1995 BMW 323i Cranking

020-
1
2



MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM

6-cylinder
engines
use
a
coil-on-plug
configuration,
and
re-



Battery
cablesshould
be
tight
.
The
terminals,
the
cable
moval
of
thetop
engine
cover
(between
the
camshafts)
and
ig-



clamps,
and
the
battery
case
should
be
freeof
the
white
deposits
nition
cofs
are
necessary
.
See
Fig
.
12
.
Blow
away
any
dust
or



that
indicate
corrosion
and
acid
salts
.
Even
a
thin
¡ayer
of
dust
dirt
around
the
ignition
coils,
and
then
remove
the
coils
.
Blow



containing
conductive
acid
salts
can
cause
battery
discharge
.
away
any
dustor
dirt
around
the
sparkplugs
.
Remove
the
spark

plugs
.



To
remove
battery
corrosion,
begin
by
disconnecting
theca-

bles
.
Disconnect
the
negative
(-)
cable
first
.
Clean
the
terminal

posts
and
the
cable
clamps
with
a
wire
brush
.
Clean
the
main
chassis
ground
terminal
next
to
the
battery
.
Corrosion
can
be
washedaway
with
a
baking
soda
and
water
solution
that
will
neutralize
the
acid
.
Apply
the
solution
carefully,
though,since
ít
will
also
neutralize
the
acid
inside
the
battery
.
Reconnect
the
ca-
ble
clamps,
positive
(+)
cable
first
.
Lightly
coat
the
outside
of
the

terminals,
hold
down
screws,
and
clamps
with
petroleum
jelly,
grease,
or
a
commercial
battery
terminal
corrosion
inhibitor
.

Fig
.
12
.
Ignition
coil
being
removed
from
spark
plug
on
M52
engine
.

NOTE-

If
necessary,
see
120
Ignition
System
for
more
details
on
coil
removal
.

B11004

Lightlylubricate
the
new
spark
plug
threads
with
a
small
amount
of
anti-seize
compound
.
Thread
the
plugs
into
the
cyl-
inder
head
byhand
to
prevent
cross-threading
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Spark
plug
to
cylinder
head
.......
25
Nm
(18
ft-ib)

Idie
Speed

Engine
¡dle
speed
canchange
due
to
a
number
of
factors,
in-
cluding
normal
wear
.
The
idle
speed
is
electronically
adaptive
and
non-adjustable
.
See
130
Fuel
Injection
for
more
information
.

Battery,
checking
and
cleaning

The
battery
is
located
in
the
right
side
of
the
luggage
com-
partment
.
Simple
maintenance
of
the
battery
and
its
terminal
connections
will
ensure
maximum
starting
performance,
espe-
cially
in
winter
when
colder
temperaturesreduce
battery
power
.

ENGINE
COMPARTMENT
MAINTENANCE

WARNING
-

"
Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
bat-
tery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manualonpage
viii
.

"
Battery
acid
is
extremely
dangerous
.
Take
care
to
keep
it
from
contacting
eyes,
skin,
or
clothing
.
Wear
eye
protection
.
Extinguish
all
smoking
ma-
terials
and
do
not
worknear
any
oyen
flames
.

Battery
electrolyte
should
be
maintained
at
the
correct
level
just
above
the
battery
plates
and
their
separators
.
The
correct
leve¡
is
approximately
5
mm
(
1
/4
in
.)
above
thetop
of
battery
plates
orto
thetop
of
the
indicator
marks
(if
applicable)
.
The
battery
plates
and
the
indicator
marks
can
beseen
once
the
fill-
er
caps
are
removed
.
If
the
electrolyte
level
is
low,
replenish
it
by
adding
distilled
water
only
.

Battery,
repiacing

Batteries
are
rated
by
ampere
hours
(Ah),
the
number
of
hoursa
specific
current
draín
can
be
sustained
before
complete
discharge,
or
by
cold
cranking
amps
(CCA),
the
number
of
amps
available
to
crank
the
engine
in
cold
weather
conditions
.
In
general,
replacement
batteries
should
alwaysbe
rated
equal
or
higherthan
the
original
battery
.

CAUTION-

Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
thls
manual
on
page
viii
.

