Features

Doors - The upper door frames wrap around into the roof line and cover the A pillar. The door seals are multi-part and eliminate the need for external rain gutters. The doors open to a greater angle than the E30 and, coupled with the wrap around upper frame, allow easier entry and exit. The seal system also conceals permanent mounting points for accessory roof rack systems, preventing damage to the paint while allowing easier and more secure mounting.

Seats - The new style seats feature a molded shell with clip on cushioning and upholstery, with 25% fewer parts than on the E30. The clip on cushioning and upholstery allows easy repair, especially in the case of damaged padding or upholstery. The fore-aft adjustment control is now located outboard of the seat, allowing adjustment without having to lean forward out of the normal position. The normal drives seat height adjustment of 43mm can be increased by 17mm by removing a stop from the mechanism. This gives additional headroom for extra tall drivers, but limits the foot area under the seat for the rear passenger.





Seat belts - The front seat belt upper mounting point is manually adjustable for height. The front belts also have a mechanical tensioner that will retract the buckle assembly rapidly (approximately 6Omm) in case of a frontal crash. This takes up play in the belt as well as slack in the belt layers in the retractor, preventing excess forward body movement. If activated, the retractors must be replaced, they cannot be reset. See the Repair Manual for servicing and disarming procedure. The outboard rear seat belts follow the style introduced with the E32, and buckle on the outside.

Suspension - The front suspension is similar to the E30, but is mounted further forward, reducing front overhang and equalizing the front/rear weight distribution. The front struts are the "wet" type, and the entire strut assembly must be changed when the shock absorbers require replacement.





The rear suspension is entirely new to the 3 Series, and is modeled after the ZI rear suspension. It features a multi-link layout which allows better control of toe and camber over the range of suspension travel, with increased anti-dive and anti-squat characteristics. Alignment adjustments are accomplished by a sliding mount on the control arm for the toe setting, and an eccentric on the lower lateral arm to hub mount connection for the camber setting.

Brakes - The E36 has a new ABS system. Please refer to T.R.I. 34 O1 91 (2114) for details.





Sunroof The sunroof is a new design which retains the two opening positions previously offered. However, when the raised rear vent position is used, the sunroof headliner does not raise with the roof; it retracts rearward approximately 120mm to provide a baffled air path, reducing noise. In addition, the rear rain gutter raises up to catch moisture on the roof that might travel forward under deceleration.

Instrument Cluster - The instrument cluster is a new design which uses technical features introduced with the E32/E34 vehicles. The alphanumeric displays for Check Control and BC V (if so equipped) are now integrated into the multi-function clock or BC V, and the Instrument Cluster contains a "CHECK' light to alert the driver in the event of a Check Control warning.