1997 BMW 318i level

2
.
Remove
fuel
tank
filler
cap
.

3
.
Remove
rearseat
cushion
and
pull
back
insulation
mats
to
expose
fuel
tank
access
covers
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

uui3140

Fig
.
2
.



Right
side
fuel
tank
access
cover
under
rear
seat
cushion
.

4
.
Remove
right
and
left
access
covers
to
expose
fuel
hoses
and
electrical
connections
at
tank
.

5
.
Label
fuel
hoses
.
Then
disconnect
hoses
and
harness
connectors
from
fuel
sending
units
and
fuel
pump
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

FUELTANK
AND
FUEL
PUMP



160-
3

NOTE-

"
If
necessary,
push
fuel
level
sender
arm
toward
fuel
pump
assembly
to
facilitate
removal
.

"
BMW
special
tool
no
.
16
1
020
should
beused
tore-
move
and
install
the
threaded
collar
.
Damage
to
thecollar
may
result
if
the
special
tool
is
not
used
.

"
Pump
out
contents
of
each
tanklobe
using
approved
pumpinglextraction
equipment
and
flexible
fuel-grade
hose
.

WARNING
-

Fuel
may
be
spilled
.
Do
not
smoke
or
work
near
heaters
or
other
fire
hazards
.

7
.
Installation
of
sending
units
is
reverse
of
removal,
not-
ing
the
following
:

"
Use
new
sealing
rings
when
installing
pump/sending
unit
assemblies
.
"
Be
sure
that
fuel
line
connections
point
in
same
direc-tion
as
they
carne
out
.
"
Fill
tank
and
check
for
leaks
by
running
engine
.

CA
UTION-

Before
starting
the
engine,
fill
the
fuel
tank
with
at
least
1.5
gallons
(5liters)
of
fuel
.
The
pump
will
be
damaged
if
you
run
it
without
fuel
.

Fuel
tank,
removing
and
installing

1.
Disconnect
negative
(-)cablefrom
battery
:

CAUTION-

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

2
.
Remove
fuel
tank
filler
capand
drain
tank
as
described
earlier
.

3
.
Working
in
left
access
tank
access
hole
(under
rear

seat
cushion),
remove
vent
pipe
fromtank
.

4
.
Working
inside
car,
disconnectparking
brake
cable
ends
from
parking
brake
lever
.
See
340
Brakes
.

5
.
Working
underneath
car,
gently
pry
fuel
lines
away
from
retaining
bracket
in
front
of
tank
.
Remove
clamps
and
disconnect
fuel
hoses
as
shown
in
Fig
.
4
.

6
.
Remove
exhaust
system
and
heat
shield
as
described

ooisiai



in
180
Exhaust
System
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

Fig
.
3
.



Fuel
pump/fuel
level
sender
assembly
in
top
offuel
tank
(right
side
shown)
.
Disconnect
supply
hose
(A),
return
hose
(B)
and



7
.
Remove
driveshaft
.
See
260
Driveshaft
.
harness
connector
(C)
.

8
.
Pull
parking
brake
cables
backward
away
from
bottom
of

6
.
Unscrew
threaded
collars
from
fuel
tank
.
Slowly
with-



fuel
tank,
disengaging
them
from
brackets
as
needed
.

draw
fuel
sender
assemblies
from
tank,allowing
fuel
to
drain
off
.

FUEL
TANKAND
LINES

160-
4



FUEL
TANK
AND
FUEL
PUMP

Fig
.
4
.



Pinch
off
supply
and
retum
fuel
hoses
(arrows)
before
dis-
connecting
from
rigid
metal
lines
.

0013143

Fig
.
5
.
After
removing
exhaustsystem,
remove
heat
shield
screws
(arrows)
and
heat
shield
.

9
.
Working
underneath
car,
loosen
hose
clamp
and
dis-

connect
filler
hose
.

10
.
Support
tank
from
below
.
Remove
tank
strap
mounting

bolts
.
Lower
and
remove
tank,
disconnecting
right
side



TheE36
model
uses
a
two-lobed
fuel
tank
and
each
lobeof
vent
and
other
hoses/electrical
connectors
as
neces-



the
tank
has
its
own
fuel
level
sending
unit
.
sary
.