The
battery
is
held
in
place
bya
single
hand
screw
and
píate
.
A
secure
battery
hold-down
is
important
in
order
to
prevent
vi-
brations
and
road
shock
from
damaging
the
battery
.

NOTE-
NOTE-
"
Always
disconnect
the
negative
()
cable
first,
and
Design
characteristics
of
the
convertible
body
cause
vi-



connect
ft
last
While
changing
batteries,
clean
away
brations
in
the
trunk
area
.
Therefore,
E36
convertibles



any
corrosion
in
or
around
the
battery
tray
.
require
a
specialbattery
designed
for
constant
vibra-
tion
.
When
repiacing
the
battery,
be
sure
the
replace-



"
Design
characteristics
of
the
convertible
body
cause
ment
is
designed
specffically
for
the
convertible
.



vibrations
to
oscillate
in
the
trunk
area
.
Therefore,
the
convertible
model
uses
a
specialbattery
designed
for
this
constant
vibration
.

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

Camshaft
installation
waíting
times

"
Ator
above
68°F
(20°C)
............
.
..
10
minutes

"
50-68°F
(10-20°C)
................
..
.
30
minutes

"
32-50°F
(0-10°C)
.
.......
.
.........
..
.
75minutes
"
Reinstall
timing
chain
sprockets
and
tensioner
as
spe-

cifically
described
in
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain
.



i

"
Wait
at
least
10minutes
before
cranking
engine
over

with
starter
motor
for
the
fi+



1
1/
/~~
.0
time
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Camshaft
bearing
caps

to
cylinder
head
(M7)
.............
15
Nm
(11
ft-Ib)

"
Cylinder
head
cover

to
cylinder
head
(M6)
.............
10
Nm
(89
in-lb)

"
Primary
timing
chain
tensioner
plug

to
cylinder
head
..
..
..
...........
40
Nm
(30
ft-Ib)

(see
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain)

"
Spark
plugs
(M12)
..
.
.............
23
Nm
(17
ft-Ib

"
Timing
chain
cover
(upper)

to
cylinder
head
..
.
.
...
..........
10
Nm
(89
in-lb)

"
Timing
chainsprockets
to
camshaft

M6
........
.
...
.
..
.



..........
10
Nm
(7.5
ft-Ib)

M7



............
.
..
..
...........
15
Nm
(11
ft
.lb)

(see
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain)

Camshafts,
removing
and
installing

(M44
engine)

Special
BMW
service
tools
should
always
be
used
to
remove

and
install
the
camshafts
.
Removal
and
installation
of
the
cam-

shafts
without
the
special
tools
can
result
in
camshaft
and
val-

vetrain
damage
.

1.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.

CAUTION-

Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this

manual
on
page
vi¡¡
.

CYLINDER
HEAD
AND
VALVETRAIN



116-
3

2
.
Remove
spark
plugs
.
See
1201gnition
System
.

3
.
Rotateengine
until
a
pair
of
camshaft
lobes
are
point-
ing
up
.
Using
BMW
special
tool
115
130,
depresseach
valve
and
valve
spring
enough
to
remove
rocker
arms
.

Rotate
engine
for
the
next
pair
of
rocker
arms
.
See
Fig
.

3
.

cover
.

Fig
.
3
.



BMW
special
tool
no
.
11
5130
(arrow)
being
used
to
depress
valve
stem
to
remove
rocker
arm
.

WARNING
-

Removed
rocker
arms
must
be
reinstalled
in
the
same
locations
.

4
.
Remove
primary
timing
chain
tensioner
from
right
side

of
cylinder
head
.

The
camshafts
can
be
removed
with
the
cylinder
head



5
.
Remove
upper
timing
chaincover
.

mounted
onthe
engine
.
The
first
step
is
to
remove
the
cylinder

head
cover
.
See
113
Cylinder
HeadRemoval
and
Installa-



NOTE-

tion
.



lt
is
not
necessary
to
remove
the
lower
timing
chain

6
.
Remove
timing
chain
sprockets
with
timing
chains
from

front
of
camshafts
.
See
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain
.

Remove
upper
timing
chain
guide
from
cylinder
head
.

