1997 BMW 328i rear

020-6



MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM

Group
310/330

Table
c
.
Inspection
II
Service

a
d

d



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d

a



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L



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E

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3
E
ó

Maintenance
ítem



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c

Engine
compartment
maintenance

Inspect
V-belt
/Poly-ribbeddrive
condition
.
Check
V-belt
tension,
if
applicable
.

Lubricate
throttle
linkage
.

Replace
air
filter
.

Change
oil
and
oil
filter
.

Replacespark
plugs
.
Repair
Group
120

Check
brake/clutch
fluid
leve¡
.

Check
battery
acid
leve¡
and
correct
asnecessary
.
Repair
Group
121

Check
engine
coolant
leve¡
and
anti-freeze
protection
and
add
asnecessary
.
Inspect
for
cooling
system
leaks
.
Repair
Group
170

Under
car
maintenance

Change
automatic
transmission
fluid
.
Repair
Group
240

Change
manual
transmission
oil
.
Repair
Group
230

Check
clutch
plate
for
wear
.
Repair
Group
210

Check
drive
axle
boots
for
leaks
.
Repair
Group
330

Change
final
drive
fluid
(1995
and
later
models
:
change
synthetic
oil
every
2nd
Inspection
II)
.

Replace
fuel
filter
.

Check
fuel
tank,
fuel
lines,
and
af
connections
for
leaks
.

Inspect
exhaust
system
.
Repair
Group
180

Check
steering
gear
and
steering
¡inkages
.
Check
power
steering
system
for
leaks
.
Check
fluidleve¡
.
Repair
Group
320

Inspect
brake
system
for
damaged
hoses
and
lines,
leaks
or
damage
.
Remove
calipers
and
check
brake
pad
wear
.
Check
brake
rotors
for
scoring
damage
.
Repair
Group
340

Check
parking
brake
operation,
adjust
cable
if
necessary
.
Check
thickness
of
parking
brake
lin-
ings
.
Repair
Group
340

Inspect
front
and
rear
suspension,
including
front
and
rear
wheel
bearings,
for
play
.
Repair

Inspect
wheels
and
tires,
including
spare,
check
tire
pressure
and
condition
.

Body
and
Interior
Maintenance

Lubricate
door
hinges
and
hood
latch,
hood
hinges
.

Check
headlight
and
driving
light
aiming
and
adjust
asnecessary
.

Check
operation
of
headlights,
parking
lights,
back-up
lights,
licenseplate
lights,
interior
lights,
glove
box
light,
engine
compartment
light,
trunk
light,
instrument
panel
lights,
turn
signals,
emer-gency
flashers,
stop
lights,
horns,
headlight
flasher
anddimmer
switch
.

Check
active
check
control
panel
forfauits
(where
applicable)
.
6
Electrical
System

MAINTENANCE
TABLES

Continued
on
next
page

Air
filter,
replacing



Spark
plugs,
replacing

The
specified
maintenance
intervals
for
the
air
filter
are



To
access
the
spark
plugs
on
4-cylinder
engines,
remove
the

based
on
normal
use
.
If
thecar
is
operated
primarily
in
dusty



cover
fromatop
the
sparkplugs
.
See
Fig
.
10
.
Using
the
special

conditions,
the
air
filter
should
be
serviced
more
frequently
.



spark
plug
wire
removal
tool
(attached
to
rear
of
cylinder
head

beneath
engine
cover),
gently
pull
the
spark
plugwire
from
the

To
replace
the
air
filter
on
6-cylinder
engines,
unclip
and
sude



spark
plug
.
See
Fig
.
11
.
Blow
away
any
dirt
from
around
the
the
filter
cartridge
assembly
out
of
the
air
boxand
remove
the



base
of
the
plug
to
prevent
it
from
entering
theengine
.
Remove

filter
from
the
frame
assembly
.
See
Fig
.
8
.



and
install
the
spark
plugs
one
at
a
time
.

0012625

Fig
.
8
.



To
remove
air
filter
cartridge
on
6-cylinder
engines,release
fil-
ter
cartridge
at
sides
(arrows)
and
then
remove
filter
element
insert
from
cartridge
.

