1996 BMW 325i Measure

130-
1
0



FUEL
INJECTION

Relleving
fuel
pressure
and
connecting

fuel
pressure
gauge

WARNING
-

"
Gasoline
is
highly
flammable
and
its
vaporsare
explosive
.
Do
not
smoke
orwork
on
acarnear
heaters
or
other
fire
hazards
when
diagnosing
and
repairing
fuel
system
problems
.
Have
a
fire
extinguisher
available
in
case
of
an
emergency
.

"
When
working
onanopen
fuel
system,
wear
suit-
able
hand
protection
.
Prolonged
contact
with
fuel
can
cause
illnesses
and
skin
disorders
.

To
prevent
fuel
from
spraying
on
a
hot
engine,
system
fuel

pressure
should
be
relieved
before
disconnecting
fuel
lines
.

One
method
is
to
tightly
wrap
a
shop
towel
around
a
fuelline
fit-

ting
and
loosenor
disconnect
the
fitting
.

Cleanliness
is
essential
when
working
with
fuelcircuit
com-
ponents
.
Thoroughly
clean
theunionsbefore
disconnecting
fuellines
.

NOTE-

"
OnM44
engines,
a
Schrmder
valve
is
integrated
in
the
fuel
rail
.
Compressed
air
pressure
canbe
applied
at
the
valve
to
force
the
fuel
in
the
system
back
into
the
tank
.
See
Fig
.
11
.

0012503

Fig
.
11
.
Fuel
rail
showing
location
of
Schraeder
valve
fitting
on
M44
engine
(arrow)
.

NOTE-

B~
specifies
a
special
gauge
and
special
connecting
adapters
to
measure
fuel
pressure
.
If
the
special
tools
arenot
available,
a
length
of
fuel
fine
and
a
T-fitting
canbe
installed
to
the
inlet
fuel
fine
and
connected
to
a
fuel
gauge
.
On
some
vehicles,
thisis
not
possible
without
cutting
finto
a
fuel
lino
.
In
these
lnstances,
it
Is
recom-
mended
that
fuel
pressure
be
checked
at
theoutput
sidoof
the
fuel
pump
.
See
160
Fuel
Tankand
Fuel
Pump
.

FUELDELIVERY
TESTS

On
OBD
II
6-cylinder
engines,
the
fuel
lines
use
a
special

locking
fitting
.
Use
BMW
special
tool
16
1
050
to
release
the

fittings
and
connect
the
fuel
gauge
.
See
Fig
.
12
.

0012699

Fig
.
12
.
Fuel
linos
at
rear
of
intake
manifold
on
M52
engine
.
Use
BMW
special
tool
16
1
050
torelease
fittings
.

WARNING
-

"
Gasoline
is
highly
flammable
and
its
vapors
are
explosive
.

"
The
fuel
pressure
gauge
must
be
securely
con-nected
to
prevent
it
from
coming
loose
under
pressure
.

NOTE-

"
The
fuel
pressure
gauge
should
have
arangoof
0
to
5
bar
(0
to
75
psi)
.

"
On
6-cylinder
engine,
thetop
left-sido
engine
cover
will
have
to
be
removed
to
access
the
fuel
rail
.

Residual
fuel
pressure,
testing

For
quick
restarts
and
to
avoid
vapor
lock
when
the
engine
is
hot,
the
fuel
injection
system
is
designed
to
retain
fuel
pres-
sure
after
the
engine
has
been
turned
off
.
Thís
residualpres-
sure
is
primarily
maíntained
by
a
check
valve
at
the
fuel
pump
outiet
and
the
fuel
pressure
regulator
.
The
fuel
pump
check
valve
is
not
serviceable
asan
individual
part
.

1.
Relieve
fuel
pressure
and
connect
a
pressure
gauge
as
described
earlier
.

WARNING
-

Fuel
will
be
discharged
.
Wrap
a
shop
towel
around
the
fuellino
fitting
when
disconnecting
the
fuel
fine
.
Do
not
smoke
or
worknear
heaters
or
other
fire
hazards
.
Keep
an
approved
fire
extinguisher
handy
.