WARNING-



7
.
Remove
camshaft
bearing
caes
and
remove
cam
The
process
of
evenly
loosening
the
camshaft
bear-



shafts
.
ing
cap
nuts
is
NOT
an
acceptable
method
of
re-

moving
the
camshafts
.
Be
sure
to
read
the



CAUTION-
procedure
through
before
starting
the
job
.
Camshaft
bearing
capsmust
be
reinstalled
intheir

original
locations
.

CYLINDER
HEAD,
DISASSEMBLYAND
ASSEMBLY

116-
4



CYLINDER
HEAD
AND
VALVETRAIN

NOTE-

"
The
camshaft
bearing
caps
are
coded
with
a
letter
anda
number
.
Forexample,
'541"is
the
exhaustcam-
shaft
bearing
cap
at
the
front
of
the
engine,
and
`El"
is
the
intake
camshaft
bearing
cap
at
the
front
of
the
engine
.

"
Camshafts
are
stamped
with
a
code
letter-'E"
for
the
intakeside
and
A"
for
the
exhaust
side
.

"
"E"
isfor
Einla3,
(German
for
intake)
and
A"
is
for
Auspuff,
(Germen
for
exhaust)
.

"
The
front
of
the
engine
is
at
the
front
of
the
car
.

8
.
Camshaft
installation
is
reverse
of
removal,
noting
the

following
:

"
Prior
to
installation,
check
all
components
for
wear
as

described
below
underCylinder
Head
and
Val-

vetrain
Reconditioning
.
"
Lubricate
camshafts
prior
to
installation
.
"
Reinstall
timing
chain
sprockets
and
tensioner
and
set
valve
timing
before
reinstalling
rocker
arms,as
spe-

cifically
described
in
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain
.

"
Be
sure
corresponding
camshaft
lobe
is
pointing
up

before
installing
rocker
arms
.
Note
that
each
rocker
arm
angles
away
from
corresponding
spark
plug
hole
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

"
Wait
at
least
10
minutes
for
hydraulic
cam
followers
to
fully
compress
before
cranking
engine
over
with
start-

er
for
the
first
time
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Camshaft
bearing
caps

to
cylinder
head
(M7)
.............
15
Nm
(11
ft-Ib)

"
Cylinder
head
cover

to
cylinder
head
(M6)
.............
10
Nm
(89
in-lb)

"
Primary
timing
chain
tensioner
plug

to
cylinder
head
.
................
40
Nm
(30
ft-lb)
(sea
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain)

"
Spark
plugs
(M12)
.............
...
23
Nm
(17
ft-lb

Timing
chaincover
(upper)
to
cylinder
head
M6
.....
.
.
...
................
.
10
Nm
(7
.5
ft-Ib)
M7
....
..
.
.
........
.
.....
.
...
.
15
Nm
(11
ft-Ib)

"
Timing
chain
sprockets
to
camshaft

M6
....
.
.
..
..............
.
..
..
10
Nm
(7
.5
ft-Ib)
M7
....
....
..............
.
..
..
.15
Nm
(11
ft
.lb)
(sea
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain)

Camshafts,
removing
and
installing

(6-cylinder
engine)

Camshafts
on
6-cylinder
engines
can
be
removed
with
the
cylinder
head
mounted
on
the
engine
.
The
first
step
is
to
re-
move
the
cylinder
head
cover
.
See
113
Cylinder
Head
Re-
moval
and
Installation
.

CYLINDER
HEAD,
DISASSEMBLYAND
ASSEMBLY

Fig
.
4
.



Correct
installation
position
ofrocker
arms
(arrows)
on
M44
engine
.

Special
BMW
service
tools
should
always
be
used
to
re-

move
and
instan
the
camshafts
.
Removal
of
camshafts
with-

outthe
special
tools
can
result
in
personal
injury
and/or
cylinder
head
damage
.

WARNING
-

The
processof
evenly
loosening
the
camshaft
bear-
ing
cap
nuts
is
NOT
en
acceptable
method
of
re-
moving
the
camshafts
.
Special
tools
shouldalways
be
used
lo
remove
the
camshafts
.
Be
sure
to
read
the
procedure
through
before
starting
ajob
.

