1996 BMW 323i Stall

REAR
SEATS

Rear
seat
cushion
and
backrest,

removing
and
installing

(fixed
seat
back
modeis)

1
.
Pull
front
of
bottomcushion
up
and
out
of
clips
.

NOTE-

Remove
rear
headrests,
if
equipped
.

2
.
Fold
down
center
armrest
andremove
belts
from
be-
hind
arm
rest
.

3
.
Slide
seat
backup
off
holders
.
Then
slide
to
side
lo
clear
seat
belts
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

Rear
seat
cushion
and
backrest,

removing
and
installing

(foid-down
seat
back
modeis)

1
.
Pullfront
of
bottom
cushion
up
and
out
ofclips
.

NOTE-

Remove
rear
headrests,
if
equipped
.

Fig
.
6
.
To
remove
rear
seat,
remove
bottom
cushion
.
Remove
belts
(A)
behindcenter
armrest
.
Slide
seat
back
up
off
holders,
then
forward
.

SEATS
520-
5

2
.
Remove
bottom
seat
belt
anchor
belts
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

NOTE-

Be
sure
to
note
relative
positions
of
metal
belt-end
an-
chors
in
order
to
reassemble
correctly
.

00131b!

Fig
.
7
.



Rearseat
belt
anchor
bolt
under
rear
seat
cushion(arrow)
.

3
.
Tilt
backrests
forward
and
unclip
plastic
cover
.
See
Fig
.
8
.


t
;
Fig
.
8
.



Rear
seat
back
mountingcover
plate
at
base
ofseat
back
.

REA
R
SEA
TS

520-
6
SEATS

4
.
Push
spring-loaded
lock
back
and
unclip
seat
back
.

See
Fig
.
9
.

Fig
.
9
.



Push
spring-loaded
clip
back
(arrow)
.

UU13117

5
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Make
sure
backrest

locks
at
top
seat
belt
connection
.

REA
R
SEA
TS

Rear
seat
backrestside
section,

removing
and
installing

(foid-downseat
back
modeis)

1.
Pull
front
of
cushion
up
and
out
of
clips
.

2
.
Fold
down
rear
seat
backrest
.

3
.
Lift
backrest
side
section
up
and
out
.
See
Fig
.
10
.

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

0013175

Fig
.
10
.
Remove
backrest
sidesection
by
lifting
out
(A)
and
up
(B)
.

1#=am

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

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

540-
4
SUNROOF

3
.
Disconnect
harness
connector
from
motor
and
remove

motor
.

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Be
sure
the
motor
is
in
the
"closed"
position
before
installing
it
to
the
sunroof

carrier
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

SLIDE-TILT
SUNROOF

0011813

Fig
.
8
.



Sunroof
motor
in
"closed"
position
.
Hole
(arrow)
in
large
gear

aligns
with
shafts
on
both
gears
(to
mid-1994)
.

NOTE-

On
cars
manufacturedfrom
mid-1994,
the
sunroof
mo-

tor
gearassembly
is
encased
and
cannot
be
seen
.
Be-

fore
installing
the
motor
in
the
roof,
connect
electrical

harness
connector,
operate
switch
to
rear
until
motor

stops,
then
to
front
until
motor
stops
.
Then
install
motor

in
roof
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Sunroof
motor
to
motor
carrier
.
.
.
.
.
2
.8
Nm
(25
in-lb)

541-2



CONVERTIBLE
TOP

Fig
.
2
.



Manually
operated
frontlatch
.
Loosen
mounting
nuts
(A)
and
locknut
(B),
then
adjust
latch
height
with
hex-bolt
(C)
.
(Fully
automatic
front
latch
height
adjuster
is
similar
.)
Latch
tension

ís
adjusted
at
rod
ball-joint
end
(D)
.

Convertible
Top
Lid
Release
Mechanism

The
convertible
lid
release
handle
is
situated
in
the
trim

panel
behind
the
driver's
seat
.
To
remove
thehandle,
pull
its

plastic
insert
forward
and
remove
the
triminsert
.
The
handle
is

mounted
with
a
single
screw
.

Abowden
cable
is
routed
from
the
handle
to
the
left
lid
latch
.

Another
cable
is
routed
from
the
left
tothe
right
latch
inside
the

luggage
compartment
.
It
is
accessed
by
pulling
down
the
trim

lining
off
the
front
wall
of
the
compartment
.

Convertible
top
and
frame,
replacing

1
.
Open
convertible
top
partially
.
Open
convertible
top
lid
.



J
I~I~KX
Open
back
windows
.



_

v
2
.
Remove
fasteners
in
compartments
behind
door
posts

and
lift
out
complete
top
.
Count
number
of
shims
on

horizontal
mounting
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

3
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Be
sure
to
replaceU-
shaped
shims
on
horizontal
mounting
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Fig
.
4
.



Horizontal
positioning
bolt(A)
and
U-shaped
adjusting
shims4
.
To
adjust
position
and
fit
oftop,
remove
or
add
U-



(B)for
convertible
top
.
One
of
two
main
mounting
nuts
(ar
shaped
shims
until
top
is
properly
aligned
.
Tighten
nuts



rows)
also
visible
.

and
screws
.