2
.
Operate
fuel
pump
for
approximately
one
minuto
by
by-
passing
fuel
pump
relay
as
described
earlier
.
Observe
fuel
pressure
.

BOSCH
DME
MM
AND
M33
.1

COMPONENT
TESTS
AND
REPAIRS

Consult
Table
a
for
engine
application
information
for
the

Bosch
DME
3
.1
and
3
.3.1
systems
.

The
DME
3
.1
and
DME
3
.3
.1
systems
are
similar
in
opera-

tion,
with
knock
control
and
VANOS
operation
being
the
key

differences
.
DME
3
.1
engines
arenot
equipped
with
VANOS

or
knock
detectors,
while
the
DM
E3
.3
.1
system
is
.

CA
UTION-

Use
onty
a
digital
multimeter
when
testing
wiring
.
Use
of
an
analog
VOM
may
damage
the
engine
control
module
.

Fig
.
25
.
Mass
air
flow
sensor
.
Hot
wire
sensor
usedon
carswith
DME
Electrical
tests
of
the
main
and
fuel
pump
relays
and
the



3
.1
(1992
6-cylinder
models)
.

DME
engine
control
module
(ECM)
are
covered
earlier
in
this

section
.
Fuel
pump
tests
are
covered
in
160
Fuel
Tank
and



CAUTION-
Fuel
Pump
.
Use
only
a
digital
multimeter
when
checking
the
mass
air
flow
sensor
.
An
analog
meter
can
dam-
Mass
Air
Flow
Sensor



age
theair
flow
sensor
.

There
are
two
types
of
mass
air
flow
sensors
used
onthe



1
.
Disconnect
air
flow
sensor
from
air
cleaner
only
.
Leave

cars
covered
by
this
section
.
Testing
procedures
vary
de-



it
connected
to
duct
leading
to
intake
manifold
and

pending
on
type
installed
.
The
airflow
sensor
is
not
adjustable



leave
wiring
harness
connected
.

and
must
only
be
tested
with
a
digital
multimeter
.

Mass
Air
FlowSensor
Variants

"
1992
M50
engine

DME
M3
.1
.
.
.
.
...
..
mass
air
flow
sensor-hot
wire

"
1993-1995
M50
and
S50US

DMEM33
.1)
.
...
...
.
mass
air
flow
sensor-hot
film

Mass
air
flow
sensor
(hot
wire),

testing
and
replacing

When
the
engine
is
running,
a
current
is
used
to
heat
a
thin

wire
in
the
center
of
the
sensor
.
See
Fig
.
25
.
The
current
in
the

wire
is
regulated
to
maintain
a
temperature
of
100°C
more

than
the
air
passing
over
it
.
The
current
used
to
heat
the
wire

is
electronically
conneced
into
a
voltage
measurement
corre-

sponding
to
the
mass
of
intake
a¡
r
.

To
keep
the
wire
clean,
it
is
heated
to
a
temperature
of
about

1,000°C
(1,830°F)
for
one
second
.
This
"burn-off"
cycle
takes

place
automatically,
four
seconds
after
the
engine
is
tumed
off
.

lf
thehot
wire
breaks
or
if
there
is
no
output
from
the
air
flow

sensor,
the
ECM
automatically
switches
to
a
"limp-home"

mode
and
tucos
on
the
Check
Engine
light
.
The
engine
can

usually
be
started
and
driven
.
The
air
flow
sensor
has
no
inter-

nal
moving
parts
and
cannot
be
serviced
.

FUEL
INJECTION



130-
1
7

2
.
Start
engine
and
run
it
to
normal
operating
temperature
.

3
.
Rev
engine
toat
least
2,500
rpm,then
shut
it
off
.
Look

through
meter
at
hot
wire
.
After
approximately
four
sec-

onds
wire
should
glow
brightly
for
about
one
second
.