1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.

CAUTION-

Prior
to
disconnectiog
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manual
onpaga
viii
.

516
2
.
Setengine
to
TDC
and
lock
into
position
by
installing
BMW
special
tool
11
2
300
through
transmission
bell-
housing
and
into
hole
in
flywheel
or
drive
platea
See
Fig
.
5
.

NOTE-

Arrows
on
camshaft
sprockets
shouldbe
pointing
up
.
Sea
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain
.

3
.
Remove
VANOS
control
unit
from
cylinder
head
.
Re-
move
timing
chainsprockets
from
camshafts
.
See117

Camshaft
Timing
Chain
.

4
.
Remove
sparkplugs
and
insta¡¡
BMW
special
tool
11
3
260/11
3
270
to
cylinder
head
.
Tighten
tool
retaining
bolts
in
spark
plug
holes
.
Do
not
ovar-tighten
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

116-
6



CYLINDER
HEAD
AND
VALVETRAIN

9
.
Camshaft
installation
is
reverse
of
removal,noting
the

following
:

"
Prior
to
installation,
check
al¡
components
for
wear
as
described
below
under
Cylinder
Head
and
Val-

vetrain
Reconditioning
.

"
Crankshaft
must
be
at
least
45°
away
from
MC
before

installing
camshafts
to
cylinder
head
.

"
Lubricate
camshafts
prior
to
installation
.
"
Insta¡¡
camshafts
into
cylinder
head
with
lobes
for
cyl-
inder
no
.
1
pointing
up
and
towards
each
other
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

"
After
installing
camshaft(s),
observe
specified
waiting

time
for
hydraulic
cam
followers
to
fully
compress
be-

fore
bringing
crankshaft
back
to
TDC
.

Fig
.
8
.



Camshaft
correctly
positioned
for
reassembly
so
thatcylinder
no
.
1
lobes
(arrows)
face
each
other
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Camshaft
bearing
caps
to
cylinder
head
(M7)
.
..
...
..
.
....
15
Nm
(11
ft-Ib)
"
Cylinder
head
cover
to
cylinder
head
(M6)
..
.
..........
10
Nm
(89
in-lb)

"
Primary
timing
chaintensioner
to
cylinder
head-see
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain
"
Spark
plugs
(M12)
.............
.
.
23
Nm
(17
ft-Ib)

"
Timing
chain
sprocket
to
camshaft
flange
(M6)-see
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain

CYLINDER
HEAD,
DISASSEMBLYAND
ASSEMBLY

Valves,
removing
and
installing

1
.
Remove
cylinder
head
as
described
in
113
Cylinder

HeadRemoval
and
Installation
.
Remove
exhaust

manifold(s)
.

2
.
Remove
camshafts
using
special
tools
as
descríbed

earlier
.

3
.
On
M42
and
al¡
6-cylinder
engines
:
Remove
camshaft

carriers
by
pulling
them
straight
up
off
mounting
studs
.

CAUTION-

"
Do
not
let
the
hydraulic
cam
followers
fa¡¡
out
as
the
camshaft
carrier
is
removed
.
Special
suction
cupsare
available
from
BMW
to
hold
the
hydrau-
lic
cam
followers
in
place
during
carrier
removal
.
Camshaft
installation
waiting
times

"
at
or
above
68°F
(20
0
C)
....
..
.
..
......
10
minutes

"
50-68°F
(10-20°C)
...
.
..
....
.
..
......
30
minutes

"
32-50°F
(0-10°C)
....
.
..
....
.
..
......
75
minutes
4
.
On
M44
engines
:
Remove
all
hydraulic
valve
adjusters
.
See
Hydraulicvalve
adjusters,
checking
and
re-
"
Reinstall
timing
chainsprockets
and
tensioner
as
spe-



placing
(M44
engine),
later
in
this
section
.
cifically
described
in
117
Camshaft
Timing
Chain
.
"
Waít
at
least
10
minutes
before
cranking
engine
over



CAUTION-
withstarter
motor
for
the
first
time
.