11
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

"
Always
use
new
seals,
gaskets,
O-rings,
and
hose
clamps
.

"
Inspect
hoses
and
replace
any
that
are
chafed,
dried

outor
cracked
.

"
Inspect
heat
shield
and
replace
if
corroded
.

"
Inspect
rubber
buffers
and
liners
on
fuel
tank,
support
straps
and
on
underside
of
body
.
Replace
rubber

parts
that
are
hardened
or
damaged
.

FUEL
LEVEL
SENDERS

CAUTION-

"
Before
starting
the
engine,
fill
the
fuel
tank
with
at
least
1.5
gallons
(5
liters)
of
fuel
to
prevent

damaging
a
dry
fuel
pump
.

"
If
the
filler
neck
has
been
removed
from
the
body,
be
sure
toreattach
theneck's
grounding
screw
(where
applicable)
.
Check
electrical
resistance
between
the
ground
tab
and
wheel
hub
.
The
re-
sistance
shouldbeno
higher
than
0
.6
ohms
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Fuel
tank
to
body
.............
...
23
Nm
(17
ft-Ib)

"
Hose
clamps
(10
mm-16
mm
día
.)
..
2
.0
Nm
(18
in-lb)

Fuel
Tank
Evaporative
Control
System

The
fuel
tank
evaporative
control
system
is
used
to
vent
the

fuel
tank
to
a
charcoal
canister,
which
is
then
purgedby
en-

gine
vacuum
during
normal
engine
operatíon
.
This
controls

emission
of
raw
hydrocarbons
(fuel)
to
the
atmosphere
.
See

Fig
.
1
.

A
fuel
expansion
tank,
located
under
the
right
rear
fender,

traps
overflow
fuel
and
incorporates
extra
fuel
tank
plumbing
.

Startingwith
1996
models,
OBD
II
standards
require
that

the
fuel
tank
evaporative
control
system
be
monitored
for

leaks
.
This
is
accomplished
usingthe
fuel
tankpressuresen-

sor,
the
ventshut
off
valve,
and
the
evaporative
purge
valve
.

NOTE-

On
most
early
cars(1992-1995),
the
charcoal
canister

is
in
the
engine
compartment
.
On
latercars,
the
char-
coal
canister
is
under
the
spare
tire
in
the
luggage
com-
partment
.

FUEL
LEVEL
SENDERS

The
right
side
fuel
leve¡
sender
is
integrated
with
the
fuel

pump
.
Each
senderhas
a
float
connected
to
a
variable
resis-

tance
for
fuel
leve¡
.
When
replacing
the
sender/pump
assem-

bly
always
replace
hose
clamps,gaskets
and
O-rings
.

WARNING
-

When
removing
the
fuel
level
sender
or
the
fuel
pump,
the
fuel
tank
should
be
emptied
.

Fuel
leve¡
senders,
testing



Fuel
leve¡
sender
(right
side)

The
left
and
right
fuelleve¡
sending
units
are
wired
in
series
.



and
fuel
pump,
removing
and
installing

The
fuel
gauge
receives
a
signal
that
is
the
average
of
the
two



1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
cable
from
battery
.

input
values
.

1
.
Remove
rear
seat
cushion,
lift
up
insulation
mats,
andremove
both
fuel
tank
access
covers
.

2
.
Disconnect
white
plug
on
each
sending
unit
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

3
.
Check
resistance
value
of
eachsending
unit
.
Values
should
be
the
same
.

5
.
If
valuesare
different,
remove
sending
units
as
described

below,
and
check
resistance
valuésacross
terminals
.
Table
a

lists
resistance
values
for
senders
at
various
float
positions
.

Table
a
.
Fuel
Leve¡
Sender
Resistances

Float
position



Test
result
(ohms)

Right
side
empty



10
ohm
t2

Right
side
full



250
ohm
±
5
Left
side
empty



10
ohm
t
2

Left
side
fui¡



250
ohm
±
5

FUEL
TANK
AND
FUEL
PUMP



160-
5

CAUTION
-

Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautionsglven
at
the
front
of
this
manual
onpage
viii
.

