1998 BMW 325i airbag

320-
4



STEERING
AND
WHEEL
ALIGNMENT

7
.
Remove
fluidline
banjo
bolt
from
steering
gear
.
See



9
.
Remove
steering
gearmounting
bolts
.
See
Fig
.
7
.
Re
Fig
.
5
.



move
steering
gear
from
subframe
crossmember
by

pulling
it
forward
.

CAUTION-

Plug
the
openings
in
the
pump
and
hoseends
to
prevent
dirt
from
entering
the
hydraulic
system
.

NOTE-
It
may
be
necessary
to
remove
other
components
to
gain
access
to
the
steering
gear
.

"
Make
sure
al¡
thread
bores,
bolts,
nuts,
splines
and
mating
surfaces
are
clean
.
Use
new
self-locking
nuts
wherever
applicable
.

"
Use
marks
made
during
removal
to
reassemble
steer-
ing
column
universal
jointto
steering
stub
shaft
.
Make
sure
wheels
are
straight
ahead
.

"
Use
a
new
sealing
washer
on
banjo
fitting
.
Do
not
over-

Fig
.
5
.



Fluid
hoses
and
banjo
bolts
at
steering
gear
(arrows)
.



torque
banjo
bolt
.
"
Install
airbag
to
the
steering
wheel
as
described
in
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
.
8
.
Remove
lower
steeringshaft
universal
joint
pinch
bolt,



"
Fill
and
bleed
power
steering
system
as
described
ear-
then
pull
universal
joint
half
way
off
steering
gear
shaft
.



lier
.
Mark
relationship
between
shaft
and
universal
joint,



"
Have
thecar
professionally
aligned
.
then
remove
universal
joint
from
steering
gear
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

0013231
Fig
.
6
.



Steering
column
universal
joint
pinch
bolt
(arrow)
.
Mark
U-
joint
to
shaft
before
disconnecting
.
With
wheels
in
straight
ahead
position,
mark
on
steering
gear
(A)
should
align
with
split
seam
in
universal
joint
(B)
.

STEERING
GEAR

Fig
.
7
.



Steering
gear
mounting
bolts
(arrows)
.

Outer
tie
rod
end,
replacing

10
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal,
noting
the
following
:

Tightening
Torques

"
Outer
tie
rod
end
to
steering
arm
.
.
..
45
Nm
(33
ft-Ib)

"
Steering
column
universal
joint
to
steering
gear
shaft
(self-locking
nut)
....
..
..
19
Nm
(14
ft-Ib)

"
Steering
gear
to
subframe
crossmember
M10
bolt
..............
.
...
.....
42
Nm
(32
ft-Ib)

"
Steering
fluíd
lines
M10
banjo
bolt
..
..
..
........
.....
12
Nm
(9
ft-Ib)
M14
banjo
bolt
..
..
..
...
..
...
....
35
Nm
(26
ft-lb)
M16
banjo
bolt
..
.......
..
..
.....
40
Nm
(30
ft-Ib)

1
.
Raise
car,
remove
outer
tie
rod
ball
joint
nut,
and
press
out
outer
tie
rod
end
ball
joint
as
described
above
.

2
.
Make
a
reference
measurement
of
outer
tie
rod
end
to
tie
rod
.
See
Fig
.
8
.
Record
measurement
.

NOTE-
Accurate
measuring
of
the
tie
rod
end
in
reference
to
the
tie
rod
will
help
approximate
correct
wheel
align-
mentwhen
new
parts
are
installed
.

GENERAL
.
....
.
.
.
.
.
.......
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
400-1



INTERIOR
EQUIPMENT
......
.
.
.
.......
400-4
Seats
and
Seatbelts
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
..
400-4
BODY
ASSEMBLY
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.400-2



Instruments
and
Controls
.
..
....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
400-4

Exterior
and
Aerodynamics
....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
400-2



Central
Body
Electronics
.......
.
.
.
...
.
...
400-5

Coupe
Models
..
.
.
.
.
.
.......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
400-3



Electronic
Immobilization
System
.
.
.
...
.
...
400-5

Convertible
Models
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
400-3



Heating
and
Air
Conditioning
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
400-6

GENERAL

This
section
covers
system
descriptions
and
general
ser-

vice
information
for
the
repair
groupsfound
in
4
Body
and
5

Body
Equipment
.

When
working
or
servicing
cars
equipped
with
SRS
air-

bag(s),
the
following
precautions
must
be
observed
to
prevent

injury
.