Hydraulic
valve
adjusters
should
be
stored
in
an
upright
position
.
lf
necessary,
use
amagnetic
tool
to
aid
in
removal
of
the
adjusters
.

"
Hydraulic
cam
followers
shouldbe
stored
in
an
upright
position
.

5
.
Remove
valves
using
a
valve
spring
compressor
.

NOTE-

"
The
M44
cylinder
head
has
recessed
valve
stems
.
This
requires
the
use
of
a
special
valve
spring
com-
pressor
tool
.

"
Label
each
valve
assembly
as
it
is
removed
so
it
can
be
installed
in
its
original
position
.

6
.
Remove
and
discard
valve
stem
oil
seals
from
valve
guides
.
See
Valve
stem
oil
seals
later
in
this
section
.

7
.
Valve
installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

"
Reinstall
exhaust
manifold(s)
with
new
gaskets
.
Use
Molycote
HSC'
5
or
equivalent
anti-seize
thread
com-
pound
on
fasteners
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Exhaust
manifold
to
cylinder
head
M7
............
..
...
....
.
...
..
20
Nm
(15
ft-Ib)

GENERAL
.
........
.
...........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-1



Camshaft
Position
(CMP)
Sensor
....
.
.
.
...
120-6

Disabling
Ignition
System
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-2



Camshaft
position
(CMP)
sensor,
replacing

Warnings
and
Cautions
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-2



(4-cylinder
engine)
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
120-6

Camshaft
position
(CMP)
sensor,
replacing

IGNITION
SYSTEM
DIAGNOSTICS
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-3



(6-cylinder
engine)
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-7
Basic
Troubleshooting
Principles
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-3



Knock
sensors,
replacing
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-7

Ignition
Firing
Order
.....
.
...
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.120-7

IGNITION
SYSTEM
SERVICE
.
.........
.
120-3

Checking
for
Spark
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.......
.
.
.
120-3

Ignition
coil,
testing
and
replacing

(4-cylinder
engine)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.........
.
120-3

Ignition
coil,
testing
and
replacing

(6-cylinder
engine)
.........
.
..........
120-4

Crankshaft
Positionlrpm
Sensor
.......
.
...
120-5

Crankshaft
position/rpm
sensor,
testing
and

replacing
(front
mounted)
.........
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-6

Crankshaft
position/rpm
sensor,replacing

(rear
mounted)
.....
.
.....
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
120-6

GENERAL



Troubleshooting
and
testing
of
the
engine
management

system
should
be
carried
out
using
the
BMW
specialized
ser

This
repair
group
covers
repair
andcomponent
replace-



vice
tester
(scan
tool)
.

ment
information
for
the
ignition
system
.
All
engines
use
a
distributorless
ignition
system
with
indívid-

ual
ignitioncoils
for
each
cylinder
.
There
is
no
distributor
cap

NOTE-



or
ignition
rotor
.
Each
coil
can
be
selectively
controlled
by
the

"
Spark
plug
replacement
is
covered
in
020
Mainte-



engine
control
module
on
a
cylinder-by-cylinder
basis
.
On
later

nance
Program
.



systems,
knock
sensors
are
used
to
monitor
and
control
igni-

"
For
fuel
related
troubleshooting
and
testing,
see
130



tion
knock
(ping)
and
adjusttiming
accordingly
.

Fuel
lnjection
.
Ignition
timing
is
electronically
controlled
and
not
adjust-

All
engines
covered
by
this
manual
use
an
advanced
en-



able
.
The
engine
control
module
(ECM)
usesengine
load,
en-

gine
management
system
.
The
engine
management
system



gine
speed,
coolant
temperature,
and
intake
air
temperature

incorporates
on-board
diagnostics,
fuel
injection,
ignition
and



as
the
basic
inputs
for
timing
control
.
Knock
detection
is
also

other
advanced
engine
control
functions
.



an
input
to
the
control
module,
where
applicable
.