2
.
Drain
fuel
from
tank
as
described
earlier
.

WARNING
-

Always
unscrew
the
fuel
tank
cap
to
release
pres-
sure
in
the
tank
before
working
on
the
tank
or
fines
.

3
.
Remove
rear
seat
cushion
and
pull
back
insulation
pad
under
right
side
.

4
.
Remove
screws
holding
rightfuel
tank
accesscover
.

Remove
cover
.

5
.
Label
fuel
hoses
.
Disconnect
hoses
and
harness
con-

nectors
from
fuel
sending
unit
and
fuel
pump
.

6
.
Unscrew
threaded
collar
from
fuel
pumplfuel
leve¡
sender
.
Slowly
withdraw
assembly
from
tank,allowing

fuelto
drain
off
.
See
Fig
.
7
.
0013187
&
0013194

Fig
.
6
.



Fuel
pump/leve¡
sender
terminal
identification
.
Check
resis-
tance
at
terminals
of
white
connectors
(arrows)
.



"
If
necessary,
push
leve¡
sender
arm
toward
fuel
pump

assembly
to
facilitate
removal
.

NOTE
-

BMW
special
tool
no
.
16
1
020
should
beused
to
re-
move
and
install
the
threaded
collar
.
Damage
to
the
collar
may
result
if
the
special
tool
is
not
used

WARNING
-

NOTE-



Fuel
may
be
spilled
.
Do
not
smoke
or
work
near

The
compensating
siphon
pump
(Fig
.
1)
maintains
the



heaters
or
other
fire
hazards
.

fuel
leve¡
between
the
right
and
left
tank
lobes
.
If
the
re-
sistances
are
different
between
the
left
and
right
send-
ers,
remove
the
senders
and
visually
inspect
the
leve)
in



7
.
Using
a
new
sealing
ring,
install
pump
and
sending
each
lobe
.
If
the
leve¡
is
different,
check
the
siphon
com-



unit,
being
sure
that
fuel
line
connections
point
in
same

pensating
pump
.



direction
as
they
carne
out
.

8
.
Reconnect
harnessconnector
and
hoses
.
Fill
tank
and

check
for
leaks
by
running
engine
.
Insta¡¡
access
cover

and
its
mountingscrews
.
Reconnect
negative
(-)
cable

to
battery
.

CAUTION
-

Before
starting
the
engine,
fill
the
fuel
tank
with
at
least
1
.5
gallons
(5liters)
of
fuel
.
The
pump
will
be
damaged
if
you
run
it
without
fuel
.

FUEL
LEVEL
SENDERS

170-6



RADIATOR
AND
COOLING
SYSTEM

Fig
.
6
.



Radiator
drain
plug
(arrow)
.

WARNING
-

Coolant
is
poisonous
.
Itis
especially
lethal
to
pets
.

Cleanup
spills
immediately
and
rinse
the
area
with

water
.

NOTE
-

The
block
drain
plug
is
located
on
the
exhaust
side
of
the
engine,
near
the
reas
of
the
engine
.

4
.
Reinstall
radiator
and
engine
block
drain
plugsusing

new
sealing
washers
.
Leave
heater
controis
on
full

warm
.

5
.
Using
a
coolantmixture
of
50%
antifreeze
and
50%
dis-

tilled
water,
fill
system
slowly
On
radiator
with
integral

expansion
tank,
bleed
cooling
system
as
described
be-

low
.

NOTE-

"
Tap
water
may
cause
corrosion
of
radiator,
engine
and
coolant
hoses
.

"
Coolant
can
often
be
reused
provided
itis
clean
and
less
than
twoyears
old
.
Do
not
reuse
coolant
when
re-
placing
damaged
engine
parts
.
Contaminated
coolant
may
damage
the
engine
or
cooling
system
.