F19
.1
.
The
BMW
E36
coupe
.

400
Body-General

BODY-GENERAL
400-1

WARNING
-

"
Airbags
are
inflated
by
an
explosivedevice
.
Han-dled
improperly
or
without
adequate
safeguards,
airbag
units
can
be
very
dangerous
.
Special
pre-cautions
must
be
observed
prior
to
any
work
ator
near
the
driver's
side
airbag,
the
passenger's
side
airbag
(where
applicable),
or
the
side-impact
aírbags
(where
applicable)
.
See
721
Airbag
Sys-
tem
(SRS)
.

"
Always
disconnect
the
battery
and
cover
the
neg-
ative
(-)
battery
terminalwith
an
insulator
before
starting
diagnostic,
troubleshooting
or
service
work
oncars
fitted
with
SRS,
and
before
doíng
any
welding
on
the
car
.

0013098

GENERAL

400-
4
BODY-GENERAL

INTERIOR
EQUIPMENT

E36
interiors
have
a
unique
character,
with
a
combínation
of
sporty
features
and
innovative
design
.
Al¡
body
versions
were
made
in
a
wide
choice
of
interior
and
exterior
colors
.
New

colors
with
matching
leather
and/or
fabric
upholstery
were
in-
troduced
for
each
model
year,
including
light-alloy
wheels
in
new
designs
.

Driving
comfort
is
enhanced
by
power
steering,
tilt
steering
wheel
(optional),
height-adjustable
front
seats,
and
electrical-
ly
adjustable
and
heated
rear-view
mirrors
.
Inside
thecar
there
are
reading
lights
at
four
seating
positions
.

Seats
and
Seat
Belts



NOTE-

Theseat
base
usedon
cars
with
pyrotechnic
seatbelt

Anatom¡cal
ly-correct
seats
are
constructed
from
polyure-



tensioners
is
not
interchangeable
with
the
earlier
seat

thane
foam
containing
areas
or
"zones"
of
different
firmness
.



base
.

The
seat
bases
have
steel
springs
for
added
support
and
strength
.
The
power
seats
are
provided
with
conveniently
lo-



Instruments
and
Controls
cated
switches
along
the
outside
edge
of
the
seat
.
Heated
seats
are
an
option
in
all
models
.
See
520
Seats
for
more
de-



Everything
in
the
interior
passenger
compartment
essential
tails
.



to
the
driver
is
logically
grouped
and
easy
to
reach
.
Al¡
instru-
ments
and
controls
havebeen
arranged
ergonomically
and
The
M3
sport
seat
is
shown
in
Fig
.
3
.



are
fully
integrated
into
the
overall
design
of
the
vehicle
.

Fig
.
3
.



M3
sport
seat
.

INTERIOR
EQUIPMENT

0013195

The
early
E36
cars
areequipped
with
a
single
(driver
side)
airbag
in
the
steering
wheel
.
Startingwith
the
1994
models,
a
dual
airbag
Supplemental
Restraint
System
has
been
stan-
dard
equipment
.
Side-impact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
are
op-
tional
in
1997
4-door
cars
and
standard
equipment
in
all
1998
models
.

Through
1996,
E36
seatbelts
were
equipped
with
BMW's
original-designspring
tensioners
.
In
1997,
the
seat
base
de-
sign
was
modified
to
accommodate
a
pyrotechnic
(explosive
charge)
seatbelt
tensioner
.
Both
types
of
tensioners
arede-
signed
to
automatically
tension
the
belts
by
about2
inches(55
mm)
in
the
event
of
a
collision
.

The
padded
dashboard
houses
the
instrument
cluster
and
the
ventilation
and
heating
system
.
The
instrument
cluster
uses
large
easy-to-read
analog
instruments
and
is
removable
as
a
unit
without
removing
the
dashboard
.
The
Service
Inter-
val
Indicator
(SII)
will
remind
the
driver
when
thecar
requires
service
.
See
620
Instruments
.

The
Multi-Information
Display
(MID)
unit
in
thecenter
of
the
dashboard
comes
in
a
variety
of
four
configurations,
the
most
advanced
being
the
On-Board
Computer
(OBC)
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Al¡
versions
of
the
MID
have
a
clock
and
calendar
.
In
addi-
tion,
different
versions
areequipped
with
a
"check
control,"

display
for
fuel-economy
information
and
system
warnings
.
Consult
the
owner's
manual
for
fui¡
operating
instructions
.