Table
a
.
Engine
Management
System
Variants

Engine
code



1
System

4-cylinder
M42
(1.8
I)



Bosch
DME
Ml
.7
M44
(1
.9
I)



Bosch
DME
M5
.2
(OBD
II)

6-cylinder
M50
1992
(2.5
I)



Bosch
DME
M8
.1
1993-1995
(2
.5
I)



Bosch
DME
M33
.1
M52
1996-1998
(2.8
I)



Siemens
MS
41
.1
(OBD
II)

1998
(2
.5
I)



Siemens
MS
41
.1
(013D
11)
S50US
(3.0
I)



Bosch
DME
M3
.3.1
S52US
(3.2
I)



Siemens
MS
41
.1
(OBD
II)

120
Ignition
System

IGNITION
SYSTEM



120-1

IGNITION
SYSTEM
SCHEMATICS
...
.
.
.
.120-7

TABLES

a
.
Engine
Management
System
Variants
......
120-1

b
.
Ignition
Coil
Resistance
(M42
engine)
......
120-4

c
.
Ignition
Coil
Resistance
(M44
engine)
......
120-4

d
.
Ignition
Coil
Resistance

(6-cylinder
engine)
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
..
120-5

NOTE-

All
engines
coveredby
this
manual,
with
theexception

of
the
1992
M50,
incorporate
knocksensors
as
part
of

the
engine
management
system
.

The
initial
ignition
point
is
determined
by
the
crankshaft
po-

sition/rpm
sensor
during
cranking
.
Once
the
engine
is
run-

ning,
timing
is
continually
adjusted
based
on
operating

conditions
.
A
characteristic
ignition
map
is
shown
in
Fig
.
1
.
A

map
similar
to
the
one
shown
is
digitally
stored
in
the
engine

control
module
.

GENERAL

CAUTION
-

The
wiring
to
termina¡
15
(+)
of
the
coil(vía
the
ig-

nition
switch)
is
not
fuse
protected
.
Use
care
when
testíng
thiscircuit
.

4
.
Turn
ignition
off
.

5
.
Use
a
multimeter
to
test
coil
primary
resistanceat
coil

terminals
.
See
Table
d
.

Table
d
.
Ignition
Coil
Resistance

(6-cylinder
Engine)

Terminals
Resistance

(referto
Fig
.
4
.)

Coil
primary



1
1
(-)
and
15
(+)



X
0
.4-0
.8
ohms

Coil
secondary



l
N
.A
.



N
.A
.

6
.
Remove
coil
and
inspect
coil
housing
for
hairline
cracks

or
leaking
casting
material
.
See
Fig
.
7
.
A
leaky
ignition

coil
may
indícate
a
faulty
engine
control
module
(ECM)
.

Check
ECM
before
installing
a
new
coil
.

811004

Fig
.
7
.



Ignition
coil
being
removed
on
6-cylinder
engine
(M52
engine

shown)
.

CA
UTION-

"
Note
location
of
coil
ground
straps
before
coilre-

moval
;
reinstallin
the
same
location
.

"
When
replacing
ignition
coils,
ensure
that
the
re-

placement
coil(s)
are
from
the
same
manufactur-

er
containing
the
same
partlcode
numbers
.
If

individual
coils
with
the
correct
specifications
are
not
available,
all
coils
should
be
replaced
.

IGNITION
SYSTEM



120-
5

Crankshaft
Position/rpm
Sensor

If
the
engine
control
module
(ECM)
does
not
receive
a

crankshaft
position
signal
during
cranking,
the
engine
will
not

start
.

On
1992-1995(pre-OBD
II)
cars,
the
crankshaft
posi-
tion/rpm
sensor
is
mounted
on
the
front
engine
cover
and

reads
the
toothed
vibration
dampener
wheel
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

Fig
.
8
.



Crankshaft
position/rpm
sensor
mounted
at
front
of
engine
on
1992-1995
cars
.
(arrow)
.

On
1996
and
latee
cars
(OBD
II
compliant),
the
crankshaft
position/rpm
sensor
is
mounted
in
the
left
rear
side
of
the
cyl-

inderblock
.
The
sensor
reads
a
toothed
wheel
mounted
to
the

end
of
the
crankshaft
.
See
Fig
.
9
.

Fig
.
9
.



Crankshaft
position/rpm
sensor
toothed
wheel
mounted
to

rear
of
crankshaft
OBD
II
compliant
cars
.
The
sensor
is

mounted
in
the
left
rear
side
of
the
cylinder
block
.

