1996 BMW M3 length

160-
1
0



FUEL
TANK
AND
FUEL
PUMP

3
.
Operate
fuel
pump
as
described
earlier
under
Operat-

ing
fuel
pump
for
tests
.
Check
that
fuel
pressure
cor-

responds
to
specifications
listed
in
Table
c
.

"
If
system
pressure
is
low,
repeat
test
whilegradually

pinching
off
return
hose
.
Pressure
should
rise
rapidly
.

If
not,fuel
pump
is
most
likely
faulty
.

"
If
system
pressure
is
too
high,
check
return
line
from
pressure
regulator
to
tank
.
Check
for
kinks
in
hose
.
Blow
compressed
air
through
line
to
check
for
block-

ages
.
If
no
faulty
canbe
found,
pressure
regulator
is

most
likely
faulty
.
See
130
Fuel
Injection
for
testing

and
replacementprocedures
.

Table
c
.
Fuel
Pressure
Specifications

Engine



1
Fuel
pressure

4-cylinder
M42/M44



3
.0
:e
0
.06
bar(43
.5
±0
.9
psi)

6-cylinder
M50/S50US



3
.0
:j-
0
.06bar(43
.5
t0
.9
psi)
M52/S52US



3
.5
t
0
.06
bar
(51
t0
.9psi)

CA
UTION-

Do
not
use
compressed
air
above
40
psi
to
blow
out
fines
or
components
.
Interna¡
damage
to
com-
ponents
may
result
.

4
.
When
finished,
disconnect
pressure
gauge
.

FUEL
PUMP

Fuel
delivery
volume,
testing

1
.
Disconnect
return
line
from
fuel
rail
in
engine
compart-

ment
.

2
.
Connect
a
length
of
hose
to
fitting
on
fuel
rail
and
place

open
end
of
hose
in
a
suitable
container
for
catching

fuel
(2-quart
capacity)
.

3
.
Run
fuel
pump
for
exactly
30
seconds
as
described

earlier
under
Operating
fuel
pump
for
tests
and
mea-

sure
fuel
collected
.
Refer
to
Table
d
.

WARNING-



Table
d
.
Fuel
Pump
Delivery
Specifications

Fuel
under
pressure
is
present
duringthe
test
.
Use
I



Engine



Delivery
rate
(30
seconds
@
12V)
hose
clamps
at
all
connections
.
4-cylinder
M42/M44



0
.875
fter
(0
.93
qt)

6-cylinder
M50/S50US



0
.875
fter(0
.93
qt)
M52/S52US



~



1
.12
liter
(1
.16
qt)

4
.
When
finished
testing,
reconnect
fuel
line
.
Tighten
all
hose
clamps
.

NOTE-

It
is
common
practice
to
replace
the
fuel
filter
any
time
the
fuel
pump
unit
is
replaced
.

170-10



RADIATOR
AND
COOLING
SYSTEM

Coolant
pump,
replacing

The
engine
coolant
pump
is
mounted
in
the
frontof
the
en-

gine
on
the
timing
cover
.
See
Fig
.
16
.

Fig
.
16
.
Coolant
pump
mounted
on
timing
cover
.

NOTE-

Onlyreplacement
coolant
pumps
with
metal
¡mpellers
should
be
installed
.
Pumps
with
plastic
impellers
should
not
be
used
.

1.
Drain
cooling
system
as
described
earlier
.

0013197

WARNING
-

Allow
cool¡ng
system
to
cool
before
open¡ngor
drain¡ng
system
.

2
.
Remove
primary
cooling
fan
shroud
and
cooling
fan
(belt-driven
or
electric)
as
described
earlier
.

Fig
.
17
.
Engine
drive
belt
tensioner
being
released
on
M44
engine
.
Pry
off
tensioner
cover
and
then
lever
tensioner
in
counterciock-
wise
direction
(as
facing
engine)
and
slip
belt
off
pulleys
.

Fig
.
18
.
Drive
belt
tensioner
being
released
on
M52
engine
.
Pry
off
3
.
Disconnect
hoses
from
thermostat
housing
.
Unbolt



tensioner
cover
and
then
lever
tensioner
clockwise
(as
facing
thermostat
housing
from
front
of
cylinder
head
.



engine)torelease
belt
tension
.