GENERAL

This
repair
group
covers
front
and
rear
door
repair
informa-
tion,
including
removal
and
installationof
the
interior
doorpan-
els
.

DOORS

WARNING
-

Late
M3
moddis
havealuminum
doors
.
Use
extra
care
in
handling
aluminum
parts
in
order
to
avoid
damage
from
gouging
or
corrosión
.

NOTE-

"
For
information
on
the
power
door
windows
and
door
glass
replacement,
sea512Door
Windows
.

"
Forinformation
on
the
power
door
locking
system,
see
515
Central
Locking
and
Anti-Theft
.

WARNING
-

Some
1997
and
all
1998
cars
are
fitted
with
side-im-
pact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
.
When
servicing
doors
on
cars
with
front
side-impact
airbags,
always
dis-
connect
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
for
cautions
and
procedures
relating
to
the
airbag
system
.

Front
orrear
door,
removing
and
installing

1
.
If
workingon
front
door
with
side-impact
airbag,
discon-

nect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.

CAUTION
-

Prior
to
disconnectiog
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
vüi
.

2
.
Unbolt
main
harness
connector
at
door
pillar
and
sep-
arate
connector
.
See
Fig
.
1
.

411
Doors

GENERAL
.............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
411-1



DOOR
PANELS
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
411-4

Front
door
trim
panel,
removing
and
installing
.411-4
DOORS
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.......
.
....
.
.
.
411-1



Rear
door
trim
panel,
removing
and
installing
.411-5
Front
or
reardoor,
removing
and
installing
..
.
411-1



Rear
side
trim
panel,
removing
and
installing
Door
check,
replacing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.......
411-3



(coupemodel)
.
.
.
.
.
.
....
.
.............
411-6

Door
Adjustment
.......
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
411-3



Rear
side
trim
panel,
removing
and
installing
(convertible
models)
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
411-6

DOORS
411-1

Fig
.
1
.



Door
harness
connector
being
removed
fromdoor
pillar
.
Re-
move
mountingscrews
atA,
then
separate
connector
by
pulling
upon
harness
lock(top
arrow)
.

3
.
Withdoor
fully
open,
remove
pin
bolts
from
top
and
bot-
tom
door
hinges
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

0011650

Fig
.
2
.



Door
hinge
pin
bolt
(arrow)
.
Top
hinge
shown
.
Also
remove
pin
bolt
from
lowerhinge
.

DOORS

411-2
DOORS

4
.
Remove
retainer
clip
(early
models
only)
from
doorcheck

pin
onbody
pillar
.
Drive
out
door
check
pin
.
See
Fig
.
3
.



Door
Adjustment

"
Door
gap

to
fender/rear
door
.........
approx
.
5
mm
(0
.189
in)

"
Permíssible
deviation
from
parallel
.
.0
.5
mm
(0
.020
in)

0011651

Fig
.
3
.



Door
check
pin
being
removed
.
Note
retainer
clip
(A)
usedon

early
models
.

5
.
Remove
doorby
lifting
up
off
lowerhinge
halves
.

CAUTION-

Be
careful
not
to
damage
door
or
other
painted
body
surfaces
.
Make
sure
no
load
is
placedon

wiring
harness
.

6
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Keep
in
mind
the
fol-

lowing
:

"
Align
doorso
that
panel
gaps
are
equal
on
either
side,

as
described
later
.
If
necessary,
adjust
door
hinges
as

described
later
.

"
Adjust
door
striker
so
that
trailing
edge
of
front
door
is

slightly
higher
(1
mm)
than
leading
edge
of
rear
door
.

See
515
Central
Locking
and
Anti-Theft
.

"
Repair
any
paint
damage
and
paínt
any
exposed
met-

al
.

CAUTION-
.

"In
2-door
models,
removing
and
installing
the
door
may
upset
the
adjustment
and
alignment
of
the
window
.
Window
adjustment,
as
described
in
512DoorWindows,
must
be
carried
out
ater
installation
to
prevent
damaging
the
glass
.

"
If
battery
power
is
lost
or
the
battery
has
been
disconnected,
the
windows
must
be
re-initialized
.
Both
one
touch
upldown
and
pinch-protection
will
be
inactive
until
windows
are
re-initialized
.
See
512
Door
Windows
.

DOOR
CHECK,
REPLACING

Door
check,replacing

WARNING
-

Some
1997
and
all
1998
cars
are
fitted
with
side-im-

pact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
.
When
servicing
doors

on
cars
with
front
side-impact
airbags,
always
dis-

connect
the
negative
(-)
battery
terminal
.
See
721

Al
rbag
System
(SRS)
for
cautions
and
procedures
relating
to
the
airbag
system
.

