1994 BMW M3 fuel

Tires,
checking
inflation
pressure



Brake
pad/rotor
wear,
checking

Correct
tire
pressuresare
important
to
handling
and
stability,



Al¡
E36
cars
are
fitted
withdisc
brakes
at
al¡
four
wheels
.
See
fuel
economy,
and
tire
wear
.
Tire
pressures
change
with
temper-



Fig
.
24
.
Although
thebrakesare
equipped
with
a
brake
pad
ature
.
Pressures
should
be
checked
often
during
seasonal
tem-



warning
system,
the
system
only
monitors
one
wheel
per
axle
.
perature
changes
.
Correct
inflation
pressures
canbe
found
on



It
is
recommended
that
pad
thickness
should
be
checked
the
driver's
door
pillar
and
in
the
owner's
manual
.
Note
that
tire



whenever
the
wheels
are
off
or
brakework
is
beggg
done
.
pressuresshould
be
higher
when
thecar
is
more
heavily
loaded
.

WARNING
-

Do
not
inflate
any
tire
to
a
higher
pressure
than
the
tiress
maximum
ínflation
pressure
listed
on
the
side-
wall
.
Use
cara
when
addlng
air
to
warm
tires
.
Warm
tire
pressures
can
increase
as
much
as4
psi
(0.3
bar)
over
their
cold
pressures
.

Tires,
rotating

BMW
does
not
recommend
tire
rotation
.
Due
to
the
cars
sus-
pension
design,
the
fronttires
begin
to
wear
first
at
the
outer

shoulder
and
the
rear
tires
begin
to
wear
first
at
themiddle
of

the
tread
or
inner
shoulder
.
Rotating
the
tires
may
adversely
af-

fect
roadhandling
and
tire
grip
.

NOTE-

The
main
purpose
of
tire
rotation
isto
promote
even
wear
and
maximum
tire
life
.
Tire
life
may
be
decreased
slightly
if
the
tires
are
not
rotated
.

Wheels,
aligning

Routine
maintenance
of
the
brake
system
includes
maintain-

ing
the
brake
fluid
in
the
reservoir,
checking
brakepads
for

wear,
checking
hand
brake
functíon,
and
inspecting
the
system

for
fluid
leaks
or
other
damage
.

Check
that
brake
hoses
are
correctly
routed
to
avoidchafing

or
kinkíng
.
Inspect
unions
and
brake
calipers
for
signs
of
fluid

leaks
.
Inspect
rigid
fines
for
corrosion,
dents,
or
other
damage
.

Inspect
flexible
hoses
for
cracking
.
Replace
faulty
hoses
or
lines
as
described
in
340Brakes
.

WARNING
-

Incorrect
installation
or
overtightening
hoses,
fines,

and
unions
may
cause
chafing
or
leakage
.
This
can
lead
to
partíal
or
completebrake
system
failure
.

MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM



020-
1
7

B323

Fig
.
24
.
Disc
brake
pad
wear
can
checked
through
opening
in
caliper
.

The
brake
caliper
should
be
unbolted
from
the
suspension

strut
to
properly
inspect
the
brake
pads
and
the
rotors
.
See
Fig
.

25
.
Brake
caliper
removal
and
installation
procedures
are
given
in
340
Brakes
.
BMW
recommends
checking
the
front
and
rear
alignment

once
a
year
and
whenever
new
tires
are
installed
.
See320

Steering
and
Wheel
Alignment
for
a
more
detailed
discus-

sion
of
alignment
requirements
and
specifications
.

Brake
Pad
Lining
Minimum
Thickness

(Dimension
A)

Brake
system,
inspecting



"
Front
and
reardisc
brake
pads
....
3
.0
mm
(0
.12
in)

Brake
fluid,
replacing

BMW
strictly
recommends
replacing
the
brake
fluid
every
two
years
.
This
will
help
protect
against
corrosion
and
the
ef-

fects
of
moisture
in
the
(luid
.
See340
Brakes
for
brake
fluid

flushing
procedures
.

