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020 Maintenance
General ........................... .02 0.2
Special tools ........................ .02 0.2
Service Interval Indicator (Sll) ........... .02 0.3
Service Interval Indicator (Sll), resetting ... .02 0.3
Inspection I, Inspection 11 ............... .02 0.5
Maintenance Tables ................ .02 0.6
Fluid and Lubricant Specifications .. .02 0.9
Fluids and lubricants ................. .02 0.10
Engine Oil Service ................ .02 0.1 I
Engine oil. checking level ............. .02 0.12
Engine oil and filter. changing .......... .02 0-13
Engine Compartment Maintenance . .02 0.14
Accelerator and linkage ............... .02 0.14
Air filter. replacing ................... .02 0.1 4
Cooling system service ............... .02 0.15
Engine drive belt service .............. .02 0.16
Idlespeed .......................... 020-19
Catalytic converter and oxygen sensors .. .02 0.19
Power steering fluid, checking level ..... .02 0.20
Spark plugs ........................ .02 0.20
Spark plugs, replacing ................ .02 0.21
Interior ventilation microfilter, replacing ... .02 0.22
Other Mechanical Maintenance ..... .02 0.22
Battery, checking. cleaning. and replacing .02 0-22
Brake fluid. replacing ................. .02 0-24
Brake pad 1 rotor wear. checking ........ .02 0.24
Brake system, inspecting ............. .02 0.25
Parking brake. checking ............... 020-25
Clutch fluid. checking ................. 020-26
Differential oil level. checking ........... 020-26
Drive axle joint (CV joint) boots. inspecting 020-27
Exhaust system. inspecting ............ 020-27
Fuel filter. replacing .................. 020-27
Fuel tank and fuel lines. inspecting ...... 020-28
Suspension. front. inspecting ........... 020-29
Suspension. rear. inspecting ........... 020-29
Tires. checking inflation pressure ........ 020-29
Tires. rotating ....................... 020-29
Transmission service. automatic ........ 020-29
Transmission service. manual .......... 020-30
Transmission fluid. checking and filling
(manual transmission)
................ 020-30
Wheels. aligning ..................... 020-30
Body and Interior Maintenance ..... 020-31
Body and hinges. lubricating ........... 020-31
Exterior washing ..................... 020-31
Interior care ........................ 020-31
Leather upholstery and trim ............ 020-31
Polishing ........................... 020-32
Seat belts .......................... 020-32
Special cleaning ..................... 020-32
Washing chassis ..................... 020-32
Waxing ............................ 020-32
Windshield wiper blade maintenance ..... 020-33

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Maintenance
Suspension, front, inspecting
Inspection of the front suspension and steering includes a
check of all moving parts
forwear and excessive play. Inspect
ball joint and tie-rod rubber seals and boots for cracks
ortears
that could allow the entry of dirt, water, and other
contaminants. See
310 Front Suspension.
Suspension, rear, inspecting
Differential and rear drive axle service consists of checking
and changing the gear oil, inspecting for leaks, and checking
the drive axle
CV joint boots for damage.
The areas where
lealts are most likely to occurare around the
drive shaft and drive axle mounting flanges. For more infor-
mation on identifying oil leaks and theircauses, see
330 Rear
Suspension and
331 Final Drive.
Tires, checking inflation pressure
Correct tire pressures are important to handling and stability,
fuel economy, and tire wear. Tire pressures change with tem-
perature. Pressures should be
checked oRen during season-
al temperature changes. Correct inflation pressures can be
found on the driver's door pillar and in the owner's manual.
Note that tire pressures should be higher when the car is
more heavily loaded.
WARNING-
Do not inflate any tire to a pressure higher than the tire's max-
imum inflation pressure listedon the sidewall. Use care when
adding air to warm tires. Warm tire pressures can increase as
much as
4 psi (0.3 bar) over their coldpressures.
Tires, rotating
BMW does not recommend tire rotation. Due to the car's sus-
pension design, the front tires begin to wear first at the outer
shoulder and the reartires begin to wearfirst at the middle of
the tread or inner shoulder. Rotating the tires may adversely
affect road handling and tire grip.
Transmission service, automatic
The automatic transmissions installed in E39 models are
filled with special automatic transmission fluid. The transmis-
sion lubricant type can be found on the "type-plate" on the
side of the transmission. The recommended lubricants are
listed earlier in this repair group. See Fluids and lubricants.
If in doubt, consult an authorized BMW dealer for alternate