IGNITION
SYSTEM
SERVICE

Fig
.1.



Electrical
system
static
current
draw
being
measured
.

To
determine
the
circuit
or
component
causing
the
problem,

remove
one
Puse
at
a
time
until
the
current
drops
to
a
normal
range
.

BATTERY
SERVICE

The
E36
uses
a
six-cell,
12-volt
leadacid
battery
mounted

in
the
luggage
compartment
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

NOTE-

E36
convertible
models
require
a
specialbattery
which
is
designed
for
constant
vibratfon
.
A
battery
not
de-signed
for
this
will
fail
much
earlier
.

Battery
capacity
is
determined
by
the
amount
of
current

needed
tostart
the
vehicle,
and
by
the
amount
of
current
con-
sumed
by
the
electrical
system
.

BMW
batteries
are
rated
by
ampere/hours
(Ah)
and
cold

cranking
amps
(CCA)
rating
.
The
Ah
rating
is
determined
by

the
average
amount
of
current
the
battery
can
deliver
over
time
without
dropping
below
a
specified
voltage
.
The
CCA
is

determined
by
the
battery's
ability
to
deliver
starting
current
at

0°
F
(-18°
C)
without
dropping
below
a
specified
voltage
.

Battery
Testing

noN~A

B9517

Battery
testing
determines
the
state
of
battery
charge
.
On

conventional
or
low-maintenance
batteries
the
most
common

method
of
testing
the
battery
is
that
of
checking
the
specific

gravity
of
the
electrolyte
using
a
hydrometer
.
Before
testing

the
battery,
check
that
the
cables
are
tight
and
free
of
corro-

sion
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

Hydrometer
Testing

The
hydrometer
consists
of
a
glass
cylinder
with
a
freely

moving
float
inside
.
When
electrolyte
is
drawn
into
the
cylin-

der,
the
levelto
which
the
float
sinks
indicates
the
specific

BATTERY,
STARTER,
ALTERNATOR



121-
3

Fig
.
2
.



Battery
in
right
sideof
luggage
compartment
.

gravity
of
the
electrolyte
.
The
more
dense
the
concentration
of
sulfuric
acid
in
the
electrolyte,
the
less
the
float
will
sink,
result-

ing
in
a
higher
reading
and
indicating
a
higher
state
of
charge)
.

NOTE-

Electrolyte
temperature
affects
hydrometer
reading
.
Check
the
electrolyte
temperaturewith
a
thermometer
.
Add
0
.004
to
the
hydrometer
reading
for
every
10°F
(6°C)
that
the
electrolyte
is
above
80°F
(27°C)
.
Sub-
tract
0
.004
from
the
reading
for
every
10°F
(6°C)
that
the
electrolyte
is
below
80°F
(27°C)
.

Before
checking
the
specificgravity
of
a
battery,
load
the
battery
with
15
amperes
for
one
minute
.
lf
the
battery
is
in-

stalled
in
the
vehicle,
this
can
be
done
by
turning
on
the
head-

lights
without
the
engine
running
.
Table
b
lists
the
percentage

of
charge
based
on
specific
gravity
values
.

Table
b
.
Specific
Gravity
of
Battery
Electrolyteat

80
°
F
(27°C)

Specific
gravity



1



Stateof
charge

1
.265



Fully
charged
1
.225



75%
charged
1
.190



50%
charged
1
.155



25%
charged
1
.120



Fully
discharged

The
battery
isin
satisfactory
condition
if
theaverage
specif-

ic
gravity
of
the
six
cells
is
at
least
1
.225
.
If
the
specific
gravity

is
above
this
leve¡,
butthe
battery
lacks
power
for
starting,
de-

termine
the
battery's
senrice
condition
with
a
load
voltage
test,

as
described
below
.
If
the
average
specific
gravity
of
the
six

cells
is
below
1
.225,
remove
the
battery
from
the
luggage

compartment
and
recharge
.
If,
after
recharging,
the
specific
gravity
varies
by
more
than
0
.005
between
any
two
celis,
re-

place
the
battery
.

CHARGING
SYSTEM
TROUBLESHOOTING