Parking
brake,
checking

The
parking
brakesystem
is
independent
of
the
main
braking

system
and
may
requireperiodic
adjustment
dependingon
use
.
Adjust
the
parking
brake
if
the
brake
lever
can
be
pulled
up

more
than
8
clicks
.
Check
that
the
cable
moves
freely
.
A
de-

scription
of
the
parking
brake
and
parking
brake
adjustment

can
be
found
in
340Brakes
.

UNDER-CARMAINTENANCE

NOTE-

Use
a14
mm
or17
mm
alíen
bit
socket
to
remove
the
drain
plug
.

"
If
thecar
is
raised
in
the
air,
it
shouldbe
leve¡
.

Fuel
tank
and
fuel
fines,
inspecting

0012474

Inspect
the
fuel
tank,
fuel
lines,
and
fuel
system
for
damage

or
leaks
.
Check
for
fuel
leaks
in
the
engine
compartment
or

fuel
odors
in
the
passenger
compartment
.
Check
for
faultyfuel

lines
bybending
them
.
If
any
leaks
are
present,
fuel
should
be

expelled
.
Check
for
any
evaporative
emissions
hoses
that

may
have
become
disconnected,
checking
carefully
at
the

charcoal
canister
and
evaporative
emissionspurge
system
.

See130
Fuel
Injection
and
160
Fuel
Tank
and
Fuel
Pump

for
component
locations
and
additional
information
.

WARNING
-

When
checking
for
fuel
leaks,
the
engine
must
be
cold
.
A
hot
exhaust
manifold
or
exhaust
system
could
cause
the
fuel
to
ignite
or
explode
causing
se-
rious
personal
injury
.
Uentilate
the
workarea
and
clean
up
spilled
fuel
immediately
.

Clutch
fluid,
checking

The
hydraulic
clutch
and
the
brake
system
share
the
same

reservoir
and
the
same
brake
fluid
.
Clutch
fluid
leve¡
and
brake

fluid
level
are
checked
at
the
same
time
.
See340
Brakes
for

more
information
.
See210
Clutch
for
information
on
the
clutch

and
the
hydraulic
clutch
operating
system
.

MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM



020-19

Drive
axie
joint
boots,
inspecting

100
Engine-General

The
protective
boots
must
be
closely
inspected
for
cracks
andany
other
damage
that
will
allow
contaminants
to
get
ínto
the
joint
.
If
the
rubber
boots
faf
,
the
water
and
dirt
that
enter
the
joint
will
quickly
damage
¡t
.
Replacement
of
the
drive
axle
joint
boots
and
inspection
of
the
joints
are
described
in
330
Rear
Suspension
.

BODY
AND
INTERIOR
MAINTENANCE

Windshield
Wiper
Biade
Maintenance

Common
problems
with
the
windshield
wipers
include

streaking
or
sheeting,
water
drops
after
wiping,
and
blade
chat-

ter
.
Streaking
is
usually
caused
when
wiper
blades
are
coated

with
road
film
or
car
wash
wax
.
Clean
the
blades
using
soapy
water
.
If
cleaning
theblades
does
not
cure
the
problem
then

they
should
be
replaced
.
BMW
recommends
replacing
the
wip-
er
blades
twice
a
year,
before
and
after
the
cold
season
.
Onold-

er
cars,
check
the
tension
spring
that
holds
the
wiper
to
the

glass
.
Replace
the
wiper
arm
if
the
springs
are
weak
.

Drops
that
remainbehind
after
wipingare
caused
by
oil,
road

film,
or
diesel
exhaust
coating
the
windshield
.
Use
an
alcohol
or

ammonia
solution,
or
a
non-abrasive
cleanser
to
clean
the

windshield
.

Wiper
blade
chatter
may
be
caused
by
dirty
or
worn
blades,

bya
dirty
windshield,
or
by
bentor
twisted
wiper
arms
.
Clean

the
blades
and
windshield
as
described
above
.
Adjust
the
wiper

arm
so
that
there
is
even
pressure
along
the
blade,
and
so
that

the
blade
is
perpendicular
to
the
windshield
atrest
.
Lubricate

the
wiper
linkage
with
a
light
oil
.
The
linkage
is
located
under

the
hood
on
the
drivers
side
.
If
the
problem
persists,
theblades
are
excessively
aged
or
worn
and
should
be
replaced
.
See
611
Wipers
and
Washers
.