To
replace
the
air
filter
elementon
4-cylinder
engines,
sepa-

rate
the
upper
air
filter
housing
section
from
the
lower
section
by

unfastening
the
spring
clips
.
Remove
the
air
filter
element
from

the
air
filter
housing
.
See
Fig
.
9
.
Wipe
the
inside
of
the
air
filter

housing
clean
and
install
the
new
element
.
Reinstall
the
upper

air
filter
housing,
making
sure
that
the
two
halves
are
mated

correctly
.
Refasten
the
spring-clips
.

Fig
.
9
.



Air
filter
element
being
removed
on
4-cylinder
engine
.

MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM



020-
11

NOTE-

Spark
plug
applications
are
often
updated
and
super-
seded
from
the
original
plug
specification
.
Consuff
an
authorized
BMW
parts
department
for
the
latest
parts
_'
information
.
The
sparkplug
fisted
in
the
owners
manu-
al
may
not
be
the
latest
recommend
spark
plug,
espgp
cially
on
older
cars
.

0012631

Fig
.
10
.
To
remove
engine
cover
above
sparkpiugs
on
4-cylinder
en-
gine,
turnretainers
90°
counterclockwise
and
lift
cover
off
.

0012630

Fig
.
11
.
To
remove
spark
plugwirefrom
spark
plug
on
4-cylinder
en-

gine,
sude
special
removal
tool
over
spark
plug
wire
end
(ar-

row)
and
pull
straightoff
.
Usea
screwdriver
for
added

leverage
.
Special
tool
is
stored
at
rear
of
cylinder
head
below

top
cover
.

ENGINE
COMPARTMENT
MAINTENANCE

Accelerator
and
Throttle
Linkage

The
accelerator
and
throttie
linkage
should
be
lubricated
pe-
riodically
.
Use
a
general
purpose
oil
on
the
joints
and
bearings

of
the
linkage
.
Use
a
multipurpose
grease
on
the
bearing
points

of
the
throttie
plate
.

Engine
Drive
Belts

Drive
belts
and
pulleys
transfer
power
from
theengine
crank-

shaft
to
various
accessories
.
See
Fig
.
13
.
Depending
on
model

and
model
year,
engine
driven
accessories
are
driven
by
V-

belts,
poly-ribbed
(serpentine)
belts,
or
a
combination
of
the

two
.
For
example,
early
4-cylinder
engines,
usetwo
V-belts
and
one
poly-ribbed
belt
.

Inspect
drivebelts
with
the
engine
off
.
lf
the
belt
shows
signs

of
wear,
cracking,
glazing,
or
missing
sections,
it
should
be
re-

placed
immediately
.

V
belt,
replacing

(4-cylinder
engines
built
up
to
1194)

0012472

Fig
.
13
.
Drive
belt
and
tensioner
assembly
for
late
4-cylinder
engine
wíth
poly-ribbed
drive
belt
.

V-belts
should
be
inspected
during
regular
maintenance
in-

tervais
.
Incorrect
tension
can
decrease
the
life
of
the
belt
and

the
component
it
drives
.
The
V-belt
tension
is
adjusted
through

a
toothed-rack
mechanism
.

Inspect
belts
with
the
engine
off
.
Twist
the
beltto
inspect
its

sidewalls
and
bottom
.
Beltstructural
damage,
glazed
or
shiny

sidewaljs
caused
by
a
loose
belt,
orseparation
are
al¡
reasons

to
replace
a
belt
.

Replacement
of
the
V-belts
every
four
years
is
recommend-

ed
.
Loosen
the
mounting
bolts
and
adjust
the
belt-driven
unit

until
the
belt
tension
is
as
loose
aspossible
.
Remove
the
belt
by

slipping
it
over
the
pulleys
.
In
some
cases
it
may
be
necessary

to
removeone
V-belt
to
get
to
another
.
Use
a
torque
wrench
and

a
crowfoot
wrench
to
turn
the
tensioning
gear
bolt
and
set
belt

tension
.
Hold
the
wrench
steady
and
tighten
the
locknut
on
the

rear
of
the
tensioning
gear
bolt
.
Tighten
al¡
other
mounting
nuts
.

MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM



020-
1
3

NOTE-

"
For
the
most
accurate
check,
V-belt
tension
should
be
checked
using
a
V-belt
tension
gauge
.

"
Belt
squealing
is
normally
caused
by
loose
beltten-sion
.
Belt
dressings
should
not
be
used
.

Tightening
Torques

"
Tensioning
gear
(alternator

belt
tensioning)
.
.
.
...............
7
Nm
(62
in-lb)

"
Tensioning
gear(power
steering

belt
tensioning)
...
..
...
8
to
8
.5
Nm
(71
to
75
in-lb)

"
Tensioning
gear
locking
nut
.......
24
Nm
(18
ft-Ib)

NOTE-

When
belts
are
replaced
with
new
ones,
store
the
old
set
in
the
luggage
compartment
for
emergency
use
.

When
installing
a
new
belt,
gently
pry
it
over
the
pulleys
.
Too

much
force
may
damage
the
belt
or
the
accessory
.
Tension
the

belt(s),
runthe
engine
for
a
few
minutes
(at
least
1500
rpm),

then
recheck
the
belt
tension
.

CAUTION-

Do
not
over
tighten
the
V-belts
.
Overtightening
will
cause
shaft
bearings
to
fail
prematurely
.

Poly-ribbed
belt,
replacing

(4-cylinder
engines
buiit
from
1194

and
all
6-cylinder
engines)

An
automatic
belt
tensioner
is
used
to
keep
the
belts
ten-

sioned
properly
.
Unless
the
tensioner
mechanism
malfunc-

tions,
the
poly-ribbed
belts
do
not
require
tension
adjustment
.

To
reduce
the
chance
ofbelt
failure
while
driving,
replace-

ment
of
the
belts
every
four
years
is
recommended
.
Mark
drive

belt
rotationdirectíon
if
removing
and
reusing
an
old
belt
.

To
remove
the
belt,
it
is
necessary
toretract
the
self-tension-

er
.
Using
a
breaker
bar
or
other
long
socket
assembly,
rotate

the
tensioner
to
loosenthe
belt
.
See
Fig
.
14
or
Fig
.
15
.
On
4-cyl-

inder
engines,
it
will
benecessary
to
remove
the
A/C
compres-

sor
belt
to
remove
the
main
drive
belt
.

WARNING
-

Observe
care
when
replacing
the
belt
.
Personal
in-
jury
could
result
if
the
tensioner
springs
back
into
position
uncontrollably
.

With
the
belt
removed
from
the
pulleys,
inspect
the
pulleys

for
wear
or
damage
that
may
cause
early
failureof
the
new
belt
.

This
is
also
a
good
opportunity
to
inspect
the
belt-driven
acces-

sories,
checking
for
bearing
wear
and
excess
play
.
Drive
belt

routing
is
shown
in
Fig
.
16
and
Fig
.
17
.

ENGINE
COMPARTMENT
MAINTENANCE

Tires,
checking
inflation
pressure



Brake
pad/rotor
wear,
checking

Correct
tire
pressuresare
important
to
handling
and
stability,



Al¡
E36
cars
are
fitted
withdisc
brakes
at
al¡
four
wheels
.
See
fuel
economy,
and
tire
wear
.
Tire
pressures
change
with
temper-



Fig
.
24
.
Although
thebrakesare
equipped
with
a
brake
pad
ature
.
Pressures
should
be
checked
often
during
seasonal
tem-



warning
system,
the
system
only
monitors
one
wheel
per
axle
.
perature
changes
.
Correct
inflation
pressures
canbe
found
on



It
is
recommended
that
pad
thickness
should
be
checked
the
driver's
door
pillar
and
in
the
owner's
manual
.
Note
that
tire



whenever
the
wheels
are
off
or
brakework
is
beggg
done
.
pressuresshould
be
higher
when
thecar
is
more
heavily
loaded
.