1
.
Closedoor
window
completely
.

2
.
If
working
on
front
door
with
side-impact
airbag,
discon-

nect
negative
(-)
battery
cable
.,

CAUTION-

Prior
to
disconnectiog
the
battery,
read
the
battery

disconnection
cautions
gíven
at
the
front
of
this

manual
on
page
viii
.

3
.
Remove
interior
door
panel
and
vapor
barrier
as
de-

scribed
later
.

4
.
Where
applicable,
remove
side-impact
airbag
from
door
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
.

NOTE-

In
some
models
covered
inthis
manual,
ít
is
not
essen-

tial
to
remove
the
side-ímpact
airbag
to
access
internal

door
components
.
However,
the
procedure
is
recom-

mended
for
safety
reasons
.

5
.
Remove
retainer
clip
(early
models
only)
from
door

check
pin
on
body
pillar
.
Drive
out
door
check
pin
.
Refer

to
Fig
.
3
.

6
.
Remove
bolts
and
rubber
cover
fromdoor
check
lock-
plate
ondoor
.

7
.
Remove
door
check
from
inside
door
.

8
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

"
Lubricate
door
check
before
installing
.

"
Use
new
mounting
bolts
when
reinstalling
the
side-im-

pact
airbag
to
thedoor(where
applicable)
.

"
If
battery
was
disconnected,
re-initialize
window
regu-

lator
motors
as
described
in
512
Door
Windows
.

Door
Hinge
Adjustment

If
the
installed
door
is
uneven
or
out
of
parallel,
shims
can
be
used
to
correct
its
position
.
The
shims
are
placedbehind
the
hinge
plate
and
are
available
in
two
different
thicknesses
(0
.5
mm
and
1
.0
mm)
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

Tightening
Torque

"
Door
hinge
to
door
.............
..
21
Nm
(15
.5
ft-I
b)
"
Door
striker
to
door
...........
...
25
Nm
(18
ft-Ib)

DOOR
PANELS

0
l
o
0013102

Fig
.
4
.



Door
hinge
and
door
check
components
.
Front
and
rear
doors
are
similar
.

WARNING
-

Some
1997
and
all
1998
cars
are
fitted
with
side-im-
pact
airbags
in
the
front
doors
.
When
servicing
doors
on
cars
with
front
side-impact
airbags,
always
dis-
connect
the
negative
()
battery
terminal
.
See
721
Airbag
System
(SRS)
for
cautions
and
procedures
relating
to
the
airbag
system
.

Front
door
trimpanel,
removing
and
in-

stalling

1
.
On
cars
with
side-impact
airbags,
disconnect
negative

(-)
battery
cable
.

CAUTION
-

Prior
to
disconnecting
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
viii
.

Fig
.
5
.



Pry
outside
mirror
switch
from
door
armrest
.

3
.
Unscrew
door
locking
knob
.

Fig
.
6
.



Pry
off
plugs
(arrows)
and
remove
screws
.

DOORS
411-
3

2
.
Carefully
pry
out
mirror
adjustment
switch
and
discon-
nect
harness
connector
from
switch
.
Fig
.
5
.

5
.
Unclip
door
panel
from
door
perimeter
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

0013168

4
.
Pry
off
trim
cover
for
insíde
door
handle
.
Pry
off
con-
cealing
plugs
from
armrest
.
Remove
door
panel
retain-
ing
screws
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

UU13169

DOOR
PANELS

411-
4
DOORS

6
.
Disconnect
radio
speaker
harness
connector
.

Fig
.
7
.



Door
panel
being
unclipped
from
door
.
Pull
panel
retaining

clips
off
one
at
a
time
.

7
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal,
noting
the
following
:

"
Replace
any
damaged
plastic
parts
orclips
.

"
Renew
vapor
barrier
ifit
is
damaged
.

"
Use
new
mounting
bolts
when
reinstalling
the
side-im-

pactairbag
to
the
door
(where
applicable)
.

"
When
installing
door
panel,
align
metal
retainers
on

window
sill
with
openingsontop
of
door
panel
.
See

Fig
.
8
.

"
Check
door-lock
mechanism
and
window
for
ease
of

movement
.

"
If
battery
was
disconnected,
re-initialize
window
regu-

lator
motors
as
described
in
512
Door
Windows
.

373

Fig
.
8
.