NOTE
-

If
the
wire
glowsas
specified,
then
the
airflow
meter
and
ECM
are
probably
operating
correctly
.
lf
the
wire
does
not
glow,
continue
testing
.

4
.
lf
the
wire
does
not
glow,
remove
air
flow
sensor
and

look
through
it
to
see
if
wire
is
broken
.
lf
wire
is
broken,

meter
will
have
to
be
replaced
.

5
.
Reinstall
air
flow
sensor
and
harness
connector
.
Peel

back
rubber
bootfrom
harness
connector
.
Working

from
rear
of
connector,
connect
digital
voltmeter
across

terminals
1
and
4
.
See
Fig
.
26
.

6
.
Start
and
rev
engine
toat
least
2,500
rpm,thenshut
it

off
.
After
about
4
seconds,
voltage
should
riseto
about

4
volts
for
about
one
second
.
lf
voltage
is
present,
but

wire
does
not
glow,
air
flow
sensor
is
faulty
and
should

be
replaced
.

7
.
lf
voltage
is
not
present
in
step
6,
turn
ignition
key
on

and
check
for
voltage
and
ground
at
sensor
.
There

should
beground
at
pin
4
.
There
should
be
positive
(+)

battery
voltage
at
pin
2
.

BOSCH
DME
M3
.1
AND
M32
.1
COMPONENT
TESTS
AND
REPAIRS

130-18



FUEL
INJECTION
The
engine
coolant
temperature
(ECT)
sensor
sends
con-

tinuous
engine
coolant
temperature
information
to
the
ECM
.
Fig
.
26
.
Mass
air
flow
sensor
terminalidentifcation
on
carswith
DME



As
temperature
increases
sensor
resistance
decreases
.
M3
.1
fuel
injection
.

Mass
air
flow
sensor
(hot
film),

testing
and
replacing

MOTE-

A
burn-off
cycle
is
not
used
on
hot
film
sensors
.

8
.
With
ignition
off,
disconnect
harness
connector
from
air



ECT
Sensor
Location
flow
sensor
.
Using
a
digital
multimeter,
check
resis-



"
M50/S50US
engine
............
left
side
of
cylinder
tance
at
terminals
listed
.



head
under
intake
manifold

Air
Flow
Sensor
Test
Values
(DMEM3
.1)

"
Terminals
5
and
6
.
.
.
.........
..
.
..
....
3-4
ohms

If
any
faults
are
found,
check
wiring
lo
and
from
the
ECM
.
Make
ECM
pinout
test
as
listed
in
See
Table
i
.
Main
power
to
air
flow
sensor
comes
from
DME
main
relay
.

On
cars
with
DME
M3
.3
.1
a
hot
film
mass
air
flow
sensor
is
used
.
When
the
engine
is
running,
a
current
is
used
lo
heat
a
thinfilm
in
the
center
of
the
sensor
.
This
current
is
electroni-
cally
converted
into
a
voltage
measurement
corresponding
to
the
mass
of
intake
air
.

If
thehot
film
breaks
or
if
there
is
no
output
from
the
air
flow
sensor,
the
ECM
automatically
switches
to
a
"limp-home"
mode
and
tucos
on
the
Check
Engine
light
.
The
engine
can
usually
be
started
and
driven
.
The
air
flow
sensor
has
no
inter-
nal
moving
parts
and
cannot
be
senricedor
adjusted
.

CA
UTION-

Use
only
a
digital
multimeter
when
checking
the
mass
air
flow
sensor
.
An
analogmetercan
dam-
age
the
air
flow
sensor
.

BOSCH
DME
M3
.
1
AND
M32
.1
COMPONENT
TESTS
AND
REPAIRS

1
.
Disconnect
harnessconnector
from
air
flow
sensor
.

2
.
Turn
ignition
on
and
check
for
voltage
and
ground
at

connector
.
There
should
beground
at
pin
1
.
There

should
be
positive
(+)
battery
voltage
at
pin
3
.
If
any
faults
are
found,
check
wiring
to
and
from
ECM
.
Make
ECM
pinout
test
.
See
Table
j
.