WARNING
-

Do
not
inflate
any
tire
to
a
higher
pressure
than
the
tiress
maximum
ínflation
pressure
listed
on
the
side-
wall
.
Use
cara
when
addlng
air
to
warm
tires
.
Warm
tire
pressures
can
increase
as
much
as4
psi
(0.3
bar)
over
their
cold
pressures
.

Tires,
rotating

BMW
does
not
recommend
tire
rotation
.
Due
to
the
cars
sus-
pension
design,
the
fronttires
begin
to
wear
first
at
the
outer

shoulder
and
the
rear
tires
begin
to
wear
first
at
themiddle
of

the
tread
or
inner
shoulder
.
Rotating
the
tires
may
adversely
af-

fect
roadhandling
and
tire
grip
.

NOTE-

The
main
purpose
of
tire
rotation
isto
promote
even
wear
and
maximum
tire
life
.
Tire
life
may
be
decreased
slightly
if
the
tires
are
not
rotated
.

Wheels,
aligning

Routine
maintenance
of
the
brake
system
includes
maintain-

ing
the
brake
fluid
in
the
reservoir,
checking
brakepads
for

wear,
checking
hand
brake
functíon,
and
inspecting
the
system

for
fluid
leaks
or
other
damage
.

Check
that
brake
hoses
are
correctly
routed
to
avoidchafing

or
kinkíng
.
Inspect
unions
and
brake
calipers
for
signs
of
fluid

leaks
.
Inspect
rigid
fines
for
corrosion,
dents,
or
other
damage
.

Inspect
flexible
hoses
for
cracking
.
Replace
faulty
hoses
or
lines
as
described
in
340Brakes
.

WARNING
-

Incorrect
installation
or
overtightening
hoses,
fines,

and
unions
may
cause
chafing
or
leakage
.
This
can
lead
to
partíal
or
completebrake
system
failure
.

MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM



020-
1
7

B323

Fig
.
24
.
Disc
brake
pad
wear
can
checked
through
opening
in
caliper
.

The
brake
caliper
should
be
unbolted
from
the
suspension

strut
to
properly
inspect
the
brake
pads
and
the
rotors
.
See
Fig
.

25
.
Brake
caliper
removal
and
installation
procedures
are
given
in
340
Brakes
.
BMW
recommends
checking
the
front
and
rear
alignment

once
a
year
and
whenever
new
tires
are
installed
.
See320

Steering
and
Wheel
Alignment
for
a
more
detailed
discus-

sion
of
alignment
requirements
and
specifications
.

Brake
Pad
Lining
Minimum
Thickness

(Dimension
A)

Brake
system,
inspecting



"
Front
and
reardisc
brake
pads
....
3
.0
mm
(0
.12
in)

Brake
fluid,
replacing

BMW
strictly
recommends
replacing
the
brake
fluid
every
two
years
.
This
will
help
protect
against
corrosion
and
the
ef-

fects
of
moisture
in
the
(luid
.
See340
Brakes
for
brake
fluid

flushing
procedures
.

Parking
brake,
checking

The
parking
brakesystem
is
independent
of
the
main
braking

system
and
may
requireperiodic
adjustment
dependingon
use
.
Adjust
the
parking
brake
if
the
brake
lever
can
be
pulled
up

more
than
8
clicks
.
Check
that
the
cable
moves
freely
.
A
de-

scription
of
the
parking
brake
and
parking
brake
adjustment

can
be
found
in
340Brakes
.

UNDER-CARMAINTENANCE

020-
1
8



MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM

Fig
.
25
.
Inspect
brake
pads
with
the
caliper
removed
.
Minimum
brake
pad
thickness
shown
by
dimension
(A)
.

NOTE-

The
parking
brake
may
lose
some
of
its
effectiveness
if
it
is
not
used
frequently
.
This
is
due
to
corrosion
build-
up
on
the
parking
brake
drum
.
To
remove
corrosion,
ap-
plythe
parking
brake
just
until
it
begins
togrip,
then
pulí
the
lever
up
one
more
stop
(click)
.
Drive
thecar
approx-
imately
400
meters
(1,300
ft
.)
and
release
the
brake
.
To
recheck
the
adjustment
of
the
parking
brake
see340
Brakes
.