Tabled
.
Cooling
System
Capacities

Engine



j
Capacity

4-cylinder



1
6
.5
liters
(6.9
qt)

6-cylinder
M50/M52



10
liters
(10
.6
qt)
S50US/S52US



10
.5
liters
(11
.1
qt)

COOLING
SYSTEM
SERVICE

Tightehing
Torques

"
Radiator
drain
plug
to
radiator
...
2-3
Nm
(18-27
in-lb)

"
Engine
block
drain
plug
to
block



.
.
..
25
Nm
(18
ft-Ib)

Cooling
system,
bleeding

(radiator
with
integral
expansion
tank)

NOTE
-

On
radiators
with
a
separate
expansion
tank,
ableed

screw
is
not
provided
.
The
cooling
system
with
sepa-

rate
expansion
tank
is
self
bleeding
via
the
vent
hose

on
the
expansion
tank
.

Air
maybecome
trapped
in
the
system
during
filling
.

Trapped
air
can
prevent
proper
coolant
circulation
.
Whenever

the
coolant
is
drained
and
filled,
the
system
should
be
bled
of

trapped
air
.

1
.
With
engine
cold,
add
coolant
to
expansion
tank
until

level
reaches
COLD
(KALT)
mark
on
tank
.

2
.
Loosen
bleed
screw
on
radiator
expansion
tank
.
See

Fig
.
7
.

0011976

Fig
.
7
.



Cooling
system
bleed
screwon
radiator
(arrow)
.
Note
cold
level
mark
on
expansion
tank
.

3
.
M3
models
:
Loosen
bleed
screw
on
thermostathous-

ing
.

4
.
Set
temperature
controls
in
passenger
compartment
to

fui¡
warm
and
turn
ignition
on
position
(do
not
start
en-

gine)
.

5
.
Slowly
add
coolant
until
it
spills
from
bleed
screws
.

When
coolant
spillíng
from
bleed
screws
is
free
of
air

bubbies,
tighten
screws
.

6
.
Run
engine
until
it
reaches
operatíng
temperature
.
Af-

ter
engine
has
cooled,
recheck
coolant
level
and
top
up
as
necessary
.

CAUTION-

Always
use
genuine
BMW
coolant
or
its
equiva-

lent
to
avoid
the
formation
of
harmful,
clogging
de-

posits
in
the
cooling
system
.
Use
of
other
antifreeze
solutions
may
be
harmful
to
the
cooling
system
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Radiator
bleed
screw

to
thermostat
housing
...
.
.
........
8
Nm
(71
in-lb)

Belt-driven
cooling
fan,
replacing

1
.
Usinga32
mm
wrench
on
fan
clutch
nut,
turn
wrench

quickly
in
a
clockwise
direction
(working
from
front
of

car)
to
loosen
.
Spin
fan
off
pump
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

NOTE-

"
The
radiator
cooling
fan
nut(32
mm
wrench)
has
left-
hand
threads
.

"
The
nut
may
be
difficult
to
loosen
.
Use
a
tool
to
hold
the
coolant
pump
pulleystationary
.
BMW
hasa
spe-
cial
tool
forthis
purpose
(BMW
special
tool
no
.
115
030)
.

2
.
Remove
expansion
rivets
holding
shroud
to
radiator
.

See
Fig
.
9
.
Remove
fan
and
shroud
together
.

NOTE-

Store
the
removed
fan
clutch
assembly
in
an
upright
(installed)
positionto
prevent
lossof
clutch
fluid
.

RADIATOR
AND
COOLING
SYSTEM



170-
7

Fig
.
8
.



Radiatorcooling
fannut
(arrow)
.
Nuthas
left-hand
threads
.

3
.
To
replace
fan
clutch,
remove
fan
mounting
bolts
and

separate
clutch
from
fan
.
Fig
.
9
.