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Lubr~cat~on System r- -
Working at lower rear of engine, remove oil pan retaining
bolts
(arrows).
- If necessary, remove oil cooler bracket from oil pan.
- Remove remaining oil pan bolts. Slide upper section of oil
pan forward to remove.
- Installation is reverse of removal, noting the following:
Clean sealing surfaces of debris.
- Coat joints with Three Bond 1209 O sealant.
Use new gaskets.
Install all oil pan bolts first, installing bolts at transmission
end without preload.
Tighten oil pan bolts at front end, then tighten bolts at rear
of engine.
Be sure to reinstall all oil
pump fasteners, including the
sprocl
speed to
2,500 rpm until oil pressure warning light goes out
(about
5 seconds).
Tightening torques
AIC drive belt tensloner
M6 10 Nm (7.5 it-lb)
M8 24 Nm (18 ft-lb)
Front axle
subframe to chassis
(Use new fasteners) 77 Nm (57 ft-lb)
Oil drain
line to upper oil pan 30 Nm (22 ft-lb)
Oil pump to crankcase 34 Nm (25 ft-lb)
Oil pan fasteners
(upperllower)
M6 8.8 10 Nm (7.5 ft-lb)
M6 10.9 (replace)
I2 Nm (9 ft-lb)
M8 8.8 22 Nm (16 ft-lb)
Steering column universal joint to
steering box (replace) 19 Nm (14 ft-lb)
Oil pressure warning switch, replacing
(&cylinder and V-8)
- In all models, the oil pressure warning switch is located at the
base of the oil filter housing.

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This repair group covers general application information for
the clutch, manual and automatic transmissions, shift linkag-
es and driveshaft.
Drivetrain
I ZF manual transmission I
BMW E39 models are equipped with a longitudinal drivetrain.
The transmission is bolted directly to the rear of the engine.
A
driveshaft connects the output shaft of the transmission to the
rear final drive. Individual drive axles with integrated constant
velocity joints transfer rotational power from the final drive
unit to the rear wheels.
4 Due to different power characteristics and performance re-
quirements, various manual transmissions are used in mod-
els covered by this manual. Manual transmission
applications are given in the table below.
For manual transmission specifications or repair procedures,
refer to
230 Manual Transmission.
Manual transmission models use a single disc clutch with
dual-mass flywheel. For further information, see
210 Clutch.
The manual transmission metal ID plate is mounted on side of
transmission. Do not rely on numbers cast on transmission
case for identification.
Manual transmission applications
Model Year Engine Transmission
5251 2001 - 2002 M52TU, M54 Getrag S5D 250G
528i 1997-2002 M52 ZF S5D 3202

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--.
- - Manual Transmission
- V-8 engine: Remove heat shield from left front axle support.
< V-8 engine: Remove engine speed reference sensor from
transmission.
- Where applicable, remove brackets for transmission under-
body protection (adjacent to transmission).
4 Support transmission with transmission jack.
- Where applicable, remove reinforcing cross brace from
below driveshaft at transmission.
- Disconnect harness connector from back-up light switch
on transmission.
- Free harnesses for oxygen sensors and back-up lights
from crossmember and transmission.
Remove transmission crossmember: Remove transmission mount bolts
(A).
Remove transmission crossmember bolts (B)
Where applicable, remove bolts (C).
NOTE-
5-speed transmission shown in illustration. Crossmember
assembly for 6-speed transmission is similar.
Disconnect driveshaft from transmission and hang to one
side. See
260 Driveshaft.
I CAUTION- I
Do not damage constant velocity joint orprotective boot at
rear differential.
- 6-cylinder engine: Remove stabilizer bar links and swivel sta-
bilizer bar
u~wards.