NOTE-

Positive
(+)
battery
voltage
to
air
flow
sensor
comes
from
DME
main
relay
when
the
ignition
is
switch
on
orengine
running
.

Engine
coolant
temperature
(ECT)
sensor,

testing
and
replacing

0012704
Fig
.
27
.
Engine
coolant
temperature
(ECT)
sensor
(A)
is
located
be-
neath
top
engine
cover
(B)
and
crankcase
vent
hose
(C)
.
M52
engine
shown
.
M50
is
similar
.

1
.
Check
ECM
reference
voltage
to
sensor
:
"
Disconnect
harnessconnector
from
ECT
sensor
.
"
Turn
ignition
keyon
.
"
Check
for
5
volts
between
supply
voltage
wire
(brown/red)
wire
of
harness
connector
and
ground
.
"
Turn
ignition
key
off
.
"
If
voltage
is'
not
present
or
incorrect,
check
wiring
from
ECM
and
check
referencevoltage
output
at
ECM
(pin
78)
.
See
Table
i
(DM
E
3
.1)
or
Table
j
(DME
3
.3
.1)

2
.
Check
ECT
sensor
resistance
:

"
With
harnessconnector
disconnected,
check
resis-
tance
acrosssensor
terminals
.
"
Compare
tests
results
to
values
in
Table
f
.

130-
2
8



FUEL
INJECTION

Tableh
.
ECM
Pin
Assignment-Bosch
DME
M1
.7

Pin
Signal
Componenttfunction



Signal

1



Output



Fuel
pump
relay
control



Fuel
pump
relay,
terminal
85

2



Not
used

3



Output



Cyl
.
2
and
cyl
.
4
fuel
injection
valve
control



Cyl
.
2
and
cyl
.
4
fuel
injection
valves
4



Not
used

5



Not
used

6



Ground



Ground,
fuel
injection
valveoutputstages



Ground
point

7



Not
used

8



Output



"Check
engine"
indicator
control



Instrument
cluster

9



Not
used

10



Not
used

11



Output



DKV
potentiometer
signal



Transmission
control
module
(EGS)

12



Input



Throttleposition
sensor



Throttleposition
Signal

13



Not
used

14



Input



Volume
air
flow
sensor



Volume
air
flow
sensor
(signal
ground)

15



Input



Cyl
.
1-2
knock
sensor



Cyl
.
1-2
knock
sensor

16



Input



Camshaft
position
sensor
(cylinder
identification)



Camshaft
position
sensor
(cylinder
identification)

17



Output



ti
measurement
signal
(fuel
consumption)



Instrument
cluster

18



Output



Intakeair
resonance
changeover
valve
(DISA)



Intake
air
resonance
changeover
valve
19



-



Not
used

20



Not
used

21



Not
used

22



Not
used

23



Not
used

24



Output



Cyl
.
3
ignition
coil
control



Cyl
.
3
ignition
coil

25



Output



Cyl
.
1
ignition
coil
control



Cyl
.
1
ignition
coil

26



Input



Battery
voltage



B
+junction
point

27



Output



Engine
control
module
relay
control



Engine
control
module
relay,
terminal
85
28



Ground



Ground
for
electronics
and
shielding
of
sensors



Ground
point

29



Output



Idle
speed
control
valve
control



Idle
speed
control
valve

30



Not
used

31



Not
used

32



Output



Cyl
.
1
and
cyl
.
3
fuel
injection
valve
control



Cyl
.
1
and
cyl
.
3
fuel
injection
valves

33



Not
used
34



Ground



Ground,
output
stages
(except
for
ignition
and
fuel



Ground
point
injection
valves)

35



Not
used

36



Output



Evaporative
emissionvalve
control



Evaporative
emission
valve

37



Output



Oxygen
sensor
heater
control



Oxygen
sensor
relay,
terminal
85
38



Not
used
39



Not
used
40



I
Not
used

41



I
Input



,
Volume
Air
Flow
sensor



Volume
air
flow
sensor
(voltage
varies
with
engine
load)