UNDER-CAR
MAINTENANCE

0011920

Manual
transmission
fluid,

checking
and
filling

The
manual
transmission
fluid
leve¡
should
be
checked
at

specified
intervals
.
Check
and
fill
the
transmission
with
the
car

ona
leve¡
surface
.
Transmission
(luid
leve¡
checking
and
re-

placement
procedures
are
covered
in
230
Manual
Transmis-

sion
.

Automatic
Transmission
Service

The
automatic
transmission
is
not
equipped
with
a
dipstíck
.

Therefore,
checking
the
ATF
level
is
an
ínvolved
procedure,

which
includes
measuring
and
maintaining
a
specified
ATF

temperature
during
the
checking
procedure
.

For
more
complete
ATF
service,
including
checking
ATF
lev-

e¡
and
ATF
filter
replacement
procedures,
see
240
Automatic
Transmission
.

Front
suspension
and
steering
linkages,

inspecting

Inspection
of
the
front
suspension'and
steering
includes
a
check
of
all
moving
parts
for
wear
and
excessive
play
.
Also
in-

spect
the
rubber
seals
and
boots
for
cracks
or
tears
that
could

allow
the
entry
of
dirt,
water,
and
other
contaminants
.
See
310

Front
Suspension
.

Exhaust
system,
inspecting



Rear
suspension,
inspecting
Exhaust
system
life
varies
widely
according
to
driving
habits



Final
drive
and
rear
drive
axle
service
consists
of
checking

and
environmental
conditions
.
If
short-distance
driving
pre-



and
changing
the
gear
oil,
inspecting
for
leaks,
and
checking
dominates,
the
moisture
and
condensation
in
the
system
will



the
rear
drive
axle
rubber
boots
for
damage
.
not
fully
dryout
.
This
will
lead
to
early
corrosion
damage
and
more
frequent
replacement
.
The
areas
where
leaks
are
most
likely
to
occur
are
around
the
driveshaft
and
drive
axle
mounting
flanges
.
For
more
infor

Scheduled
maintenance
of
the
exhaust
system
is
limitedlo



mation
on
ídentifying
oil
leaks
and
their
causes,
see330
Rear
inspection
.
Check
for
restrictions
due
to
dents
or
kinks
.
Check



Suspension
.
for
weakness
or
perforation
due
to
rust
.
Check
lo
see
that
all
the
hangers
are
in
place
and
properly
supporting
the
system
and
that
the
system
does
not
strike
the
body
.
Alignment
of
the
sys-



Final
drive
oil
leve¡,
checking

temand
the
location
of
the
hangers
aredescribed
in
180
Ex-
haust
System
.



Check
the
lubricant
leve¡
with
thecar
level
.
Remove
the
oil
filler
plug
.
The
leve¡
is
correct
when
the
fluidjust
reaches
the

edge
of
the
filler
hole
.
Install
and
tighten
the
oil
filler
plug
when
Manual
Transmission
Service



the
oil
level
is
correct
.
See
Fig
.
26
.

Manual
transmissionservice
consists
of
inspectingfor
leaks



The
final
drive
should
be
filled
with
a
special
BMW
lubricant
and
checking
and
changing
the
fluid
.



available
through
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
.
In
addition,
the
lubricant
type
varies
depending
onwhether
or
nota
limited-slip
Evidence
of
transmissionleaks
is
fkely
to
beseenaround
the



differential
is
fitted
.
driveshaft
mounting
flange
and
at
the
bottom
of
the
bellhousing
.
For
more
information
on
identifying
oil
leaks
and
their
causes,
see230ManualTransmissionand210
Clutch
.



Tightening
Torque

"
Finaldrive
filler
plug
to
final
drive
housing
..................
70
Nm
(52
ft-Ib)

NOTE-

Use
a14
mm
or17
mm
alíen
bit
socket
to
remove
the
drain
plug
.

"
If
thecar
is
raised
in
the
air,
it
shouldbe
leve¡
.

