GENERAL
This
repair
group
covers
front
and
rear
door
repair
informa-
tion,
including
removal
and
installationof
the
interior
doorpan-
els
.
DOORS
WARNING
-
Late
M3
moddis
havealuminum
doors
.
Use
extra
care
in
handling
aluminum
parts
in
order
to
avoid
damage
from
gouging
or
corrosión
.
NOTE-
"
For
information
on
the
power
door
windows
and
door
glass
replacement,
sea512Door
Windows
.
"
Forinformation
on
the
power
door
locking
system,
see
515
Central
Locking
and
Anti-Theft
.
WARNING
-
Some
1997
and
all
1998
cars
are
fitted
with
side-im-
pact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
.
When
servicing
doors
on
cars
with
front
side-impact
airbags,
always
dis-
connect
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
for
cautions
and
procedures
relating
to
the
airbag
system
.
Front
orrear
door,
removing
and
installing
1
.
If
workingon
front
door
with
side-impact
airbag,
discon-
nect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.
CAUTION
-
Prior
to
disconnectiog
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
vüi
.
2
.
Unbolt
main
harness
connector
at
door
pillar
and
sep-
arate
connector
.
See
Fig
.
1
.
411
Doors
GENERAL
.............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
411-1
DOOR
PANELS
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
411-4
Front
door
trim
panel,
removing
and
installing
.411-4
DOORS
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.......
.
....
.
.
.
411-1
Rear
door
trim
panel,
removing
and
installing
.411-5
Front
or
reardoor,
removing
and
installing
..
.
411-1
Rear
side
trim
panel,
removing
and
installing
Door
check,
replacing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.......
411-3
(coupemodel)
.
.
.
.
.
.
....
.
.............
411-6
Door
Adjustment
.......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
411-3
Rear
side
trim
panel,
removing
and
installing
(convertible
models)
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
411-6
DOORS
411-1
Fig
.
1
.
Door
harness
connector
being
removed
fromdoor
pillar
.
Re-
move
mountingscrews
atA,
then
separate
connector
by
pulling
upon
harness
lock(top
arrow)
.
3
.
Withdoor
fully
open,
remove
pin
bolts
from
top
and
bot-
tom
door
hinges
.
See
Fig
.
2
.
0011650
Fig
.
2
.
Door
hinge
pin
bolt
(arrow)
.
Top
hinge
shown
.
Also
remove
pin
bolt
from
lowerhinge
.
DOORS
411-2
DOORS
4
.
Remove
retainer
clip
(early
models
only)
from
doorcheck
pin
onbody
pillar
.
Drive
out
door
check
pin
.
See
Fig
.
3
.
Door
Adjustment
"
Door
gap
to
fender/rear
door
.........
approx
.
5
mm
(0
.189
in)
"
Permíssible
deviation
from
parallel
.
.0
.5
mm
(0
.020
in)
0011651
Fig
.
3
.
Door
check
pin
being
removed
.
Note
retainer
clip
(A)
usedon
early
models
.
5
.
Remove
doorby
lifting
up
off
lowerhinge
halves
.
CAUTION-
Be
careful
not
to
damage
door
or
other
painted
body
surfaces
.
Make
sure
no
load
is
placedon
wiring
harness
.
6
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Keep
in
mind
the
fol-
lowing
:
"
Align
doorso
that
panel
gaps
are
equal
on
either
side,
as
described
later
.
If
necessary,
adjust
door
hinges
as
described
later
.
"
Adjust
door
striker
so
that
trailing
edge
of
front
door
is
slightly
higher
(1
mm)
than
leading
edge
of
rear
door
.
See
515
Central
Locking
and
Anti-Theft
.
"
Repair
any
paint
damage
and
paínt
any
exposed
met-
al
.
CAUTION-
.
"In
2-door
models,
removing
and
installing
the
door
may
upset
the
adjustment
and
alignment
of
the
window
.