42



1
Input



1
Cyl
.
3-4
knock
sensor



1
Cyl
.
3-4
knock
sensor

43



Ground



Ground
for
sensors



Engine
coolant
temperature
sensor,
cyl
.
1-2
knock
sensor,
cyl
.
3-4
knock
sensor,
and
throttle
position
sensor

44



1
Input



1
Camshaft
position
sensor
(cylinder
identification)



1
Camshaft
position
sensor
(cylinder
identification)

ECM
PIN
ASSIGNMENTS

260-2
DRIVESHAFT

Further
inspection
requires
removal
of
the
driveshaft
.

Check
the
front
centering
guide
on
the
transmission
output
flange
for
damage
or
misalignment
.
Also
check
runoutatthe

transmission
outputflange
and
output
shaft,
and
at
the
final

drive
input
flange
.
Check
the
bolt
hole
bores
in
theflange
for

wear
and
elongation
.

Driveshaftflange
runout
(max
.
allowable)

"
Transmission
outputflange

axial
play
...
.
..
...
..
.
.......
0
.10
mm
(0
.004
in
.)

radial
play
.......
...
.
.
.......
0
.07
mm
(0
.003
in
.)

"
Final
driveinput
flange
radial
play
(measured
at

driveshaft
centering
lip)
..
......
0
.07
mm
(0
.003
in
.)

Spinthe
center
bearing
and
check
for
the
smooth
operation

without
play
.
Check
that
thesplines
of
the
sliding
coupling

move
freely
.
Clean
and
lubricate
the
splines
with
molybdenum

disulfide
grease
(Molykote
®
Longterm
2
or
equivalent)
.

Check
the
universal
joints
for
wear
or
binding
.
If
any
joint
isdif-

ficult
to
move
or
binds,
the
driveshaft
section
should
be
replaced
.

Table
a
.
Driveshaft
Troubleshooting

NOTE-

With
the
driveshaft
installed,
theactual
amount
that
the
universal
joints
pivot
is
limited
.
For
the
most
accurate

test,
check
universal
joints
in
their
normal
range
of

movement
.

If
inspection
revealsnothing
wrong
with
the
driveshaft,
it

may
need
to
be
rebalanced
.
This
can
be
done
by
a
speciality

driveshaft
repair
shop
.
Also,
check
the
alignment
ofthe
drive-

shaft
as
described
below
.

NOTE-

Minor
driveshaftvibrations
can
often
be
correctedsim-

ply
by
disconnecting
the
driveshaftat
the
finaldrive,

and
repositíoning
the
driveshaft
90°,
180°
or270°
inre-
lationto
the
final
drive
input
flange
.

Table
a
lists
symptoms
of
driveshaft
problems
and
their

probable
causes
.
Most
of
the
repair
information
is
contained

within
this
repair
group
.

Symptom



Probable
cause



Corrective
action

1
.
Vibration
when



a
.
Incorrect
preload
of
center
bearing
.



a
.
Check
preload
of
center
bearing
.
Readjust
preload
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

starting
off
(forward



b
.
Center
bearing
rubber
deteriorated
.



b
.
Inspect
center
bearing
and
rubber
.
Replace
if
necessary
.
orreverse)
.



c
.



Flex-disc
damaged
or
worn
.



c
.



Inspect
flex-disc
.
Replace
if
necessary
.

TROUBLESHOOTING

d
.
Engine
or
transmission
mounts
faulty
.
I
d
.
Inspect
engine
and
transmission
mounts
.
Align
or
replace,
if
nec-

essary
.

e
.
Front
centering
guide
worn,
or



e
.
Check
front
centering
guide
and
replace
if
necessary
.
Check

driveshaft
mounting
flanges
out
of



runout
of
driveshaft
flanges
.

round
.

f
.



Universal
joints
worn
or
seized
.



f
.