4
.
Remove
coolant
pump
drive
belt
.
See
Fig
.
17
or
Fig
.
18
.

NOTE-

-
Mark
direction
of
drive
belt
rotation
if
reusing
belt
.



"
The
6-cylinder
coolant
pump
¡s
mounted
on
studs
and
retained
by
nuts
.
"
Severa¡
drive
belt
and
tensioner
configurations
havebeenused
in
E36
models
.
Refer
to
020
Maintenance
Program
and
640
Heating
and
Air
Conditioning
.

5
.
Remove
coolant
pump
pulley
from
pump
.

6
.
Remove
mounting
fasteners
from
pump
.

COOLING
SYSTEM
SERVICE

NOTE-

"
The
4-cylinder
coolant
pump
¡s
mounted
us¡ng
two
dif-
terent
length
bolts
.
Note
where
thelonger
bolt
fits
dur-
ing
disassembly
.

0011989

7
.
Insert
twoscrews
(M6)
in
tapped
bores
and
tighten
uni-
formly
until
pump
is
free
from
timing
chain
cover
.
See
Fig
.
19
.

210-2
CLUTCH

Clutch
hydraulic
system,

bleeding
and
flushing

If
the
clutch/brake
fluid
is
murky
or
muddy,
or
has
not
been

changed
within
the
last
two
years,
the
system
should
be

flushed
.
Flushing
the
old
fluid
from
the
clutch
lines
is
done
us-

ing
a
brake
system
pressure
bleeder
.

1
.
Remove
brake
fluíd
reservoir
cap
.
Usinga
clean
sy-

ringe,
remove
brake
fluid
from
reservoir
.
Refill
reservoir

with
clean
fluid
.

2
.
Attach
pressure
brake
bleeder
to
fluid
reservoír
.

CA
UTION-

Do
not
exceed
2
bar
(29
psi)
pressure
at
the
fluid
reservoir
when
bleeding
or
flushing
the
hydraulic
system
.

3
.
Connect
a
length
of
hose
from
clutch
slave
cylinder

bleeder
valve
lo
a
container
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

0012003
Fig
.
2
.



Clutch
slave
cylinder
bleeder
valve
on
left
side
of
transmission
(arrow)
.

4
.
Open
bleeder
valve
and
allow
brake
fluid
to
expel
until
clean
fluid
comes
out
free
of
air
bubbles
.

5
.
Close
bleeder
valve
and
disconnect
pressure
bleeding
equipment
from
fluid
reservoir
.
Hose
on
bleeder
valve
remainsconnected
.

6
.
Slowly
operate
clutch
pedal
about10
times
.
Fill
reser-
voir
with
clean
fluid
asnecessary
.

7
.
Unbolt
slavecylinder
from
transmission
.

8
.
Position
slave
cylinder
so
that
bleeder
valve
is
facing
up
(highest
point)
.

CLUTCH
HYDRAULICS

9
.
Open
bleeder
valve
and
slowly
push
slave
cylinder

pushrod
al¡
the
way
in
.
Close
bleeder
valve
and
slowly

release
pushrod
.
Repeat
procedure
until
fluid
runs
out

clear
and
without
bubbles
.

10
.
Disconnect
bleeder
hose
.
Instan
slavecylinder
lo
trans-

mission
.
Add
cleanbrake
fluid
to
reservoir
as
neces-

sary
.
Check
clutch
operation
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Clutch
slave
cylinder
to
transmission
................
..
22
Nm
(17
ft
lb)

Clutch
master
cylinder,
replacing

The
clutch
master
cylinder
is
mounted
to
the
pedal
assem-

bly,
directly
above
the
clutch
pedal
.
1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
cable
from
battery
.

CAUTION-

Prior
to
disconnectiog
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautionsgiven
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
viii
.

2
.
Remove
brake
fluid
reservoir
cap
.
Usinga
clean
sy-

ringe,
remove
brake
fluid
from
reservoir
.