Body
and
hinges,
lubricating

The
door
locks
and
lock
cylinders
canbe
lubricated
with
an

oil
that
contains
graphite
.

The
body
and
door
hinges,
the
hood
latch,
and
the
door

check
rods
should
be
lubricated
with
SAE
30
or
SAE
40
engine

oil
.
Lubricate
the
seat
runners
with
multipurpose
grease
.
Do
not

apply
any
oil
to
rubber
parts
.
If
door
weatherstrips
are
sticking,

lubricate
them
with
silicone
spray
or
talcum
powder
.
The
hood

release
cable
should
be
lubricated
as
well
.

The
use
of
winter
lock
de-icer
spraysshould
be
kept
to
an
ab-

solute
minimum,
as
the
alcohol
in
the
de-icer
will
wash
the

grease
out
of
the
lock
assemblies,
and
may
cause
the
locks
to

corrode
internally,
or
become
difficult
to
operate
.

ENGINE-GENERAL
100-1

GENERAL
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
100-1

Cylinder
Block
and
Crankshaft
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
100-1

Connecting
Rods
and
Pistons
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-1

Cylinder
Head
and
Valvetrain
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-2

VANOS
(Variable
Valve
Timing)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
100-2

DISA
(Dual
Resonance
Intake
System)
.
.
.
.
.
100-3

Engine
Management
System
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-3

Ignition
......
.
.
.
.........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-5

Fuel
Delivery
..
.
.
.
.....
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-5

Cooling
System
.
...........
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
100-5

Lubrication
System
.........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-5

MECHANICALTROUBLESHOOTING
.
.
.
.
100-5

Warnings
and
Cautions
..
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-5

Cylinder
compression,
checking
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-6

EngineMechanical
Troubleshooting
Table
.
.
.
100-7

DRIVEABILITY
TROUBLESHOOTING
...
100-8

GENERAL

There
are
various
engíne
configurations
used
in
the
1992-

1998
E36
cars
.
See
Table
a
.

On
both
four-
and
6-cylinder
engines,
the
cylinder
block
is

cast
¡ron
with
integral
cyiinders
.
The
cyiinders
are
exposed
on

all
sides
to
circulating
coolant
.

The
fully
counterweighted
crankshaft
rotates
in
replaceable

split-shell
main
bearings
.
Oiiways
drilled
into
the
crankshaft
pro-

vide
bearing
lubrication
.
O¡I
seals
pressed
into
alloy
sea¡
hous-

ings
are
installedat
both
ends
of
the
crankshaft
.

100
Engine-General

Tablea
.
Engine
Specifications

ENGINE-GENERAL
100-1

On-Board
Diagnostics
(OBD)
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
100-8

Basic
Requirements
....
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
....
.100-11

Preventive
Maintenance
......
.
.
.
.
.
.....
100-11

Basic
Engine
Settings
..
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.....
100-11

Oxygen
Sensors
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
....
.100-11

Air
Flow
Measurement
and
Vacuum
Leaks
.
.100-12

Battery
Voltage
.
.
...........
.
.
.
.
.
.....
100-12

Wiring
and
Harness
Connections
.
.
.
.
.....
100-13

Ground
Connections
...
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.....
100-13

Fue¡
Supply
....
.
...........
.
.
..
.....
.100-14

TABLES

a
.
Engine
Specifications
...
...
...........
.
..
..
.100-1

b
.
Engine
Management
Systems
..
..
...........
..
100-5

c
.
Engine
Mechanical
Troubleshooting
..........
.
.
100-8

d
.
OBD
1
Fault
(Blink)
Codes
(1992-1995
models
only)
.
...
..
..
..........
..
.100-9
e
.
Engine
Driveability
Troubleshooting
...........
.100-15
Model



Engine
code



No
.
of



Dispiacement



Compression



Horsepower
cyiinders



liters
(cu
.
in
.)



ratio



SAE
net
@
rpm

318i/is/¡C
1992-1995



M42



4



1
.8
(109
.6)



10
.0
:1



100
@
6000
1996-1998



M44



4



1
.9
(115
.6)