Check
universal
joint
play
and
movement
.
Replace
driveshaft
if

necessary
.

g
.
Sliding
coupling
seized
.



g
.
Remove
driveshaft
and
check
movement
of
sliding
coupling
.

Clean
coupling
splines
and
replace
parts
asnecessary
.

h
.
Driveshaft
misaligned
.



h
.
Check
driveshaft
alignment
.

2
.
Noise
during
on/off



a
.
Finaldrive
components
worn
or



a
.
Remove
final
drive
and
repair
.

throttle
or
when



damaged
(excessive
pinion-to-ring-

engagíng
clutch
.



gear
clearance)
.

b
.



Drive
axleor
CV
joint
faulty
.



b
.



Inspect
drive
axles
and
CV
joints
.
Repair
or
replace
as
neces-
sary
.

c
.
Sliding
coupling
seized
.



c
.
Remove
driveshaft
and
check
movement
of
sliding
coupling
.

Clean
coupling
splines
and
replace
parts
as
necessary
.

3
.
Vibration
at
25
to
30



a
.
Front
centering
guideworn,
or



a
.
Check
front
centering
guide
and
replace
if
necessary
.
Check
mph
(40
to
50



driveshaft
mounting
flanges
out
of



runout
of
driveshaft
mounting
flanges
.
km/h
).



round
or
damaged
.

b
.
Universal
joints
worn
or
seized
.



b
.
Check
universal
joint
play
and
movement
.
Replace
driveshaft
if
necessary
.

c
.



Flex-disc
damaged
or
worn
.



c
.



Inspect
flex-disc
.
Replace
if
necessary
.

d
.
Center
bearing
rubber
deteriorated
.



d
.
Inspect
center
bearing
.
Replace
if
necessary
.

e
.
Sliding
coupling
seized
.



e
.
Remove
driveshaft
and
check
movement
of
sliding
coupling
.
Clean
coupling
splines
and
replace
parts
asnecessary
.

f
.



Misaligned
installed
position
.



f
.



Check
driveshaft
alignment
.

300-8



SUSPENSION,
STEERING
AND
BRAKES-GENERAL

Tableb
.
Suspension
and
Steering
Troubleshooting

Symptom



1



Probable
cause
Repairs
(Repair
Groups
shown
in
bold)

Car
pulís
to
one
side,
wanders



a
.
Incorrect
tire
pressure



a
.
Check
and
correct
tire
pressures
.
020
b
.
Incorrect
wheel
alignment



b
.
Check
and
adjust
wheel
alignment
.
320
c
.
Faulty
brakes
(pulls
only
when
braking)



I
c
.
Check
for
sticking/damaged
front
caliper
.
340

Steering
heavy,
poor
return-



a
.
Worn
upper
strut
bearing(s)



a
.
Replace
strut
bearings
.
310
to-center



b
.
Incorrect
tire
pressure



b
.
Check
and
correct
tire
pressures
.
020
c
.
Power
steering
system
faulty



c
.
Check
power
steering
fluid
level
.
Test
system
pressure
.
320

Front-end
or
rear-end
vibra-



a
.
Worn
strut
cartridgesor
shock
absorbers



a
.
Replace
strut
cartridges
.
310,
330
tion
or
shimmy



b
.
Worn
suspension
bushings
(control
arm
or
trail-



b
.
Replace
worn
bushings
.
310,
330
ing
arm)
c
.
Worn
front
suspension
ball
joints
(control
arm,



c
.
Replace
worn
ball
joints
.
310
steering
arm
orsteering
tie-rod
end)d
.
Unbalanced
or
bent
wheels/tires



d
.
Balance
tires
.
Check
tiresfor
uneven
wear
pat-
terns
.
Check
wheels
for
damage
.
e
.
Loose
wheel
lug
boits



e
.
Tighten
lug
boits
to
proper
torque
.

