

UNI

The
wheel
speed
sensors
continuously
send
wheel
speed
signals
to
the
control
module
.
See
Fig
.
5
.
The
control
module
compares
these
signals
to
determine,
in
fractions
of
a
second,
whether
any
of
the
wheels
areabout
to
lock
.
If
any
wheel
is
nearing
a
lock-up
condition,
the
module
signals
the
hydraulic
unit
to
maintain
or
reduce
pressure
at
the
appropriatewheel(s)
.
Pressure
is
modulated
by
electrically-operated
sole-

noid
valves
in
the
hydraulic
unit
.

Fig
.
5
.



ABS
wheelspeed
sensor
.

0006563

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

NOTE-

The
traction
control
system
referred
to
as
AST
(all
sea-
son
traction)
may
also
be
referred
to
as
ASC
(Automat-
ic
Stability
Control)
and
ASC+T
(Automatic
Stability
Control+Traction)
.

The
AST
system
improves
traction
by
electronically
apply-

ing
the
rear
brakes
when
therear
drive
wheels
are
spinning
at

a
faster
rate
than
the
front
wheels
.
The
combined
ABS/AST

control
module,
operating
through
the
ABS
hydraulic
control

unit,
modulates
braking
force
at
therear
wheels
.

In
addition,
AST
uses
retarded
ignition
timing
and
an
auxil-iary
engine
throttle
plate
to
reduceengine
torque
and
maintain

vehicle
stability
.

The
auxiliary
throttle
plate
is
held
open
by
spring
pressure
.

The
AST
system
actívates
the
auxiliary
throttie
position
motor

(ADS)
to
cose
the
AST
throttle
as
needed
.
This
reduces
the

volume
of
engine
intake
air
.
Due
to
the
throttle
closing
very
rapidly
during
AST
operationthe
driver
cannot
increase
theengine
power
output
regardless
of
how
far
theaccelerator
pedal
is
pushed
to
the
floor
.

The
auxiliary
throttle
plate
is
placed
ahead
of
the
conven-

tional
throttle
plate
in
the
throttle
body
.

Traction
control
also
comes
into
operationduringdecelera-
tion
.
Decelerating
on
snowy
or
icy
road
surfaces
can
lead
to
rear
wheel
slip
.
If
a
rear
wheel
startsto
drag
or
lock
up
when

the
throttle
is
closed
rapidly
orduringdownshifting,the
AST
system
can
limit
the
problem
by
advancing
the
ignition
timing
.

A
switch
on
the
center
console
is
used
to
togglethe
AST
on

or
off
.

The
AST
system
is
designed
to
be
maintenance
free
.
There

are
no
adjustments
that
can
be
made
.
Repair
and
trouble-
shooting
of
the
AST
system
requires
special
test
equipment

andknowledgeand
should
be
performed
only
by
an
autho-

rized
BMW
dealer
.
Table
a
lists
theconditions
indicated
by

the
AST
indicator
light
in
the
instrument
cluster

SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL



300-5

Tablea
.
AST
Indicator
Lamp
Function

Indicator
lamp



1
Condition



1
Comment

Light
on



Normal
AST
start-



Automatic
AST
up



self-test

Light
off



AST
monitoring



Automatic
AST
op-
mode



eration

Press
AST
button,



AST
off
(disabled)



Rocking
the
car
tolight
comes
on



getout
of
snow
or
other
loose
surface
Driving
with
snow
chains

Press
AST
button
:



AST
monitoring



Automatic
AST
op-
light
goes
out



I
mode



eration

Light
flashes



AST
active
mode



I
Normal
AST
oper-
ation
as
it
controls
wheel
speed

Light
stays
on
af-



Defect
in
AST



Consult
BMW
ter
start
up
or



dealer
for
diagno-
comes
on
while



sis/repair
driving



(Vehicle
operation
remains
normal)

WARNING
-

Even
a
car
with
AST
is
subject
to
the
normal
physi-
cal
laws
.
Avoid
excessive
speeds
for
the
road
con-
ditions
encountered
.

CAUTION-
"
If
the
tires
on
the
carare
of
different
makes,
the
AST
system
may
over-react
.
Only
fit
tires
of
the
same
make
and
tread
pattem,

"In
adverse
conditions,
such
as
trying
to
rock
the
car
outof
deep
snow
or
another
soft
surface,
or
when
snow
chainsare
fitted,
it
is
advisable
to
switch
off
AST
and
allow
the
cars
driveline
to
op-
erate
conventionally
.

INTEGRATED
SYSTEMS

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
.

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