~
10
.0
:1



103
@
6000

323ís/iC
1998



M52



6



2
.5
(152
.2)



10
.5
:1



168
@
5,500

325i/is/iC
1992-1995



M50



6



2
.5
(152
.2)



10
.0
:1



110
@
5,900

328i/is/iC
1996-1998



M52



6



2
.8
(170
.4)



10
.2
:1



190
@
5,300

M3
1995



S50US



6



3
.0
(182
.5)



10
.5:1



240
@
6,000
1996-1998



S52US



6



3
.2
(192
.3)



10
.5:1



240
@
6,000
Cylinder
Block
and
Crankshaft



Connecting
Rods
and
Pistons

The
forged
connecting
rods
use
replaceable
split-shell

bearings
at
the
crankshaft
endand
solid
bushings
at
the
pis-

ton
pin
end
.
The
pistonsare
of
the
three-ring
typewith
two
up-
per
compression
rings
and
a
lowerone-piece
o¡i
scraper
ring
.

Fui¡-floating
piston
pins
are
retained
with
circlips
.

GENERAL

camshaft
secondary
drive,
causing
thecamshaft
to
"advance"

12
.5°
.
The
helical
gears
are
cut
so
that
forward
motion
of
the

gear
cup
is
transiated
into
rotational
motion
of
the
camshaft
.

See
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain
for
testing
and
repair
infor-
mation
on
the
VANOS
system
.

DISA
(Dual
Resonance
Intake
System)

DISA,usedon
4-cylinder
engines,
is
a
dual
intake
runner

system
that
effectively
provides
the
advantages
of
both
short

and
long
intake
runners
within
the
same
engine
.
For
best
per-

formance,
long
intake
runners
aremost
beneficial
atlow-
and
mid-engine
speeds
(below
4,200
rpm),
and
short
intake
run-
ners
enhance
torque
at
high
engine
speeds
(above4,200
rpm)
.

NOTE-

The
term
DISA
comes
from
the
German
words
Differ-
enzierte
Sauganlage,
and
can
roughty
be
transiated
as
a
differing
intake
manifold
configuration
.

The
DISA
solenoid
valve
is
controlled
by
the
DME
control

module,
using
engine
speed
as
the
primary
input
.
The
main

components
of
the
system
are
the
modified
twin-section
in-

takemanifoldwith
change-over
valve,
the
twin-barrel
throttle

body,
and
the
electrical/pneumatic
actuating
components
.

See
Fig
.
4
.

r

I

I

I

?
,
in
UpPer,
take
-1
manifold

1
-1
Throttle
housing
(Heated)

q
:lZU

Fig
.
4
.



DISA
system
components
.
DISA
changes
the
intake
runner

length
based
on
engine
speed
.

The
DISA
system
electro-pneumatically
changes
the
intake
runner
length
through
the
twin-section
intake
manifold
and
a
change-over
butterfly
valve
.
The
change-over
valve
is
located
at
a
point
in
the
intake
manifold
where
four
pipes
come
into
two
.
When
the
change-over
valve
is
closed,
the
4-way
primary
intake
manifold
and
the
2-way
ram
air
manifold
areconnected
to
make
the
"long"
configuration
.
When
the
change-overvalve
opens,
intake
air
flow
is
redirected
through
only
the
short
4-

way
primary
intake
manifold
.

The
change-over
valve
is
held
in
the
normally
open
position
bya
spring
.
Thisallows
for
an
open
valve
in
the
event
of
sys-
tem
failure
.
During
low
andmid
enginespeeds,
the
DME
con-

trol
module
supplies
power
to
the
solenoid
valve,
which
in
turn

allows
vacuum
to
be
applied
lo
the
vacuum
diaphragm
.
This

causes
the
valve
to
close
(long-pipe
configuration)
.
When
en-
gine
speed
reaches
approximately
4,800
rpm,
the
DME
con-
trol
module
electrically
signals
the
solenoid
valve
and
the
valve
opens,
creating
the
short
pipe
configuration
:

Further
detafs
on
DISA
canbefound
in
130
Fuel
Injection
.