Fuel
tank
and
fuel
fines,
inspecting

0012474

Inspect
the
fuel
tank,
fuel
lines,
and
fuel
system
for
damage

or
leaks
.
Check
for
fuel
leaks
in
the
engine
compartment
or

fuel
odors
in
the
passenger
compartment
.
Check
for
faultyfuel

lines
bybending
them
.
If
any
leaks
are
present,
fuel
should
be

expelled
.
Check
for
any
evaporative
emissions
hoses
that

may
have
become
disconnected,
checking
carefully
at
the

charcoal
canister
and
evaporative
emissionspurge
system
.

See130
Fuel
Injection
and
160
Fuel
Tank
and
Fuel
Pump

for
component
locations
and
additional
information
.

WARNING
-

When
checking
for
fuel
leaks,
the
engine
must
be
cold
.
A
hot
exhaust
manifold
or
exhaust
system
could
cause
the
fuel
to
ignite
or
explode
causing
se-
rious
personal
injury
.
Uentilate
the
workarea
and
clean
up
spilled
fuel
immediately
.

Clutch
fluid,
checking

The
hydraulic
clutch
and
the
brake
system
share
the
same

reservoir
and
the
same
brake
fluid
.
Clutch
fluid
leve¡
and
brake

fluid
level
are
checked
at
the
same
time
.
See340
Brakes
for

more
information
.
See210
Clutch
for
information
on
the
clutch

and
the
hydraulic
clutch
operating
system
.

MAINTENANCE
PROGRAM



020-19

Drive
axie
joint
boots,
inspecting

100
Engine-General

The
protective
boots
must
be
closely
inspected
for
cracks
andany
other
damage
that
will
allow
contaminants
to
get
ínto
the
joint
.
If
the
rubber
boots
faf
,
the
water
and
dirt
that
enter
the
joint
will
quickly
damage
¡t
.
Replacement
of
the
drive
axle
joint
boots
and
inspection
of
the
joints
are
described
in
330
Rear
Suspension
.

BODY
AND
INTERIOR
MAINTENANCE

Windshield
Wiper
Biade
Maintenance

Common
problems
with
the
windshield
wipers
include

streaking
or
sheeting,
water
drops
after
wiping,
and
blade
chat-

ter
.
Streaking
is
usually
caused
when
wiper
blades
are
coated

with
road
film
or
car
wash
wax
.
Clean
the
blades
using
soapy
water
.
If
cleaning
theblades
does
not
cure
the
problem
then

they
should
be
replaced
.
BMW
recommends
replacing
the
wip-
er
blades
twice
a
year,
before
and
after
the
cold
season
.
Onold-

er
cars,
check
the
tension
spring
that
holds
the
wiper
to
the

glass
.
Replace
the
wiper
arm
if
the
springs
are
weak
.

Drops
that
remainbehind
after
wipingare
caused
by
oil,
road

film,
or
diesel
exhaust
coating
the
windshield
.
Use
an
alcohol
or

ammonia
solution,
or
a
non-abrasive
cleanser
to
clean
the

windshield
.

Wiper
blade
chatter
may
be
caused
by
dirty
or
worn
blades,

bya
dirty
windshield,
or
by
bentor
twisted
wiper
arms
.
Clean

the
blades
and
windshield
as
described
above
.
Adjust
the
wiper

arm
so
that
there
is
even
pressure
along
the
blade,
and
so
that

the
blade
is
perpendicular
to
the
windshield
atrest
.
Lubricate

the
wiper
linkage
with
a
light
oil
.
The
linkage
is
located
under

the
hood
on
the
drivers
side
.
If
the
problem
persists,
theblades
are
excessively
aged
or
worn
and
should
be
replaced
.
See
611
Wipers
and
Washers
.

Body
and
hinges,
lubricating

The
door
locks
and
lock
cylinders
canbe
lubricated
with
an

oil
that
contains
graphite
.

The
body
and
door
hinges,
the
hood
latch,
and
the
door

check
rods
should
be
lubricated
with
SAE
30
or
SAE
40
engine

oil
.
Lubricate
the
seat
runners
with
multipurpose
grease
.
Do
not

apply
any
oil
to
rubber
parts
.
If
door
weatherstrips
are
sticking,

lubricate
them
with
silicone
spray
or
talcum
powder
.
The
hood

release
cable
should
be
lubricated
as
well
.