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260-2
1 Driveshaft
This repair group covers repair and replacement of the
driveshaft and driveshaft components.
Driveshaft repairs consist of replacement of front flex-disc.
center mount or rear
CV joint. If the driveshaft joint is defec-
tive, replace the complete driveshaft.
Drive axle repairs are covered in
331 Final Drive
Special tools
BMW suggests the use of certain special tools in removing,
installing or servicing the driveshaft or its components.
4 Transmission jack
(Tool No. BMW 00 2 030)
4 Transmission support (for use with transmission jack)
/ (Tool NO. BMW 23 0 040)
24 0 170
1
4 Transmission support (for use with transmission jack,
A5S 560Z transmission)
(Tool No. BMW 24
0 170)
24 0 250
I
4 Transmission support (for use with transmission jack,
A5S
4402 transmission)
(Tool No. BMW 24
0 250)
4 Drlveshaft center mount allgnlng yg
Tool No. BMW 26 1 000)

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Driveshaft
4 Driveshaft center slide nut spanner
(Tool No. BMW
26 1 040)
7, 25 1 Ho 4 cv joint removal tool
(Tool No. BMW 26 1 11 0)
support assembly
Driveshaft description
4 The two-piece driveshaft is connected to the transmission by
a rubber flex-disc and to the rear final drive by a constant ve-
locity (CV) joint.
A universal joint is used at the center of the driveshaft and
the shaft is supported in the middle by a center support
bearing. The bearing is mounted in rubber to isolate vibra-
tion.
- The rear constant velocity joint compensates for fore and
aft movement of the drive line.
Troubleshooting
The source of driveline vibrations and noise can be difficultto pin-
point. Engine, transmission, rear axle, or wheel vibrations can be
transmitted through thedriveshaftto the car body. Noises from
thecar may be caused by final drive problems, or by faulty wheel
bearings, drive axles, or even
wom or improperly inflated tires.
NOTE-
For drive axle repair information, see 331 Final Drive
Driveshaft noise or vibration may be caused by worn
ordam-
aged components. Check the universal joint for play. With the
driveshaft installed, pull and twist the driveshaft while watch-
ing the joint. The
BMW specification for play is very small, so
almost any noticeable play could indicate a problem.
Check the torque of the fasteners at the flange connections.
Check the rubber of the flex-disc and center bearing for dete-
rioration or tearing. Check the driveshaft for broken or miss-
ing balance weights. The weights are welded tabs on the
driveshaft tubes. In addition to inspecting for faulty driveshaft
parts, the installed angles of the driveshaft should also be
considered.

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300-5
Suspension, Steering and Brakes - ~enerall
The E39 rear suspension subframe is used as a rigid mount-
ing platform
forthe differential (also called final drive) and rear
suspension components. The differential is mounted to the
subframe and the subframe is bolted to the body through rub-
ber bushings which help isolate drivetrain noise and vibration.
The
€39 rear suspension is known as a modified multi-link
system. Three control arms on each side locate the rear
wheels.
The lowercontrol arm, called the swing arm, is attached to the
wheel bearing carrier through a pivoting integral link.
An eccentric mounting bolt at the rear inner mounting of the
swing arm is used for rear camber adjustment.
The inner end of the upper front control arm, called the trac-
tion strut, is also mounted with an eccentric fastener, used to
adjust rear toe.
Drive axles with constant-velocity (CV) joints at both ends
transfer power
from the differential to the road wheels.
Sedan models
The rear suspension in sedan models uses coil springs over
strut shock absorbers. The bottom of each strut bolts to the
wheel
carrier.The top strut mount attaches just below the rear
parcel shelf of the car.
Sedan models fitted with EDC (Electronic Dampening Con-
trol) use air struts.