Engine
Management
System

Al¡
enginescoveredby
this
manual
usean
advanced
engine

management
system
called
Digital
Motor
Electronics
(DME)
.

In
the
DME
system,
advancedOn-Board
Diagnostics
(OBD),

fuel
injection,
ignition,
and
otherfunctions,
are
combined
under

the
control
of
theEngine
Control
Module
(ECM)
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

-



Lower
intake
manifold

DISAvacuum
'
~servo

EíY1z

ENGINE-GENERAL
100-
3

le

-
DISA
solenoid
valve

0012591

/
with
butterfly
va¡

GENERAL

100-4
ENGINE-GENERAL

'



TEMP

PRECAT



POST
CAT



OXYGENSENSOR
HEATING

#
.
THROTTLE
POSITION



FUEL
INJECTOR
CONTROL
(SEQUENTIAL)

OPERATING
POWER



00

CAMSHAFT
POSITION
SENSOR

ECM



I
MAIN
GROUND

RELAY



J_



-



AC
COMPRESSOR
RELAY
CONTROL

TERMINAL
15

MEMORY
POWER
FUEL
PUMP
RELAY
CONTROL
AUX
GROUND
P

CRANKSHAFT
POSITION
dESENSOR

INTAKE
AIR

ENGINE
COOLANT
TEMP

FUEL
TANK
PRESSURE
SENSOR

S-EML
S-MSR

ASC
S-ASC

VEHICLE
SPEED

LOW
FUEL
LEVEL

A/C
SWITCH
ON
(AC)
E36
IHKA
COMPRESSOR"ON"

SIGNAL
(KO)

INDIVIDUAL
SERIAL
NUMBER

MS41
.1

SECONDARY
AIR
1NJECTION
AIR
PUMP®
RELAY
CONTROL

IDLE
CONTROL
VALVE



'M

FUEL
INJECTION
(TI)

ENGINE
SPEED
(TD)

Fig
.
5
.



Siemens
MS
41
.1
OBD
II
engine
management
systemusedon
1996
and
later
M52
engines
.

GENERAL

IGNITION
COILS
CONTROL

L
r"Q
if~
CIYVFIYC



CHE
AMP
CONTROL
ENGINE

THROTTLE
POSITION

6

ECM
RELAY
CONTROL

ASC

THROTTLE
..
:
.
.
..
-11



1Q\\\
POTENTIOMETER
POWER

CAN



TCM
II



SCAN
(DES
;
ER

DIAGNOSIS

OBD
II
I
II

GENERIC
SCANTOOL



0012596

ignition

Table
b
.
Engine
Management
Systems



engine
has
high
mileage
.

Engine



1
System

4-cylinder
engines
M42
(1992-1995)



Bosch
DME
Ml
.7
M44
(1996-1998)



Bosch
DME
M5
.2
(OBD
II)

6-cylinder
engines
M50
(1992)



Bosch
DME
M3
.1
M50
VANOS
(1993-1995)



Bosch
DME
M3
.3
.1
M52
(1996-1998)



Siemens
MS41
.1
(OBD
II)
S50US
(1995)



Bosch
DME
M3
.3
.1
S52US
(1996-1998)



Siemens
MS41
.1
(OBD
II)

Both
the
4-cylinder
and
6-cylinder
engines
use
a
distributor-

less
ignition
system
with
individual
ignition
coils
for
each
cylin-

der
.

FuelDelivery

Pressurized
fuel
from
the
in-tank
fuel
pump
is
injected
via

solenoid-type
fuel
injectors
.
The
ECM
controls
the
opening

and
closing
of
the
injectors
by
switchingthe
ground
side
of

each
injector
circuit
.
The
exact
amount
of
fuel
injected
is
de-

termined
by
the
amount
of
timethe
injectors
are
open
.

Cooling
System

Whenever
the
engine
is
running,
acoolant
pump
circulates

coolant
through
the
engine
and,
if
either
heater
control
valves

are
open,
through
the
heater
core
in
the
passenger
compart-

ment
.
The
coolant
absorbs
excess
heat
and
carries
it
to
the
ra-

diator
where
it
is
transferred
into
the
passing
airstream
.
A

thermostat
controls
the
flow
of
coolant
through
the
radiator

based
on
engine
temperature
.