Poor
stability,
repeated
bounc-
I
a
.
Worn
strut
cartridgesor
shock
absorbers



I
a
.
Replace
strut
cartridges
.
310,
330
ing
after
bumps,
suspension
bottoms
outeasily

Suspension
noise
(especially



a
.
Worn
front
upper
strut
bearings



a
.
Replaceupper
strut
bearings
.
310
over
bumps)



b
.
Loose
front
strut
cartridge



b
.
Check/tighten
strut
cartridge
collar
nut
.
310
c
.
Worn
suspensionbushings
(control
arm
or
trail-



c
.
Replace
worn
bushings
.
310,
330
ing
arm)d
.
Worn
stabilizer
bar
rubber
mounts



d
.
Replace
stabilizer
bar
rubber
mounts
.
310,
330
e
.
Loose
suspension
crossmember



e
.
Check
crossmember
for
damage
.
Tighten
mounting
boits
.

Uneven
ride
height



a
.
Incorrect
coil
springs



a
.
Measure
ride
height
and
replacesprings
as
re-
quired
.
310,
330
b
.
Bent
or
damaged
suspension
components



b
.
Inspect,
repair/replace
asnecessary
.
310,
330
c
.
Sagging
coil
springs



c
.
Measure
ride
height
and
replace
springs
as
re-
quired
.
310,
330

Wheel
noise,
continuous



I
a
.
Worn
wheel
bearing



I
a
.
Replacewheel
bearing
.
310,
330
growling,
may
be
more
notíce-
able
when
turning

Steering
loose,
imprecise



a
.
Incorrect
tire
pressure



a
.
Check
and
correct
tire
pressures
.
020
-



b
.
Loose
steering
gearmounting
bolt(s)



b
.
Inspect
and
tighten
boits
.
320
c
.
Worn
tie
rodend(s)



c
.
Replace
tie
rod(s)
and
align
wheels
.
320
d
.
Faulty
front
wheel
bearing



d
.
Replace
wheel
bearing
.
310
e
.
Worn
or
damaged
steering
gear



e
.
Adjust
or
replace
steering
gear
.
320
f
.
Worn
tires



f
.
Replace
tires
.
010

SUSPENSION
AND
STEERING
TROUBLESHOOTING

310-
4



FRONT
SUSPENSION

Strut
assembly,

disassembling
and
assembling
-
Be
sure
upper
spring
pad
is
correctly
installed
to
upper

NOTE-



spring
plate
and
spring
end
is
correctly
seated
in
up-
Springs
andlor
struts
should
always
be
replaced
in



per
and
lower
spring
plates
.

pairs
.



"
Use
a
new
self-locking
top
(center)
nut
.
Tighten
nut
fui-
¡y
before
releasing
spring
compressor
.

Replacing
the
upper
strut
mount,
spring
and
strut
requires



"
Have
car
professionally
aligned
when
job
is
complete
.

that
the
strut
first
bedisassembled
.
For
a
guide
to
the
parts

during
strut
replacement,
see
Fig
.
5
.
Tightening
Torques

WARNING-



"
Upper
strut
mount
to
strut
shaft
(seif-locking
nut)

Do
not,attempt
to
disassemble
thestruts
without
a



shaft
with
external
hexagon
......
..
65
Nm
(48
ft-1b)

springcompressordesignedspecificallyforthisjob
.



shaft
with
interna¡
hexagon
.......
..
44
Nm
(32
ft-Ib)

"
Road
wheel
to
hub
........
.100±10
Nm
(74
±7
ft-lb)

1
.
Remove
strut
assembly
as
described
earlier
.
Place
in

secure
support
.
Ride
Height

2
.
Using
spring
compressor,
compress
spring
until
spring

force
onupper
mount
is
relieved
.



Ride
height
is
measured
from
the
lower
edge
of
the
wheel

arch
to
the
bottom
edge
of
the
wheel
rim
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

WARNING
-

Make
sure
the
spring
compressor
grabs
the
spring



lf
the
ride
height
is
outside
the
specification
listed,
new

fully
and
securely
before
compressing
it
.



springs
should
be
installed
.
Be
sure
to
have
theold
spring

code
number
on
hand
when
ordering
new
spring
.