CA
UTION-

Brake
fluid
is
poisonous,
highly
corrosive
and
dan-gerous
to
the
environment
.
Wear
safety
glasses
and
rubbergloves
when
working
with
brake
fluid
.
Do
notsiphonbrake
fluid
with
your
mouth
.
Imme-
diately
clean
away
any
fluid
spilled
on
painted
sur-
faces
and
wash
with
water,
asbrake
fluid
will
remove
point
.

3
.
Disconnect
fluid
supply
hose
from
master
cylinder
.

Placea
pan
under
hose
to
catch
any
excess
fluid
.

4
.
Working
in
engine
compartment,
disconnect
fluid
line
fitting
frommaster
cylinder
.

5
.
Working
in
passenger
compartment,
remove
lower
in-
strument
panel
trim
above
pedal
cluster
.

6
.
Disconnect
clutch
pedal
from
clutch
master
cylinder
push
rod
by
removing
clevis
pin
locking
clip
and
slide
out
clevis
pin
.

7
.
Remove
master
cylinder
mounting
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

8
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Fill
fluid
reservoir
with
clean
fluid
.
Bleed
clutch
hydraulics
as
described
earlier
.

Connect
negative
cable
to
battery
last
.

11
.
Raise
transmission
and
reinstall
transmission
cross-

member
.

12
.
Install
driveshaft
using
new
nuts
.
See
260
Driveshaft
.

13
.
Check
transmission
oil
leve¡,
topping
up
asnecessary
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Transmission
crossmember
to
chassis

M8
...............
.
...
.
..
22-24
Nm
(16-17
ft-Ib)

M10
..............
.
..
...
..
.
...
42
Nm
(31
ft-Ib)

"
Transmission
outputflange
to
output
shaft



O



001202
2
Z
:Z
ZZZ~
%
_
j
Stage
I.................
..
.
..
190
Nm
(140
ft-Ib)

Stage
II
(after
loosening)
....
.
.
.
..
120
Nm
(89
ft-Ib)



Fi
g
.
9
.



Indent
at
oil
seal
housing
(1)
.
Punch
holes
in
seal
housing
at

Inputshaft
sea¡,
replacing

(transmission
removed)

Replacement
of
the
inputshaft
sea¡
requires
the
removal
of

thetransmission
from
the
vehicle
as
described
later
in
this
re-

pair
group
.

5
.
Lubricate
new
sea¡with
transmission
oil
and
drive
into

1
.
Remove
clutch
release
bearing
and
release
lever
from



placeusing
BMW
Special
Tool
no
.
23
2
430
or
equiva-

inside
bellhousing
.



lent
.

2
.
Remove
bolts
for
clutch
release-bearing
guide
sleeve,



6
.
Thoroughly
cleanguide
sleeve
mounting
bolts,
sealin

noting
bolt
lengths
.
Remove
sleeve
and
any
spacers



surfaces,
and
threads
in
case
.
Apply
sealer
(Loctite

(shims)
under
¡t
.
See
Fig
.
8
.



242
or
equivalent)
to
guide
sleeve
sealingsurface
and

bolts
.
Reinstall
guide
sleeve
and
spacer(s)
.

0011640

Fig
.
8
.



Clutch
release
bearing
guide
sleeve
bolts
.
(Getrag
transmis-

sion
shown)
.

3
.
With
transmission
on
aworkbench,
remove
input
shaft

sea¡
cover
from
inside
bel¡-housing
.

4
.
Locate
two
indents
in
seal
housing
.
Use
a
punch
or

scribe
to
punch
holes
in
housing
at
indents
.
Thread
two

sheetmetal
screws
into
holes
and
pulí
seal
out
using

screws
.
See
Fig
.
9
.

MANUAL
TRANSMISSION



230-
5

indents
anduse
sheetmetal
screw
(2)
to
pul¡
sea¡
from
trans-
mission
.

NOTE-

Use
care
not
to
scratch
or
damage
input
shaft
.
Use
a
protective
sleeve
or
tape
the
shaft
when
removing
and
installing
the
sea¡
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Guide
sleeveto
transmission

M6xl2
bolt
.......
...
.
.
.........
10
Nm
(89
in-lb)

TRANSMISSION
REMOVAL

AND
INSTALLATION

Removal
and
installation
of
the
transmission
is
best
accom-

plished
ona
lift
using
a
transmission
jack
.
The
engine
must
be

supported
from
above
using
appropriate
support
equipment
.