Lubrication
System

The
lubrication
system
is
pressurized
whenever
theengine

is
running
.
The
oil
pump
draws
oil
through
a
pickup
in
the
bot-

tom
of
the
oil
pan,thenforces
it
through
a
replaceable
oil
filter

and
finto
the
engine
oíi
passages
.

On
4-cylinder
engines,
the
oil
pump
is
mounted
to
the
front

engine
cover
.
On
6-cylinder
engines,thechain-driven
oil

pump
is
bolted
to
the
bottom
of
the
cylinder
block
.

A
pressure
relief
valve
limits
the
maximum
system
pres-

sure
.
A
bypass
valve
prevents
the
oil
filter
from
bursting
and

insures
engine
lubrication
should
the
filter
become
plugged
.

See
119
Lubrication
System
for
additional
information
.

ENGINE-GENERAL
100-
5

Various
versions
of
DME
systems
are
usedon
thecars
cov-



MECHANICAL
TROUBLESHOOTING
ered
by
this
manual
.
See
Table
b
.
Each
system
is
highly
adaptive
to
compensate
for
things
suchasengine
wear
and



When
troubleshooting
an
engine
that
fails
to
start
or
runs
vacuum
leaks
.



poorly,
first
check
its
mechanical
condition-particularly
if
the

Warnings
and
Cautions

For
personal
safety,
as
well
asthe
protection
of
sensitive
electronic
components,
the
following
warnings
and
cautions
must
be
adhered
to
during
all
troubleshooting,
maintenance,
and
repairwork
.

WARNING
-

"
The
ignition
system
produces
high
voltages
that
can
be
fatal
.
Avoid
contact
with
exposed
termi-
nals
anduse
extreme
caution
when
working
on
a
car
with
the
ignition
switched
on
or
the
engine
running
.

"
Do
not
touch
or
disconnect
any
high
voltage
ca-
bles
from
the
coil,
distributor,
orspark
plugs
while
the
engine
is
running
or
being
cranked
by
the
starter

"
Connect
and
disconnect
the
engine
manage-
ment
system
wiring
and
test
equipment
leads
only
when
the
ignition
is
switched
off
.

"
Gasoline
is
highly
flammable
and
its
vapors
are
explosive
.
Do
not
smoke
or
work
on
a
car
near
heaters
or
other
fire
hazards
when
diagnosing
and
repairing
fuel
system
problems
.
Have
a
fire
extínguisher
available
in
case
of
an
emergency
.

"
Disconnecting
the
battery
may
erase
fault
code(s)
stored
in
control
module
memory
.
Using
special
BMW
diagnosnnc
equipment,
check
for
fault
codes
prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery
cables
.
If
the
Check
Engine
lightis
illuminated,
see
On-

Board
Diagnostics
(OBD)
forfault
code
infor-
mation
.
If
any
other
system
faults
havebeen
de-tected
(indicated
byan
illuminated
warning
light),
see
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
.

CAUTION-

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

"
Do
notconnect
any
test
equipment
that
delivers
a
12-volt
power
supply
to
terminal15
(+)
of
the
ignition
coil
.
The
current
flow
may
damage
the

ECM
.
In
general,
connect
test
equipment
only
as
specified
by
BMW,
this
manual,
or
the
equip-
ment
maker
.

"
Do
not
disconnect
the
battery
with
the
engine
running
.
Do
notrunthe
engine
with
any
of
the
sparkplug
wires
disconnected
.

MECHANICAL
TROUBLESHOOTING

100-6
ENGINE-GENERAL

Cylinder
compression,
checking

A
compression
tester
is
needed
to
make
a
compression
test
.

To
obtain
accurate
test
results,
the
battery
and
starter
must
be
capable
of
cranking
the
engine
at
250-300
rpm,
and
theen-

gine
should
be
at
normal
operating
temperature
.
Use
com-

pressed
air
to
clean
aroundthe
spark
plugs
before
removal
.