Window
adjustment,
as
described
in
512DoorWindows,
must
be
carried
out
ater
installation
to
prevent
damaging
the
glass
.
"
If
battery
power
is
lost
or
the
battery
has
been
disconnected,
the
windows
must
be
re-initialized
.
Both
one
touch
upldown
and
pinch-protection
will
be
inactive
until
windows
are
re-initialized
.
See
512
Door
Windows
.
DOOR
CHECK,
REPLACING
Door
check,replacing
WARNING
-
Some
1997
and
all
1998
cars
are
fitted
with
side-im-
pact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
.
When
servicing
doors
on
cars
with
front
side-impact
airbags,
always
dis-
connect
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
.
See
721
Al
rbag
System
(SRS)
for
cautions
and
procedures
relating
to
the
airbag
system
.
1
.
Closedoor
window
completely
.
2
.
If
working
on
front
door
with
side-impact
airbag,
discon-
nect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.,
CAUTION-
Prior
to
disconnectiog
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
gíven
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
viii
.
3
.
Remove
interior
door
panel
and
vapor
barrier
as
de-
scribed
later
.
4
.
Where
applicable,
remove
side-impact
airbag
from
door
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
.
NOTE-
In
some
models
covered
inthis
manual,
ít
is
not
essen-
tial
to
remove
the
side-ímpact
airbag
to
access
internal
door
components
.
However,
the
procedure
is
recom-
mended
for
safety
reasons
.
5
.
Remove
retainer
clip
(early
models
only)
from
door
check
pin
on
body
pillar
.
Drive
out
door
check
pin
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
3
.
6
.
Remove
bolts
and
rubber
cover
fromdoor
check
lock-
plate
ondoor
.
7
.
Remove
door
check
from
inside
door
.
8
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
"
Lubricate
door
check
before
installing
.
"
Use
new
mounting
bolts
when
reinstalling
the
side-im-
pact
airbag
to
thedoor(where
applicable)
.
"
If
battery
was
disconnected,
re-initialize
window
regu-
lator
motors
as
described
in
512
Door
Windows
.
Door
Hinge
Adjustment
If
the
installed
door
is
uneven
or
out
of
parallel,
shims
can
be
used
to
correct
its
position
.
The
shims
are
placedbehind
the
hinge
plate
and
are
available
in
two
different
thicknesses
(0
.5
mm
and
1
.0
mm)
.
See
Fig
.
4
.
Tightening
Torque
"
Door
hinge
to
door
.............
..
21
Nm
(15
.5
ft-I
b)
"
Door
striker
to
door
...........
...
25
Nm
(18
ft-Ib)
DOOR
PANELS
0
l
o
0013102
Fig
.
4
.
Door
hinge
and
door
check
components
.
Front
and
rear
doors
are
similar
.
WARNING
-
Some
1997
and
all
1998
cars
are
fitted
with
side-im-
pact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
.
When
servicing
doors
on
cars
with
front
side-impact
airbags,
always
dis-
connect
the
negative
()
battery
terminal
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
for
cautions
and
procedures
relating
to
the
airbag
system
.
Front
door
trimpanel,
removing
and
in-
stalling
1
.
On
cars
with
side-impact
airbags,
disconnect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.
CAUTION
-
Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
viii
.
Fig
.
5
.
Pry
outside
mirror
switch
from
door
armrest
.
3
.
Unscrew
door
locking
knob
.
Fig
.
6
.
Pry
off
plugs
(arrows)
and
remove
screws
.
DOORS
411-
3
2
.
Carefully
pry
out
mirror
adjustment
switch
and
discon-
nect
harness
connector
from
switch
.
Fig
.
5
.
5
.
Unclip
door
panel
from
door
perimeter
.
See
Fig
.
7
.
0013168
4
.
Pry
off
trim
cover
for
insíde
door
handle
.
Pry
off
con-
cealing
plugs
from
armrest
.
Remove
door
panel
retain-
ing
screws
.