Thisallows
the
engine
to
pivot
on
its
mounts
to
access
theup-

perTorx-head
bolts
at
the
bellhousing
.

WARNING
-

"
Make
sure
thecar
is
stable
and
well
supported
at

all
times
.
Use
a
professional
automotive
lift
or
jack
stands
designed
for
the
purpose
.
A
floor
jack
is
not
adequate
support
.

"
The
removal
of
the
transmission
may
upset
the

balance
of
the
vehicle
ona
líft
.

TRANSMISSION
REMOVAL
AND
INSTALLATION

13
.
Remove
transmission
mounting
bolts
(Torx-head)
.

Note
length
and
location
of
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
13
.

Fig
.
13
.
Transmission
mounting
bolts
.

0611642

CA
UTION-

Atno
time
should
the
weight
of
thetransmission
be
supported
by
the
transmission
inputshaft
.

NOTE
-

Washers
should
always
be
used
with
Torx-head
bolts
.

Installing
bolts
without
washers
will
make
them
difficult

to
loosen
.

MANUAL
TRANSMISSION



230-
7

Fig
.
14
.
Bellhousing
alignment
dowels
(arrows)
.

16
.
Install
driveshaft
and
preload
center
bearing
bracket
.

Usenew
nuts
when
mounting
driveshaft
to
transmis-

síon/flex
disc
and
final
drive
.
See
260
Driveshaft
.

17
.
Refill
transmission
with
appropriate
lubricant
before

starting
or
towingthe
car
.
See
Transmission
Fluid

Service
earlier
in
this
repair
group
.

14
.
Remove
transmission
by
pulling
backward
until
the
trans-



Tightening
Torques

mission
inputshaft
clears
the
clutch
disc
splines,
then



"
Reinforcing
cross
brace

pulí
downwards
.
Lower
jack
andremove
transmission
.



to
chassis
(M10)
.
...
.............
42
Nm
(31
ft-Ib)

"
Rubber
mount
to
transmission

15
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal,
keeping
in
mind
the



or
bracket
nut
(M8)
.
...
.
...
.......
21
Nm
(16
ft-Ib)

following
:



"
Slave
cylinder
to
transmission
......
22
Nm
(16
ft-Ib)

"
When
installing
exchange
transmission,
transfer
parts



"
Transmission
crossmember
to
chassis

from
old
unit
to
exchange
unit



M8
...............
.
.
...
..
22-24
Nm
(16-17
ft-Ib)

"
Thoroughly
clean
inputshaft
and
clutch
disc
splines
.



M10
..............
.
..
..
.......
42
Nm
(31
ft-Ib)

Lightly
lubrícate
transmission
inputshaft
before
in-



"
Transmission
to
engine
(Torx-head)

stalling
.-



M8
..
..................
..
.
..
..
22
Nm
(16
ft-Ib)

"
Be
sure
bellhousing
dowels
are
correctly
located
.
See



M10
.
.................
...
.
..
..
43
Nm
(32
ft-Ib)

Fig
.
14
.



M12
.
..................
..
.
..
..
72
Nm
(53
ft-Ib)

"
Center
rear
of
transmission
in
driveshaft
tunnel
before



"
Transmission
drain/fill
plugs
.
..
.
..
..
50
Nm
(37
ft-Ib)

tightening
transmission
support
bracket
.

TRANSMISSION
REMOVAL
AND
INSTALLATION

Fig
.
3
.



ABS
wheel
speed
sensor
mounting
bolt
(arrow)
.

NOTE-

Note
flats
on
stabilizer
bar
linkball
joint
for
placement
of
open
end
wrench
.

CAUTION-
Do
not
remove
center
strut
retaining
nut
.

8
.
Lower
strut
assembly
from
car
.

NOTE-

Store
the
removed
strut
assembly
upríght
.
Do
not
allow
it
to
líe
horizontally
or
upside-down
for
any
lengthoftime
.
If
íncorrect
storage
has
occurred,
place
the
strut
assembly
upríght
wíth
the
rod
fully
extended
for
at
least
24
hours
.