The
use
of
winter
lock
de-icer
spraysshould
be
kept
to
an
ab-

solute
minimum,
as
the
alcohol
in
the
de-icer
will
wash
the

grease
out
of
the
lock
assemblies,
and
may
cause
the
locks
to

corrode
internally,
or
become
difficult
to
operate
.

ENGINE-GENERAL
100-1

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

If
a
battery
cableconnection
hasno
visible
faults,
but
is
still
suspect,
measure
the
voltage
drop
across
the
connection
.
A
large
drop
indicates
excessive
resistance,
meaning
the
con-
nection
is
corroded,
dirty,
or
damaged
.
Clean
or
repair
the
connection
and
retest
.

NOTE-

For
instructions
on
conducting
a
voltage
drop
test,
and
other
general
electrical
troubleshooting
information,
see600
Electrical
System-General
.

Wiring
and
Harness
Connections

The
electronic
fuel
injection
and
ignition
systems
operate
at

low
voltage
and
current
values,
making
them
sensitive
to

small
increases
in
resistance
.
The
electrical
system
is
routine-

ly
subjected
to
corrosion,
vibration
and
wear,
so
faults
or
cor-

rosion
in
the
wiring
harness
and
connectors
are
common
causes
of
driveability
problems
.

Visually
inspect
all
wiring,
connectors,
switches
and
fuses
in
the
system
.
Loose
or
damaged
connectors
can
cause
inter-

mittent
problems,
especially
the
smallterminals
in
the
ECM

connectors
.
Disconnect
the
wiring
harness
connectors
to

check
for
corrosion
;
and
use
electrical
cleaning
spray
to
re-

move
contaminants
.
Often,
simply
disconnecting
and
recon-

necting
a
dirty
connector
several
times
will
clean
the
terminals
and
help
to
reestablish
good
electrical
contact
.

If
a
wiring
harnessconnectorhasno
visible
faults,
but
is
still

suspect,
measure
the
voltage
drop
across
the
connector
.
A

large
drop
indicates
excessive
resistance,
meaning
the
con-

nector
is
corroded,
dirty
or
damaged
.
Clean
or
repair
the
con-

nector
and
retest
.

Ground
Connections

For
any
electrical
circuit
to
work,
it
must
make
acomplete

path,
beginning
at
the
positive
(+)
battery
terminal
and
ending

at
the
negative
(-)
terminal
.
The
negative
(-)
battery
cable
is

attached
to
the
car's
chassis
.
Therefore,
any
wireor
metal

part
attached
to
the
chassis
provides
a
good
ground
path
back

to
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
.

Poorground
connections
are
amajor
source
of
driveabílity

problems
.
If
any
of
themainground
connections
for
the
igni-
tion
system
or
the
fuelinjection
system
are
faulty,
the
in-

creased
resistance
in
that
circuit
will
cause
problems
.

Visually
inspect
al¡
ground
wires
and
connections
for

breaks,
looseness
or
corrosion
.
Be
careful
because
wires

sometimes
break
internally
or
in
areas
not
easily
visible
.
The

main
grounds
for
the
DME
system
are
shown
in
Fig
.
11,Fig
.

12,
and
Fig
.
13
.
Also
check
the
main
fuel
pump
ground
in
the
center
console,
below
the
emergency
brake
handle
.

If
a
ground
connection
has
no
visiblefaults,
but
is
still
suspect,

measure
the
voltage
drop
acrossthe
connection
.
A
large
drop

indicates
high
resistance,
meaning
the
connection
is
corroded,

dirty
or
damaged
.
Clean
or
repair
the
connection
and
retest
.

ENGINE-GENERAL
100-
1
3

UU,~uyi

Fig
.
11
.
Mainground
(arrow)
for
engine
management
system
.
Grounds
are
in
right
rear
of
engine
compartment
.

Fig
.
12
.
Mainground
for
ignition
coils
on
MS
41
.1
engine
manage-
ment
system
(arrow)
.

DRIVEABILITY
TROLIBLESHOOTING