Fan
shroud
retaining
rivet
(arrow)
.
Pryout
center
pin
and
re

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
rernoval
.



move
rivet
.
Rivet
design
may
vary
depending
on
model
and

model
year
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Clutchnut
to
coolant
pump
(left-hand
threads)

Wíthout
BMW
tool
no
.
11
5
040
.....
40
Nm
(29
ft-lb)

With
BMW
tool
no
.
11
5
040
.
......
30
Nm
(22
ft-Ib)

"
Fan
to
viscous
clutch
...
.
..
.
......
10
Nm
(89
in-lb)

0013203

COOLING
SYSTEM
SERVICE

230-2



MANUAL
TRANSMISSION

Transmission
fluidleve¡,
checking

Checking
thetransmission
oil
level
involves
simply
remov-
ing
the
side
drain
plug
and
inserting
a
finger
into
the
holeto
check
the
fluid
leve¡
.
lf
the
fluid
leve¡
is
up
to
the
bottom
of
the
drain
hole
(finger
is
wetted
by
transmission
fluid),
the
leve¡
is

correct
.

Transmission
fluid,
replacing

NOTE-

Manual
transmission
fluid
type
should
be
printed
ona
label
on
the
side
of
the
transmission
.
If
in
doubt,
consult
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
for
the
up-to-dateinforma-
tion
on
operating
fluids
.

1
.
Drive
vehicle
for
afew
miles
to
warm
transmission
.

2
.
Raise
and
safely
support
vehicle
to
access
drain
plug
.

WARNING
-

"
When
raising
the
car
uslng
a
floor
jack
or
a
hy-
draulic
lift,
carefully
position
the
jack
pad
to
pre-
vent
damaging
the
car
body
.
A
suitable
liner
(wood,
rubber,
etc
.)
should
be
placed
between
the
jack
and
the
car
to
prevent
body
damage
.

"
Watch
the
jack
closely
.
Make
sure
it
stays
stable
and
does
not
shíít
or
tilt
.
As
the
car
is
raised,
the
car
may
roll
slightly
and
the
jack
may
shift
.

3
.
Place
a
drain
pan
under
transmission
andremove
drain
plug
at
bottom
of
transmission
.
See
Fig
.
1
.

Fig
.
1
.



Manual
transmission
fill
(1)
and
drain
plugs
(2)
.

TRANSMISSION
SERVICE

4
.
Install
and
torque
drain
plug
.

5
.
Remove
fill
plug
from
side
of
transmission
.
Slowly
fill

transmission
with
fluiduntilfluid
overflows
fill
hole
.

6
.
Install
and
torque
fluid
fill
plug
.

Fluid
Capacity

"
Getrag
transmission
...........
1
.0
liter
(1.1
US
qts)

"
ZF
transmission
.............
1
.2
liters(1
.3
US
qts)

Tightening
Torque

"
Transmission
drain
or
fill
plug
.......
50
Nm
(37
ft-Ib)

TRANSMISSION
SERVICE

Back-up
light
switch,
replacing

1
.
Raise
and
safely
support
vehicle
to
accessback-up

light
switch
.

NOTE-

"
The
back-up
light
switch
on
Getrag
transmissions
is
in
the
left
rearof
the
transmission
.

"
Theback-up
light
switch
on
ZF
transmission
isin
the
rightfront
of
thetransmission
.

2
.
Unscrew
switch
from
transmission
.

3
.
Install
new
switch
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Back-up
light
switch

to
transmission
..
..
.
.....
.
..
.....
20
Nm
(15
ft-ib)

4
.
Check
transmission
fluid
leve¡
before
lowering
vehicle
.

Selector
shaft
seal,
replacing

(transmission
instalied)

1
.
Raise
and
safely
support
vehicle
to
access
drain
plug
.

2
.
Support
transmission
with
transmission
jack
.

3
.
Remove
driveshaft
.
See
260
Driveshaft
.

4
.
Remove
transmission
crossmember
and
tilt
down
rear

of
transmission
.

CA
UTION--

Tilting
the
engine
to
lower
the
transmission
can
lead
to
damage
to
various
cgmponents
due
to
lack
of
clearance
.
-On
cars
with
AST
(traction
control)
remove
throt-
tle
body
before
tiltlng
engine
.
-Remove
brake
fluid
reservoir
lf
necessary
.

Locking
pin

á



Locking
clip

8
.
Reinstall
shift
linkage
to
selectorshaft
.

7
.
Coat
new
seal
with
transmission
fluid
.
Drive
new
seal
in

flush
with
housing
.
Use
BMW
special
seal
installation
tool
no
.
23
2
260
orequivalent
and
a
soft-faced
(plastic)

hammer
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

9
.
Fiaise
transmission
and
reinstall
crossmember
.