0012117

FRONT
SUSPENSION



310-3

6
.
Unbolt
splash
shield
and
steering
arm
from
strut
.
Sus-



Fig
.
4
.



Strut
and
steering
arm
assembly
.
pend
steering
arm
assembly
from
chassis
using
stiff
wire
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

1
.
Nut



6
.
Bolt
2
.
Strut



7
.
Bolt
3
.
ABS
wheel
speed
sensor



8
.
Flat
washer
4
.
Cable
holder



9
.
Self-locking
nut
5
.
Steering
arm



10
.
Washer
11
.
Bolt

9
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Be
sure
to
use
new

CAUTION-



self-locking
nuts
and
bolts
.

The
steering
arm
ball
joint
can
be
damaged
if
the



"
Use
new
steering
arm
mounting
bolts,
or
clean
bolts
arm
is
allowed
to
hang
unsupported
.



and
use
Locktite
®
270
orequivalent
thread-locking
compound
.

7
.
Support
strut
assembly
from
below
.
From
above,
re-



"
On
M3
models
:
When
attaching
stabilizer
link
to
strut,

move
three
strut
mounting
nuts
on
strut
tower
.



use
a
thin
wrench
to
hold
flats
on
link
parallelto
strut
.
"
Have
car
professionally
aligned
When
job
is
complete
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Brake
caliper
to
steering
arm
......
110
Nm
(81
ft-lb)

"
Road
wheel
to
hub
.........
100±10
Nm
(74
t7
ft-Ib)

"
Stabilizer
bar
link
to
strut
(M3)
.....
.
59
Nm
(44
ft-lb)

"
Steering
arm
to
strut
housing

"
(encapsulated
bolts-always
replace)
107
Nm
(78
ft-lb)

"
Strut
assembly
to
strut
tower

(self-locking
nuts)
........
...
..
..
.
24
Nm
(16
ft-Ib)

SHOCK
ABSORBERS
AND
SPRINGS

320-
6



STEERING
AND
WHEEL
ALIGNMENT

Front
Toe-in
andToe
Difference
Angle



Wheel
Alignment
Specifications

Toe-in
is
the
difference
in
the
distance
between
the
front
of



Alignment
specificationsfor
the
E36
are
listed
in
Table
a

the
front
wheels
and
the
rear
of
the
front
wheels
.
It
is
adjusted



and
Table
b
.
The
specifications
only
apply
under
the
following

by
altering
the
length
of
the
outer
tie
rods
.



conditions
:

Toe-in
adjustments
should
only
be
made
on
alignment
equipment
with
the
car
in
normalloaded
position
as
described

below
under
Wheel
Alignment
Specifications
.

Toe
difference
angledetermines
the
progressively
different

pathstaken
by
the
front
wheelsas
the
car
is
turning
.
It
is
fixed
by
the
steering
gear,
but
depends
on
accurate
setting
of
the
toe-in
.

Rear
Toe-in

There
is
no
provision
for
routinerear
wheel
toe-in
adjust-

ment
.
If
any
alignment
angles
deviate
from
specifications,
carefully
inspect
the
rear
trailing
arms,
rear
suspension
sub-
frame
and
al¡
associated
bushings
and
flexible
mounts
for
wear
or
damage
.
After
replacing
any
parts
that
appear
worn
or
damaged,
re-check
thetoe
measurements
.

WHEEL
ALIGNMENT

Table
a
.
Front
Wheel
Alignment
Specifications

"
Correct
wheels
and
tires
are
installed,
in
good
condition,
and
are
at
the
correct
inflation
pressures
.

"
Al¡
steering
and
suspension
parts
and
bushings
areun-

damaged
and
show
no
signs
of
abnormal
wear
.

"
Wheel
bearings
are
in
good
condition
.

"
Ride
height
is
in
accordance
with
specifications
.

See
310
Front
Suspension
and330
Rear
suspension
.

"
Car
isin
normal
loaded
position
.