POWER
CONVERTIBLE
TOP

The
semi-automatic
top,
installed
in
1996
convertibles,

must
first
be
manually
released
from
the
visor
latch
plates
and
pushed
back
past
the
"tension
point,"
wheréupon,
the
auto-
matic
retracting
motor
and
linkage
take
over
and
pull
it
into
the
storage
compartment
behind
the
back
seat
.

POWER
CONVERTIBLE
TOP

Fig
.
3
.



Mounting
nuts
(A)
for
convertible
top
(two
oneach
side)
.
There
is
also
a
horizontal
bolt
with
spacers
oneach
side
(B)
.

0012754

The
fully
automatic
top,
standard
on
1997
and
later
convert-

ibles,
allows
complete
operation
of
the
top,
from
fully
open
to
fully
closed,withthe
push
of
atoggleswitch
on
the
console
.

The
top
switch
incorporates
a
"top
unlatched"
warning
LED
.

A
schematic
representation
of
the
fully
automatic
convert-
ible
top
is
shown
in
Fig
.
5
.

541-
4



CONVERTIBLE
TOP

Folding
roof

Frontlatches

Convertible
topframe

i

Lower
mounting
pata
Horizontal
positioning
~~-
bolt
Manual
front
8
e
latch



1
handle

~



O

Visor
latchplata

Fig
.
6
.



Mechanical
components
of
E36
convertible
top
.
Manual,
semi-automatic,
and
fully
automatic
tops
have
similar
mechanical
construction
.

NOTE-

The
electronic
circuits
used
to
controlconvertible
top
operation
arecomplex
.
Diagnosis
of
the
convertible
top
and
the
Rollover
Protection
System
are
beyond
the
scope
of
this
book
.
Your
authorized
BMW
dealer
has
the
proper
diagnostic
equipment
and
tools
to
carry
out
these
tasks
.

Front
Latching
Mechanism

A
close,
tight
fit
between
the
front
bow
of
the
convertible

roof
and
the
top
of
the
windshield
is
critical
for
preventing

moisture
and
wind
noise
from
intruding
into
the
passenger

compartment
.

Visor
Latch
Plate

The
left
and
right
visor
latch
plates
can
be
accessed
by
re-

moving
the
trim
and
moldings
aroundthe
sides
and
top
of
the
windshield
.
Each
latch
is
attached
to
thetop
of
the
windshield
using
three
bolts
.
Latch
position
is
adjusted
as
follows
:

"
Loosen
bolts

Latch
top

"
Align
top

"
Retighten
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

POWER
CONVERTIBLE
TOP

4
a

0012756

Visor
Latch

0012768

Fig
.
7
.



Visor
latchplate
is
heldto
top
of
windshieldwiththreebolts
(arrows)
.

The
semi-automatic
and
the
fully
automatic
top
front
latches

are
of
similar
design
.
For
the
automatic
latching
mechanism

an
additional
motor
has
been
installed
in
the
front
bow
of
the
convertible
top
.
This
releases
the
top
from
the
visor
latch

plates
and
pulís
it
back
far
enough
for
the
main
retracting
mechanism
to
complete
thejob
.

The
latches
and
the
motor
can
be
accessed
byremovingthe
front
cover
trim
from
the
convertible
top
.

The
left
latch
in
the
fully
automatic
version
hastwo
mi-
croswitches
(S7
and
S8)which
signal
open,
closed
and
latched
states
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

The
length
of
the
dead
center
point
rod
is
critica¡
lo
correct
opening
and
latching
of
the
convertible
top
.
See
Fig
.
9
.

Dead
Center
Point
Rod

"
Dimension
A
........
205
.5
f
1
mm
(8
.09
t0
.04
in)

Visor
Latch
Motor

The
fully
automatic
convertible
top
is
latched
and
unlatched
by
one
electric
motor
installed
in
the
front
roof
bow
.
To
re-
place,
remove
front
cover
trim
from
the
roof
.
Remove
electri-
cal
harness
connectors
from
motor,
andremove
mounting
screws
.
Slide
the
motor
off
the
output
shafts
to
the
left
and
right
latches
.

During
reinstallation,
theoutput
shafts
must
be
tumed
until
the
S8
microswitch
in
the
left
latch
is
tripped
.

Convertible
top
and
frame,
replacing

1
.
Open
convertible
top
partially
.
Open
convertible
top
lid
.



Fig
.
9
.



Preset
lengthof
dead
centerpoint
rod
.
Open
back
windows
.

2
.
Fully
automatic
power
convertible
top
:
Remove
front
cover
trim
from
top
.
Disconnect
electrical
harness
con-

nectors
from
frontlatch
motor
.
Disconnect
connectors

from
S7
and
S8
microswitches
at
left
latch
.

Motors
M1
Convertible
top
M2
Convertible
top
lid
M3Front
latch
(fully
automatic
top)

Microswitches
S1
&S2
In
convertible
top
motor
S3
In
convertible
top
storage
compartment
S4
In
top
linkage
(semi-automatic
only)
S5
In
luggage
compartment
latch
S6
In
right
convertible
top
lid
latch
S7&S8
In
left
conv
.
top
latch
(fully
automatic)

Fig
.
8
.



Locationof
automatic
and
semi-automatic
convertible
latch
mechanisms,
motors
and
microswitches
.

CONVERTIBLE
TOP



541-5

POWER
CONVERTIBLE
TOP