BMW 318i, 325, 325e, 325es, 325i, 325is, 325i Convertible 1984–1990 Service Manual (P/N ISBN 0-8376-0325-0)

Built for the workbench rather than the glove box, this 554-page PDF is Bentley Publishers’ BMW 3 Series Service Manual for the listed 1984–1990 E30 models. Coverage is divided by engine and drivetrain version: the 1984–1985 318i four-cylinder, the 2.7-liter 325/325e/325es family including the 1988 325, and the 1987–1990 325i, 325is, and 325i Convertible six-cylinder models. The publication carries Bentley Stock No. B390 and is organized as 15 service and repair sections followed by a Section 16 index. M3 and 325ix variants are not listed as covered models.

• Engine mechanical repair: Covers compression, wet-compression, leak-down, and vacuum-gauge diagnosis; valve adjustment; M10 timing-chain and M20 timing-belt service; camshaft, rocker-arm, and valve-stem-seal work; cylinder-head removal and reconditioning; engine removal; block, piston, connecting-rod, crankshaft, and bearing inspection; and lubrication-system service.
• Bosch engine management and driveability: Separates the 318i L-Jetronic system from basic six-cylinder Motronic and later Motronic 1.1 applications, including the 325i, 325is, 325i Convertible, and 1988 325. Symptom-based charts address no-start and hard-start complaints, cold and warm idle faults, stalling, misfire, poor acceleration, excessive fuel consumption, and high emissions.
• Fuel and ignition testing: Includes fuel-pump and relay checks, delivery and pressure testing, residual-pressure diagnosis, injector operation, air-flow-sensor and throttle-switch testing, coolant and intake-air sensor checks, idle-control diagnosis, ignition timing and advance systems, control-unit connector terminal tests, and 325i Motronic 1.1 on-board fault-code diagnosis.
• Manual and automatic transmissions: Identifies the Getrag 240, ZF S5-16, and Getrag 260 five-speeds, with clutch hydraulics, bleeding, shift-linkage repair, clutch and gearbox removal, and Getrag 240/260 gear-train service. The ZF S5-16 is identified, but its internal gear-train repair is not covered. ZF 3 HP 22, 4 HP 22 H, and 4 HP 22 EH automatic sections cover troubleshooting, stall and pressure tests, external adjustments, removal and installation, and seal replacement; internal automatic overhaul is outside the manual’s scope.
• Driveline, brakes, suspension, and steering: Details driveshaft alignment, flexible coupling and center-bearing replacement, final-drive service, brake hydraulic diagnosis and bleeding, disc and drum brake repair, ABS system inspection, wheel alignment, strut and control-arm work, wheel bearings, drive axles and CV joints, steering-rack removal and tie-rod service, and power-steering pressure testing and bleeding.
• Body, convertible, and electrical systems: Covers instrument-panel and interior work, heater controls and air-conditioning system checks and specifications, doors, windows, central locking, sunroof service, convertible-top frame and window adjustments, lighting, wipers, service-indicator circuitry, on-board computer, active check control, power accessories, cruise control, and system-specific wiring diagrams.

Manual Content and Workshop Utility

The repair sections are arranged around system description, maintenance, troubleshooting, and the applicable workshop procedures. That structure makes it practical to move from a symptom or failed test to the relevant removal, inspection, adjustment, or repair chapter without relying on a generic fault list.

Model-specific test tables provide terminal identification and baseline electrical checks for L-Jetronic, Motronic, and Motronic 1.1 control units. The manual also identifies required or recommended BMW tools by number, including service-indicator reset tools 62 1 120 and 62 1 100, adapter 62 1 140 for later 20-pin diagnostic connectors, clutch-disc wear gauge 21 2 060, and the 318i electronic idle-mixture test unit 12 6 400.

Useful visual references include the Bosch L-Jetronic and Motronic system schematics, camshaft timing-alignment views, the five-speed transmission cross-section and shift-mechanism exploded view, the ZF 4 HP 22 phantom and schematic views, ABS component layouts, and electrical circuit diagrams supported by connector, ground, splice, relay, and component-location tables.

Specifications and Reference Data

The technical tables supply component-specific torque specifications in Nm and ft-lb, approved fluids and capacities, compression and vacuum test data, valve and cylinder-head dimensions, piston/ring/bore and crankshaft clearances, transmission inspection limits and adjustment data, driveshaft runout and play specifications, brake wear and reconditioning limits, wheel-alignment data, hydraulic test pressures, and electrical voltage, resistance, and continuity values.

The cautions also expose repair traps that matter on these cars. Moving the M10 crankshaft or camshaft while the timing chain is removed can bend valves, while allowing a manual transmission’s weight to hang on its input shaft can damage clutch and gearbox components.

The editorial closing date is August 1990, so later BMW service-information updates and parts retrofits are not included. This is a Bentley-published manual; BMW did not review and does not vouch for its technical specifications and procedures. Use the VIN and model-year identification data before applying variant-specific procedures. Fuel-system, brake, refrigerant, electrical, and under-car repair work requires suitable training, shop equipment, and strict attention to the manual’s warnings and cautions.