2000 BMW 540i Steering gear

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YOU are now in Volume I
I
Foreword ................... .. ........................................................................\
.......... v
Index
........................ .. ................................................................ rear of manual
General, 001 General Warnings and Cautions 002 Vehicle Identification and VIN Decoder
Maintenance OiO 020 Maintenance
Engine
100 Engine-General 110 Engine Removal and Installation
113 Cylinder Head Removal and
Installation
116 Cyiinder Head and Valvetrain 117 Camshaft Timing Chain
119 Lubrication System
200 Transmission-General
2 Transmission 210 clutch 230 ManualTransmission
I20 Ignition System
121 Battery, Starter, Alternator
130 Fuel Injection
160 Fuel Tank and Fuel Pump 170 Radiator and Cooling System
180 Exhaust System
240 Automatic Transmission
250 Gearshift Linkage 260 Driveshaft
Suspension, 300 Suspension, Steering and 330 Rear Suspension
Brakes-General 331 Final Drive
Steering and No Front Suspension 340 Brakes
320 Steering and Wheel Alignment
400 Body-General
410 Fenders, Engine Hood 411 Doors
412 Trunk Lid, Tailgate
510 Exterior Trim, Bumpers 512 Door Windows
Equipment 513 Interior Trim
7
Equipment and 720 seat Belts
Accessories 721 Airbag System (SRS)
OBD On-Board Diagnostics
. ............ ..
515 Central Lociting and
Anti-Theft
520 Seats 540 Sunroof
.................................................................... Foreword .............................. .. v
Index ................... .. ................................................................ rear of manual
Electrical
6 system
600 Electrical System-General 620 Instruments
610 Electrical Comoonent Locations 630 Liohts
611 wipers and washers 612 Switches eati in^ and Air Conditioning
Radio
. ........... ........ .........................
Electrical Wiring Diagrams

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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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- Removing left side exhaust manifolds (cylinder bank 5-8):
- Remove heat baffle plate on left side.
Remove oxygen sensor using
BMW special tool 11 7 030
or similar oxygen sensor socket.
Install
BMW special tools 00 0 200,OO 0 201,OO 0 202,OO 0
204, and 00 0 208 or other suitable engine lifting support
above engine and attach to lifting eye on left head.
NOTE-
The supports on special tool 00 0 208 must rest on the
screws on the fenders.
- Remove nut at top of engine support on left side
- Raise engine at front suspension lug a maximum of 25 mm
(I
.O in).
Release clamping bolt and nut
(arrow) and slide universal
joint off steering gear.
4 Remove nuts securing left exhaust manifold to head,
Raise front of manifold as high as possible past end posi-
tion of steering gear and feed out towards bottom.
- Installation is reverse of removal.
Coat exhaust mounting studs with CRC or equivalent
copper paste.
Use new exhaust gaskets and self-locking nuts.
Install new self-locking nuts on engine mount and steering
shaft bolt.

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250-8
Gearshift Linkage
-;Ag Gate "",?it.,
Shift interlock, checking function
(automatic transmission)
4 The shift interlock uses a cable between the ignition switch
and the shift lever to lock the shift lever in the park position
when the key is in the off position or removed. This feature
also prevents the key
from being removed from the ignition
lock until the selector lever is in Park.
Shift selector lever to Park position and turn ignition key to
the off position.
Remove ignition key. Checlc that selector lever cannot be
shifted out of Park position.
Turn ignition lkey on and depress
brake pedal. Checlc that
selector lever moves freely from gear to gear.
With selector lever in a gear position other than Park, at-
tempt to turn lkey to off position and remove. Key should not
go into off position.
If any faults are found check cable for lkinks and
check
cable attachment points for damage or faults.
NOTE-
* It must only be possible to remove ignition ley with
selector lever
in Park position.
* Do not link shift interlocl( cable.
Shift interlock repair is covered
in 320 Steering and
Wheel Alignment.

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[~us~ension, Steering and Brakes - General
This section of the manual covers front and rear suspension,
braking and steering systems, and contains wheel, tire and
wheel alignment information and specifications. Also covered
here are the integrated braking and suspension systems in-
cluding
antilock braking (ABS), traction control (ASCIDSC),
and electronic height control (EHC).
Vehicle ride height information is at the end of this repair
group. Alignment information is in
320 Steering and Wheel
Alignment.
Aluminum suspension components
In order to reduce vehicle weight, aluminum suspension com-
ponents are used in some models. A test with a magnet will
easily reveal the metal used. If working with aluminum com-
ponents, be sure to read and follow the cautions below.
CAUTION-
* Due to the chemical and corrosion characteristics of alumi-
num, do not bring into contact with battery acid.
Do not use wire brushes with brass or iron bristles.
Only use brushes with stainless steel bristles.
Do not expose to flying sparks from
grinding/cutting op-
erations.
Do not subject to steel welding splashes.
Do not expose to temperatures over
80°C (176"F),
even for short periods. Temperatures in painting facili-
ties are not a problem.
The E39 front suspension subframe is used as a rigid mount-
ing platform for the front suspension arms, stabilizer bar and
steering gear.
The suspension arms, known as the lower control arms and
the tension struts (thrust arms), are connected to the
sub-
frame through rubber bushings. The arms are connected to
the steering
knucltles in a double pivot configuration.
Each front strut assembly includes a tubular strut and a coil
spring. The upper strut mount includes a bearing. The lower
end of each strut housing is fitted to the steering knuckle. The
integral wheel bearing and hub are bolted to the steering
Iknucltle.
6-cylinder and V-8 models use different steering systems and
other front suspension components.