1
.
Disable
the
ignítion
system
by
removing
the
engine

management
system
main
relay
and
the
fuel
pump
re-
¡ay
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

WARNING
-

The
ignítion
system
produces
high
voltages
that
canbe
fatal
.
Avoid
contact
with
exposed
termínals
and

useextreme
caution
when
working
on
acar
wíth
the
ignítion
switched
on
or
the
engine
running
.

Fuel



DM
E
pump
main
re
ay



rel
ay
o
oa
ooa

.,
o00
oao

Fig
.
6
.



Engine
management
relays
in
power
distribution
box
inleft
rear
of
engine
compartment
.

CAUTION-

"
On
OBD
11
cars,
making
a
compression
test
may
causea
faultto
set
in
the
ECM
and
may
also
il-
luminate
the
Check
Engine
light
.
The
light
can
only
be
tumed
out
using
special
scan
tool
equip-
ment,using
eíther
the
BMW
specialservíce
tool
or
using
a
"generic"
OBD
11
scan
tool
.
Discon-
necting
the
battery
will
not
erase
the
fault
mem-
orynor
turn
outthe
light
.

0013034,

0012630

Fig
.
7
.



Remove
spark
plug
wires
from
spark
plugs
on
4-cylinder
en-
gine
using
special
tool
.
Tool
is
stored
under
cover
at
rear
of
cylinder
head
(arrow)
.

Fig
.
8
.



Remove
engine
cover
on
6-cylinder
engine
byprying
off
nut
covers
and
removing
nuts
(A)
.
Be
careful
not
to
let
rubber
in-
sulators
fall
off
as
cover
is
removed
(arrows)
.

4
.
On
6-cylinder
engines,
disconnect
the
harness
connec-
tors
from
the
ignítion
coils
by
lifting
the
retaining
clip
.

Remove
the
coil
mounting
nuts
andremove
the
six
coils
.
See
Fig
.
9
.
Remove
the
sparkplugs
.
"
Failure
to
remove
the
main
relay
or
attempting
to
disable
the
ignítion
system
by
other
methods
may
resultin
damage
to
the
engine
control
module
.



NOTE-

Used
sparkplugs
should
be
reinstalled
in
the
same
cyl-

2
.
On
4-cylinder
engine
:
Remove
plastic
engine
cover
from



inder
fromwhich
they
were
removed
.

top
of
cylinder
head
.
Disconnect
spark
plug
wires
and
re-
move
spark
plugs
.
See
Fig
.
7
.



5
.
Insta¡¡
the
compression
gauge
in
the
first
cylinder's

3
.
On
6-cylinder
engine
:
Remove
top
engine
coverby
pry-



spark
plug
hole,
tight
enough
to
form
a
good
seal
.

ing
off
nut
covers
and
removing
mounting
nuts
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

MECHANICAL
TROUBLESHOOTING

100-8
ENGINE-GENERAL

Symptom



1



Probable
cause
and
correctiveaction

1
.
Engine
will
not
start
or
run
.
Starter
cranks



a
.



No
fuel
reaching
engine
.
Check
forfuelin
tank
.

engine
at
normal
speed
.



Fuel
pump
notoperating
.
Repair
Group
160

b
.
No
spark
.
Check
ignition
system
.
Repair
Group
120

c
.
Incorrect
valve
timing
.
Check
timing
chain
.
Repair
Group
117

2
.
Check
Engine
warning
light
illuminated
.



a
.
DME
engine
management
system
self-diagnostic
fault
detected
.
Sea
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
or
other
qualified
shop
for
OBD
II
fault
code
diagnosis
.
See
also
On-
board
Diagnostics(OBD),
given
later
inthis
repair
group
.

3
.
White
exhaust
smoke
(steam)
.



a
.
Failed
cylinder
head
gasket
(probably
accompanied
bylowcompression
readings)
.

Replace
gasket
and
resurface
cylinder
head
if
necessary
.
Repair
Group
113
4
.
Blue-gray
exhaust
smoke
and
oily
spark



a
.
Contaminated
or
gasoline-diluted
engine
oil
.
Change
engine
oil
and
replace
oil
filter
.
plugs
.
Indicates
oii
burning
in
combustion
.