See
Fig
.
6
.
UU13169
DOOR
PANELS
411-
4
DOORS
6
.
Disconnect
radio
speaker
harness
connector
.
Fig
.
7
.
Door
panel
being
unclipped
from
door
.
Pull
panel
retaining
clips
off
one
at
a
time
.
7
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal,
noting
the
following
:
"
Replace
any
damaged
plastic
parts
orclips
.
"
Renew
vapor
barrier
ifit
is
damaged
.
"
Use
new
mounting
bolts
when
reinstalling
the
side-im-
pactairbag
to
the
door
(where
applicable)
.
"
When
installing
door
panel,
align
metal
retainers
on
window
sill
with
openingsontop
of
door
panel
.
See
Fig
.
8
.
"
Check
door-lock
mechanism
and
window
for
ease
of
movement
.
"
If
battery
was
disconnected,
re-initialize
window
regu-
lator
motors
as
described
in
512
Door
Windows
.
373
Fig
.
8
.
Metal
retainers
at
base
of
window
should
be
in
position
to
mate
with
openings
in
door
trim
panel
.
DOOR
PANELS
Reardoor
trimpanel,
removing
and
installing
1
.
Open
door
and
pry
out
power
window
switch
.
Discon-
nect
harness
connector
.
2
.
Remove
ash
tray
.
3
.
Pry
off
trim
cover
from
inside
door
handle
.
4
.
Pry
off
concealing
plugs
from
armrest
.
Remove
door
panel
retaining
screws
.
See
Fig
.
9
.
Fig
.
9
.
Pry
off
plugs
(arrows)
andremove
screws
.
5
.
Unscrew
door
locking
knob
.
6
.
Unclip
panel
from
door
perimeter,
starting
at
thetop
of
the
door
.
7
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
"
Replace
any
damaged
plastic
parts
or
clips
.
"
Renew
vapor
barrier
ifit
is
damaged
.
"
Align
metal
retainers
on
window
sill
with
openings
in
trim
panel
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
8
.
"
Check
door-lock
mechanism
and
window
for
ease
of
movement
.
Rear
side
trim
panel,
removing
and
install-
ing
(coupe
models)
1
.
Remove
rear
seat
cushion
.
Remove
rear
backrest
side
section
.
See
520
Seats
.
2
.
Pull
off
edge
trimat
bottom
of
rear
side
window
.
See
Fig
.
10
.
3
.
Gently
unclip
trim
panel
andremove
.
4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
"
Replace
any
damaged
plastic
parts
or
clips
.
Fig
.
31
.
Inside
door
handle
.
Remove
screw
A,then
unhook
from
rod
B
.
7
.
Unbolt
power
window
motor
from
rear
of
regulator
.
NOTE-
Some
of
the
window
regulators
are
mounted
to
the
doors
with
rivets
.
The
rivets
must
be
drilled
out
.
During
installation,
M6
x
10
bolts
and
self-locking
nuts
can
be
substituted
.
8
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
0013073
"
Adjust
door
window
as
described
earlier
.
"
Re-initialize
window
regulators
as
described
earlier
.
Tightening
Torques
"
Window
regulator
to
door
............
9
Nm
(7
ft-Ib)
"
Window
motor
to
regulator
...........
5
Nm
(4
ft-Ib)
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
515-2
CENTRAL
LOCKING
AND
ANTI-THEFT
0013117
Fig
.
1
.
4-door
cars
:
Remove
lower
retaining
boltat
base
of
window
rear
guide
rail
and
pivot
rail
out
of
door
.
Fig
.
3
.
Front
door
lock
mounting
screws
(arrows)
.
uu11686
0012685
Fig
.
4
.
Pry
out
locklinkage
(A)
from
plastic
retainer
.
Lift
door
lock
mechanism
slightly
to
Rmove
latching
pin
from
lock
gate
(B)
.
Door
lock
mechanism
shown
removed
from
door
.
0013073
Fig
.