Normal
loaded
position

"
Each
front
seat
.....:.............
68
Kg
(150
lb)

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

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

"
Fueltank
.
........................
...
.
..
..
full

3181325
Model



3181325



sport



M3
3
.0
liter



M3
3
.2
liter
suspension

Toe
angle
(total)



0°
18'±8'



0°
18'±8'



0°
10'
±5'



0°
10't5'

Camber

To
1995



-0°
40'±30'



-0°
58'±
30'



-0°55'±30'



-

1995
on



-0°
30'
±30'



-0°
51'±30'



-0°55'±30'



-0°
46'±30'

Caster

10°
wheel
lock



3°
41'±30'



3°
50'±30'



6°
38'±30'



9°
35'±30'

20°
wheel
lock



3°
52'±30'



3°
57'
t30'



6°
52'±30'



7°
50'±30'

Front
Wheel
Displacement



0°
t15'



0°t15'



0°
±15



0°
±15'

Table
b
.
Rear
Wheel
Alignment
Specifications

3181325
Model



3181325



sport



M3
3
.0
liter



M3
3
.2
liter
suspension

Toe
angle
(total)



0°
24't6'



0°
24'±6'



0'30'
.-t6'



0°
30't6'

Camber



-l'
40'
t15'



-2°
0'
t15'



-1
°
45'
t10'



-1'45'±10'

Maximum
allowabledeviation
between
sides



0°
±3'



0°
±3'



0°
t3'



0°
t3'

TheE36
convertible
is
an
all-season
vehicle
with
a
high
lev-
e¡offunctionality,
excellent
interior
comfort,
and
acoustic
re-

finement
.
Interior
materials
and
colors,
the
soft
top
and
the

light-alloy
wheelshave
been
carefully
matched
.

Various
versions
of
manual
and
automatic
soft
tops
have
been
used,
with
the
fully
automatic
convertible
roof
being
in-

stalled
beginning
in
the
1997
model
year
.

A
hard-top
in
body
color
with
heated
rear
window
is
avail-

ableas
an
option
for
the
cold
season
.

BODY-GENERAL
400-
3

Coupe
Models



The
convertible
body
structure
includes
many
passive
safe-

ty
refinements
over
its
fixed-top
counterparts
.
Some
of
the
en-

TheE36
coupe
is
similar
to
the4-door
sedan,
but
has
a



hancements
include
:

more
stretched
and
sleeker
appearance
.
Thus,
with
the
same

wheelbase
and
identicallength,
it
looks
different
but
still
famil-



"
More
rígíd
underbody
.

iar
.



"
Transverse
seat
members
.

"
Reinforced
windshield
frame
with
bonded
windshield,

The
2-door
variant
differs
from
the
4-door
sedan
by
a
3
.12



and
tubular
door
reinforcements
.

inch
(8
cm)
longer
front
end,
a
flatter
hood
line
with
air
slits,



"
Rollover
protection
system,
which
is
tripped
into
position

and
a
roof
almost
1
.2
inches
(3
cm)
shorter
.
Additional
differ-



in
a
fraction
of
second
.
This
is
available
as
optional

ences
include
wider
doors
with
frameless
Windows,
glass-



equipment
(standard
on
the
1998
328iC)
and
may
be
fit-

covered
door-posts
(B-pillars)
and
a
shorter
and
lower
lug-



ted
to
earlier
convertible
models
.
With
this
feature,
two

gage
compartment
lid
.



bars
fully
independent
of
each
other
come
up
behind

each
rear-seat
backrest
when
the
vehicle
is
in
danger
of

Convertible
Models



turning
over
.

A
convertible
body
normally
flexes
and
vibrates,
transfer-

ring
oscillations
to
the
luggage
compartment
.
In
the
E36
con-

vertible,
BMW
utilizes
a
special
battery
in
the
luggage
compartment,
in
conjunction
with
a
unique
battery
tray,
asa

vibration
dampening
system
to
counteract
thisoscillation
.

CAUTION
-

The
E36
convertible
requires
a
specialbattery
which
is
designed
for
constant
vibration
.

Information
for
the
convertible
top
and
its
related
mecha-

nisms
can
be
found
541
Convertible
Top
.

BODYASSEMBLY