3
.
Pry
protective
cover
off
top
ofstrut
assembly,
then
re-

move
top
(center)
nut
andwasher
whileholding
strut



NOTE-

shaftstationary



The
spring
part
number
is
stamped
near
the
end
of
the
spring
cofls
.

4
.
Remove
upper
strut
mount
and
related
components
.

5
.
Release
spring
compressor
carefully
and
evenly,
allow-

ing
spring
lo
expand
slowly

1
Self-locking
hex
nut



Absorber/

Flat
washer



bump
stop

Nut

Cover

Upper



~
strut
mount



Pin
Z



Piston
bellows

Flat
washer



r
i

t1



~



1
Upper
spring
plate

1



1



1

Upper
spring
pad



I



1
-



,



Lower
spring
pad

-
Í



0012136

Fig
.
5
.



Front
spring,
spring
plate
and
related
parts
.

SHOCKABSORBERS
AND
SPRINGS

6
.
Assembly
is
reverse
of
disassembly,
noting
the
follow-

ing
:

Table
a
lists
front
suspension
ride
height
specifications
.

These
specifications
apply
to
a
car
in
a
normally
loaded
posi-

tion
.
When
checking
ride
height
or
installing
suspension
com-

ponents
that
require
thecar
to
be
"normally
loaded,"load
the

car
as
follows
:

Fig
.
6
.



Ride
height
measurement
(A)
is
taken
from
centerof
wheel
archto
bottom
of
wheel
rim
.

Normal
loaded
position

"
Each
front
seat
...
...
.
..
..........
68Kg
(150
Ibs)

"
Rear
seat
(center)
...
.
.
...........
68Kg
(150
Ibs)

"
Trunk
..........
...
.
.
...........
.21
Kg
(46
lbs)

"
Fuel
tank
...
.
..
....
.
.
....................
.fuf

Tablea
.
Front
RideHeight
Specifications

318,323,325,
Wheel
size



M3
models
328
models

15
inch
std
.
suspension



576
mm
(22.67
in)



1555
mm
(21.85
in)
sport
suspension



~
561
mm
(22.09
in)



530
mm
(20
.87
in)

16
inch
std
.
suspension



589
mm
(23.19
in)



1570
mm
(22
.44
in)
sport
suspensíon



~
574
mm
(23.52
in)



545
mm
(21.46
in)

17
inch
std
.
suspension



604
mm
(23.77
in)



585
mm
(23
.03
in)
sport
suspension



~
589
mm
(23.19
in)



~
560
mm
(22
.05
in)

Maximum
variation
between
sides
:
10
mm
(0.4in)
Maximum
deviation
from
specifications
:
10
mm
(0
.4in)

FRONT
SUSPENSION



310-
5

CONTROL
ARMS

On
al¡
models
except
Mas,
theouter
mounting
bushing
and
theouter
ball
joint
on
the
control
arm
are
available
as
replace-

ment
parts
.
If
the
control
arm
center
ball
joint
is
worn,
the
com-

plete
control
arm
will
need
to
be
replaced
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

Fig
.
7
.



Control
arm
.
Outer
ball
joint
and
bushing
are
available
as
re-
placement
parts
(except
M3)
.
Center
ball
joint
is
integral
with
control
arm
.

Special
press
tools
are
requiredto
remove
the
control
arms

and
to
replace
the
control
arm
bushings
.
Read
the
procedure

through
before
beginning
the
job
.

Control
arm,
removing
and
installing

1
.
Raise
car
and
remove
wheel
.

WARNING-

Make
sure
that
thecar
is
firmly
supportedon
jack
standsdesigned
for
the
purpose
.
Place
the
jack
stands
beneath
a
structural
chassis
point
.
Do
not
place
jack
stands
undersuspension
parts
.

2
.
Remove
stabilizer
bar
link
mounting
nut
and
separate

link
from
control
arm
as
described
later
in
this
repair

group
.

NOTE-

On
M3
models,
the
stabilizer
bar
link
attaches
to
the

strut
.

CONTROL
ARMS