2
.
Inside
door
handle
retaining
screw
(A)
Unhook
linkage
from
handle
at
B
.
9
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal,
noting
the
following
:
DOOR
HANDLES
AND
LOCKS
"
Install
lock
mounting
bolts
with
Loctite
0
270
or
equiva-
lent
thread-locker
.
"
Reconnect
power
window
motor
harness
connector
.
"
Usenew
mounting
bolts
when
reinstalling
the
side-ím-
pact
airbag
to
the
door
(where
applicable)
.
"
Secure
wire
harnesses
with
wire
ties
.
"
Check
function
of
door
lock
and
window
mechanism
before
reinstalling
inner
door
panel
.
Tightening
Torques
"
Door
lock
to
door
......
.
..........
9
Nm
(80
in-lb)
"
Window
guide
to
door
........
.
...
10
Nm
(89
in-lb)
Front
door
handle,
removing
and
installing
1
.
Closedoor
window
completely
.
2
.
Remove
front
door
panel
and
vapor
barrier
asde-
scribed
in
411
Doors
.
WARNING
-
Some
1997
and
al]
1998
cars
are
fitted
with
side-im-
pact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
.
When
servicing
the
door
handles
on
cars
with
front
side-impact
airbags,
always
disconnect
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
for
cautions
and
pro-
cedures
relatíng
to
the
airbag
system
.
3
.
On
carswíth
side-impact
airbags,
disconnect
negative
(-)
cable
from
battery,
then
remove
airbag
module
.
CAUTION-
Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
thís
manual
onpage
vi¡¡
.
NOTE-
In
some
models
covered
inthis
manual,
it
is
not
essen-
tial
to
remove
the
side-impact
airbag
to
access
internal
door
components
.
However,
the
procedure
is
recom-
mended
for
safety
reasons
.
4
.
Remove
door
lock
as
described
earlier
.
5
.
Remove
window
as
described
in
512
Door
Windows
.
CA
UTION-
On
models
with
side-impact
airbags,
removinglin-
stalling
the
front
window
requires
that
the
battery
cable
bereconnected
wíth
the
side-impact
airbag
disconnected
.
This
will
seta
fault
code
in
the
SRS
control
module,
turn
on
the
SRS
warning
light,
and
disable
the
SRS
system
until
the
fault
memo-
ry
is
cleared
usíng
special
SRS
test
equipment
.
6
.
Pry
out
access
plug
in
end
of
door
.
Use
screwdriver
through
access
hole
to
slide
exteriortrim
locking
plate
into
released
position
.
See
Fig
.
5
.
Remove
doorhandle
exterior
trim
piece
.
7
.
Working
inside
door,
remove
locking
clip
for
doorhan-
dle
retaining
pin
and
push
pin
out
.
8
.
Working
inside
door,
disconnect
electrical
harness
con-
nector
at
door
handle
.
Twist
plastic
connector
bracket
to
remove
from
door
handle
.
CENTRAL
LOCKING
AND
ANTI-THEFT
515-
3
0011681
Fig
.
5
.
Insert
screwdriver
into
access
hole
and
push
lockingplate
forward
(arrow)
to
release
exterior
handle
trim
.
uu11682
Fig
.
6
.
Door
handle
retaining
pin(A)
and
lock
collar
nut
(B)
.
Door
handle
trim
shown
removed
.
10
.
Remove
door
handle
fromdoor
by
angling
out
of
door
cavity
.
Removed
door
handle
assembly
is
shown
in
Fig
.
7
.
0012684
Fig
.
7
.
Door
handle
harnessconnector
(A)
;
retaining
pin
Iocking
clip
9
.
Working
at
door
exterior,
remove
handle
collar
nut
(B)
;
exterior
trim
Iocking
plate
(C)
.
Handleassembly
shown
re-
while
supporting
handle
.
See
Fig
.
6
.
moved
from
door
.
DOOR
HANDLES
AND
LOCKS