Repair
Group
020

b
.
Faulty
valve
guide
seals
or
valve
guides
.
Replace
valve
guide
oil
seals
or
overhaul
cylinder
head
.
Repair
Group
116

5
.
Pinging
or
rattling
when
under
load,



a
.
Ignition
timing
too
advanced
.
Ignition
knocksensors
faulty
(CheckEngine
light
traveling
uphill,
or
accelerating,
especially



illuminated)
.
Repair
Group
120fromlow
speeds
.
Indicates
pre-ignition
or



b
.
Fuel
octane
leve¡
toolow
.
detonation
.



c
.
Engine
running
too
hot
or
overheating
.
Check
cooling
system
.
Repair
Group
170

6
.
Light
metallic
tapping
that
varies
directly
with
engine
speed
.
Oil
pressure
warning
light
not
illuminated
.

7
.
Light
metallic
knock
that
varies
directly
with
enginespeed
.
Oil
pressure
warning
light
blinking
or
fully
illuminated
;
may
be
most
noticeable
during
hard
stops
or
cornering
.

8
.
Screeching
or
squealing
under
load
that



a
.
Loose,worn,
or
damaged
drive
belt
.
Inspect
belt(s)
.
Repair
Group
020
goesaway
when
coasting
.

9
.
Growling
or
rumbling
that
varieswith
engine



a
.
Remove
drive
belt(s)toidentifyfaulty
component
.
Check
for
play,
bearing
roughness,
rpm
.
Indicates
abad
bearing
or
bushing
in



and
loose
mountings
.
Refer
to
appropriate
repair
group
for
repair
procedures
.
an
engine-driven
accessory
.

DRIVEABILITY
TROUBLESHOOTING



On-Board
Diagnostics
(OBD)

On-Board
Diagnostics
is
incorporated
into
al¡
engine
man-



Two
generations
of
OBD
are
usedon
thecars
covered
by
agement
systems
used
on
the
cars
covered
by
this
manual
.



this
manual
:
Therefore,
checking
for
fault
codes
should
be
the
first
step
in
troubleshootinga
driveability
problem
.
For
additional
informa-



On-Board
Diagnostics
tion
on
engine
management
and
repair
see130
Fuel
Injec-
tion
.



"
1992-1995models
....
.
..
....
.
..
.......
OBD
I

"
1996-1998models
.
....
..
.
.
.
..
.
........
OBD
II

DRIVEABILITY
TROUBLESHOOTING

Tablec
.
Engine
Mechanical
Troubleshooting

b
.
Warped
or
cracked
cylinder
head
.
Resurface
or
replace
cylinder
head
.
Repair
Group
113

c
.
Cracked
cylinder
block
.
Replace
engine
or
short
block
.

c
.
Worn
piston
rings
.
Overhaul
or
replace
engine
.

d
.
Failed
cylinder
head
gasket
.
Replace
gasket
.
Repair
Group
113

d
.
Air/fuel
mixture
too
lean
(Check
Engine
light
illuminated)
.
Repair
Group
130

a
.
Valveclearances
excessive
.
Check
hydraulic
valve
adjusters
.
Repair
Group
116

b
.
Low
oil
pressure
orpossibly
defective
warning
light
circuit
.
Check
oil
pressure
andwarning
light
circuit
.
Repair
Group
119
c
.
Dirty
oil
.
Change
oil
.
Repair
Group
020
.

a
.
Low
oil
leve¡
.
Check
and
correct
oil
leve¡
.

b
.
Low
oil
pressure/worn
or
faulty
oil
pump
.
Oil
pump
pickup
restricted/clogged
.
Check
oil
pressure
.
Repair
Group
119

The
OBD
system
detects
emissions-related
engine
manage-
ment
malfunctions
and
tucos
on
the
Check
Engíne
lightin
the
in-
strument
cluster
.
TheCheck
Engine
light
will
stay
on
until
the
code(s)are
called
up
and
the
memory
is
erased
.
When
faulty
are
detected,
the
OBD
system
stores
a
Diagnostic
Trouble
Code
(DTC)
in
the
system
ECM
.
In
addition,
the
Check
Engine
warn-
ing
light
will
come
on
if
an
emissions-related
fault
is
detected
.