MANUAL
TRANSMISSION



230-
3

Seal
Selector

_
shaft

5
.
Working
at
rear
of
selector
shaft,
disconnect
shift
link-



Fig
.
3
.



Selector
shaft
oil
sea¡
being
pried
out
with
screwdriver
.

age
from
selectorshaft
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

Fig
.
4
.



Selector
shaftseal
being
installed
.

6542

0012020

Fig
.
2
.



Disconnect
shift
linkage
from
transmission
selector
shaft
by

prying
back
locking
clip
and
pushing
locking
pin
out
.



10
.
Install
driveshaft
using
new
nuts
.
See260
Driveshaft
.

6
.
Carefully
pry
sea¡
out
with
a
narrow
seal
remover
or



11
.
Check
transmission
oil
level,
topping
upas
necessary
.

small
screwdriver
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Driveshaftto
flex
disc/

final
drive
flange
..............
See
260
Driveshaft

"
Transmission
crossmember
to
chassis

M8
........
..
.
...
........
22-24
Nm
(16-17
ft-1b)

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

TRANSMISSIONSERVICE

240-2



AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION

WARNING
-

If
the
appropriate
temperature
measuring
equip-
ment
is
not
available,
ATF
leve¡
checking
shouldbe
left
to
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
The
checking
pro-
cedure
should
be
done
on
a
lift
with
the
engine
run-
ning
in
neutral
.
In
addition,
the
transmission
fluid
temperature
must
be
maintained
within
a
narrow
range
duringthe
checking
procedure
.

1
.
Place
vehicle
on
a
lift
.

WARNING
-

To
lift
the
vehicle
safely,
see
010
Fundamentals
for
the
Do-it-Yourself
Owner
.

2
.
Warm
up
drivetrain
by
running
engine
until
ATF
reach-

es
specified
temperature
.
Apply
brake
and,
while
idling
engine,
shift
through
all
gears
severa¡
times
.
Turn
en-
gine
off
.

ATF
Level
Checking

"
Fluid
temperature
..
...........
30-55°C
(86-131°F)

3
.
Remove
ATF
fill
plug
.
Place
transmission
in
neutral
and



ATF,draining
and
filling
restart
engine
.
See
Fig
.
1
or
Fig
.
2
.

Fig
.
1
.



ATF
fill
plug
(A)
on
MS
270R/A4S310R
transmissions
.

4
.
With
ATF
at
specified
temperature,
add
(luid
until
it
spilis
from
fill
hole
.

WARNING
-

HotATFcan
scald
.
Weareye
protection
and
protec-
tive
clothing
and
gloves
duringthe
check
.
If
thetransmission
was
overfilled,
hot
ATF
will
spill
from
the
filler
hole
when
the
fill
plug
is
removed
.

5
.
Reinstall
fill
plug
using
new
sealing
ring
.

TRANSMISSION
SERVICE

011743

0011742

Fig
.
2
.



ATF
drain
plug
(A)
and
fill
plug
(B)
on
A5S
310Z
transmission
.

Tightening
Torques

"
ATF
fill
plug
to
ATF
sump

MS
270R/A4S
31
OR
.............
33
Nm
(24
ft-Ib)
MS
310Z
(M30
plug)
............
100
Nm
(74
ft-Ib)

The
procedure
given
here
includes
removal
and
installation

of
the
ATF
(luid
strainer
(filter)
.

1
.
Remove
drain
plug
and
drain
fluidinto
container
.
See
Fig
.
3
or
Fig
.
2
given
earlier
.

0~
0

/\1--Z
.IZ
~
~

A



~
"o



15/

Fig
.
3
.



ATF
drain
plug
(A)
on
A4S
270R/A4S
310R
.

WARNING
-

The
ATF
must
not
be
hot
when
draining
.
Do
not
drain
the
ATF
if
the
engineandlor
transmission
Is
hot
.
Hot
ATF
can
scald
.
Wear
eye
protection,
pro-
tective
clothing
and
gloves
.

0011595