Metal
retainers
at
base
of
window
should
be
in
position
to
mate
with
openings
in
door
trim
panel
.

DOOR
PANELS

Reardoor
trimpanel,

removing
and
installing

1
.
Open
door
and
pry
out
power
window
switch
.
Discon-

nect
harness
connector
.

2
.
Remove
ash
tray
.

3
.
Pry
off
trim
cover
from
inside
door
handle
.

4
.
Pry
off
concealing
plugs
from
armrest
.
Remove
door

panel
retaining
screws
.
See
Fig
.
9
.

Fig
.
9
.



Pry
off
plugs
(arrows)
andremove
screws
.

5
.
Unscrew
door
locking
knob
.

6
.
Unclip
panel
from
door
perimeter,
starting
at
thetop
of

the
door
.

7
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

"
Replace
any
damaged
plastic
parts
or
clips
.

"
Renew
vapor
barrier
ifit
is
damaged
.

"
Align
metal
retainers
on
window
sill
with
openings
in

trim
panel
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
8
.

"
Check
door-lock
mechanism
and
window
for
ease
of

movement
.

Rear
side
trim
panel,
removing
and
install-

ing
(coupe
models)

1
.
Remove
rear
seat
cushion
.
Remove
rear
backrest
side

section
.
See
520
Seats
.

2
.
Pull
off
edge
trimat
bottom
of
rear
side
window
.
See

Fig
.
10
.

3
.
Gently
unclip
trim
panel
andremove
.

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

"
Replace
any
damaged
plastic
parts
or
clips
.

GENERAL
......
.
........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
512-1



WINDOW
SERVICE,

Front
door
window,
initializing
..
.
.........
.
512-1



2-DOOR
MODELS
.
...
.
......
.
........
.512-5

WINDOW
SERVICE,



Front
door
window,
removing
and
installing

(2-door
models)



.
.
...
.
...............
.
512-5

4-DOOR
MODELS
.
.
.
.
................
.
512-2



Front
door
window,
adjusting

Front
door
window,
removing
and
installing



(2-door
models)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.........
.
.
.
...
.512-7

(4-door
models)
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
512-2



Rear
vent
window
or
vent
latch,

Front
door
window,
adjusting



replacing
(2-door
models)
....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...
512-11

(4-door
models)
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.....
512-3

Rear
door
window,
removing
and
installing



WINDOW
REGULATOR
SERVICE
.
.
.
..
.512-12

(4-door
models)
.
.
.
.....
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.....
512-4



Door
window
regulator
and
motor,

Rear
door
fixed
glass,
removing
and
installing



removing
and
installing
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
512-12

(4-door
models)
.
.
.
.
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.....
512-4

GENERAL



Front
door
window,
initializing

This
heading
covers
door
glass,
window
regulator
and
pow-

er
window
motor
repair
information
.
Before
proceeding
with
window
repairs,
specifically
on
late
cars
fitted
with
front
side-

impact
airbags,
read
the
procedure
through
to
determine
the

scope
of
the
repair
.

The
bonded
windshield
and
rear
glass
are
replaced
using

special
adhesives
and
tools
.
It
is
recommended
that
bonded

glass
replacement
bedone
by
a
professional
glass
installer
.

WARNING
-

"
Always
wear
hand
and
eye
protection
when
workíng
with
broken
glass
.

"
ff
a
window
is
broken,
all
of
the
glass
bits
should
be
vacuumed
out
of
the
door
cavity
.
Use
a
blunt

screwdriver
to
clean
out
any
remaining
glass
pieces
from
the
window
guide
rails
.

CAUTION-

ff
battery
power
is
lost
or
the
battery
has
been
dis-
connected,
windows
mustbe
re-initialized
.
Both
one
touch
up/down
and
pinch-protection
will
be
in-
active
until
windows
are
re-initialized
.
Sea
below
.

512
Door
Windows

DOOR
WINDOWS



512-1

The
front
door
windows
incorporate
a
pinch-protection
fea-

ture
as
well
as
one-touch
up/down
(1994
and
later
models)
.
In

order
for
these
featuresto
work
correctly,
the
mechanical
stop
reference
point
must
be
re-initialized
after
repairs
are
carried
out
.

1
.
Closedoor
and
turn
ignition
keyon
.
Fully
open
front

window
.

2
.
Fully
close
front
window
.

4
.
Repeat
for
remaining
window
.

5
.
The
windows
should
now
be
initialized
and
the
anti-

pinch
and
one-touch
up/down
functions
should
be
en-

abled
.

GENERAL