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300-1 0
/Suspension, Steering and Brakes - General
The steering system features variable power assist provided
by an engine-driven hydraulic pump.
Rack and pinion steering
6-cylinder models
(525i, 5281, 5300
Two types of steering systems are used in E39 models. 6-
cylinder (525i, 5281, 530i) models are equipped with a steer-
ing rack system. V-8
(540i) models are equipped with a re-
circulating ball and nut steering gearbox.
Rack-and-pinion steering
Steering components in 6-cylinder models consist of a rack-
and-pinion type steering gear and connecting linltage to the
road wheels.
The steering linkage connects the rack-and-pinion unit
through tie rods to the steering knucltles. The tie rod ends al-
low the wheels to pivot and react to suspension travel.
Recirculating ball and nut steering
V-8 models
(540i)
I
Recirculating ball and nut steering
Recirculating ball and nut steering in V-8 models consists of a
steering box with integrated hydraulic control valve and con-
necting linkage to the road wheels.
Thesteering linkageconnects the steering gearbox through a
pitman arm to the wheels. An idler arm maintains correct toe
angle. The tie rod allow the wheels to pivot and react to sus-
pension travel.
E39 cars are equipped with power disc brakes with integral
antilock brakes (ABS). The parking bralte is a dual-drum sys-
tem integrated with the rear brake rotors.
Power assist is provided by a vacuum booster when the en-
gine is running. The brake pedal
pushrod is connected direct-
ly to the master cylinder, so failure of the vacuum booster
does not normally result in total
bralte failure.
Each disc bralte uses a caliper with a single hydraulic cylin-
der. Brake pads in the left front and right rear contain wear
sensors. When brake pads need replacement, the sensors il-
luminate a light on the dashboard.

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31 0-2
I Front Suspension
This repair group covers the repair and replacement of com-
ponents that make up the front suspension of E39 cars.
Two different types of steering systems are used in the E39
series. 6-cylinder
(5251,5281 and 530i) models are equipped
with a rack and pinion type steering system mounted to an
aluminum subframe.
V-8 (540i) models use a steering gear-
box type system mounted to a steel subframe.
See
300 Suspension, Steering and Brakes-General for a
description of the front suspension and components, as well
as specifications for setting ride height.
CAUTION-
Some E39 models are equipped with aluminum suspen-
sion components. The foiiowing cautions apply:
Due to the chemical and corrosion characteristics of
aluminum, do not bring into contact with battery acid.
* Do not clean with wire brushes with brass or iron bris-
ties. Only use brushes with stainless steei bristles.
Do not expose to flying sparks from grinding/cutting op-
erations.
* Do not subject to steei welding splashes.
Do not expose to temperatures over 80°C (176°F).
even for short periods. Temperatures in painting faciii-
ties are not a problem.
Special tools
Special service tools are required for most of the work de-
scribed in this repair group. In addition to the tools depicted in
the illustrations, avariety of press tools are necessaryfor con-
trol arm bushing replacement. Read the procedures through
before beginning any job.
31 2 210 I < Strut nut socket
(Tool No. 31 2 210)

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1 320 Steering and Wheel Alignment
General ........................... .32 0.2
Special tools
........................ .32 0.2
Steering system
..................... .32 0.4
Steering system variations
............. .32 0.5
Steering system warnings and cautions
... .32 0.6
Steering Wheel .................... .32 0.7
Steering wheel. removal and installation
.. .32 0.7
Steering Column ................. .32 0.1 0
Steering column components .......... .32 0.10
Steering column trim, removing
and replacing
...................... .32 0.10
lgnition switch ring antenna (EWS).
removing and installing
............... .32 0.1 1
lgnition lock cylinder.
removing and installing
............... .32 0-1 1
Steering column lock. removing
and installing
....................... .32 0.12
lgnition
interloclc cable. removing and installing
(models with automatic transmission)
... .32 0.13
Interlock cable. adjusting
(models with automatic transmission)
... .32 0.14
Steering column. removing and installing
. .32 0.14
Steering column adjustment motors.
removing and installing
............... .32 0.16
Power Steering Pump ............. .32 0.17
Power steering pump. removing
and installing
....................... .32 0.1 7
Power steering system.
bleeding and filling
.................. .32 0.18
Rack and Pinion Steering
(6-cylinder models)
............... 320-19
Rack and pinion steering components
(6-cylinder models)
.................. 320-1 9
Steering rack. removing and installing
.... 320-19
Steering
rack boot. replacing ........... 320-22
Tie rod (outer). replacing
.............. 320-22
Tie rod (inner). replacing
.............. 320-23
Steering Gearbox (V-8 models) .... 320-24
Steering gearbox system components
. .
(V-8 models) ....................... 320-24
Steering gearbox, removing and installing 320-25
Pitman arm. removing and installing ..... 320-28
Pitman arm. adjusting ................ 320-29
Steering idler arm. removing
and installing
....................... 320-30
Idler arm bushing. replacing ........... 320-31
Center tie rod. replacing
.............. 320-32
Wheel Alignment .................. 320-33
Camber
........................... 320-33
Caster
............................ 320-33
Front toe and toe difference angle
....... 320-34
Reartoe ........................... 320-34
Preparing for alignment
............... 320-35
Alignment specifications tables
......... 320-35