Technical

E30 Technical

Like any BMW, the E30 is a complex precision machine, precision-built and designed to last. But even the simplest of machines needs maintenance occasionally, so keep your E30 running the way it should, it helps to familiarise yourself with the design, and the components. The Technical section of the E30 Zone Wiki is your one-stop source for maintenance tips, common problems, upgrades and troubleshooting.

Your E30 is broken down into separate sections, to help you understand each part in turn.

Engine

To maintain and repair your engine, you need to know what lump you have under the bonnet of your E30. Below is each engine, listed by model and year, for the E30. By clicking on the engine, you will have access to information regarding Maintenance, Cooling systems, Fuel, Intake, Exhaust and Electrical systems, as well as Common Problems and Upgrades.

Saloons

Name	Volume	Engine	Valvetrain	Fuel	Output	Torque	Engine code	0–100 km/h,s	Top speed	Years
316i	Template:Convert	4cyl	SOHC 8V	Petrol	101hp (75kW) @4500 rpm	103ft/lb (140Nm) @4250 rpm	M40B16 M43B16	13.1 12.7	Template:Convert Template:Convert	1990–1993 1993–1998
316i	Template:Convert	4cyl	SOHC 8V	Petrol	Template:Convert @5500 rpm Template:Convert @5500 rpm	Template:Convert @4250 rpm Template:Convert @3900 rpm	M40B18 M43B18	11.5 11.3	Template:Convert Template:Convert	1990–1993 1993–1998
318i	Template:Convert Template:Convert	4cyl	DOHC 16V	Petrol	Template:Convert @6000 rpm	Template:Convert @4500 rpm Template:Convert @4300 rpm	M42B18 M44B19	10.2	Template:Convert	1992–1996 1996–1998
318i	Template:Convert	6cyl	DOHC 24V	Petrol	Template:Convert @5900 rpm	Template:Convert @4700 rpm Template:Convert @4200 rpm	M50B20 M52B20	10.0 9.9	Template:Convert	1991–1994 1994–1998
318is	Template:Convert	6cyl	DOHC 24V	Petrol	Template:Convert @5500 rpm	Template:Convert @3950 rpm	M52B25	8.0	Template:Convert	1995–1998
320i	Template:Convert	6cyl	DOHC 24V	Petrol	Template:Convert @5900 rpm	Template:Convert @4700 rpm Template:Convert @4200 rpm	M50B25 M50B25	8.0 7.5	Template:Convert	1991–1993 1993–1995
323i	Template:Convert	6cyl	DOHC 24V	Petrol	Template:Convert @5300 rpm	Template:Convert @3950 rpm	M52B28	6.9	Template:Convert	1995–1998
325i	Template:Convert	4cyl	SOHC 8V	Diesel	Template:Convert @4400 rpm	Template:Convert @2000 rpm	M41D17	14.4	Template:Convert	1994–1998
M3	Template:Convert Template:Convert	6cyl	DOHC s24V	Petrol	Template:Convert @7000 rpm Template:Convert @7400 rpm	Template:Convert @3600 rpm Template:Convert @3250 rpm	S50B30 S50B32	5.4 5.2	Template:Convert	1992–1995 1995–1998
324d	Template:Convert	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Diesel	Template:Convert @4800 rpm	Template:Convert @1900 rpm Template:Convert @1900 rpm	M51D25 M51D25	12.0	Template:Convert	1991–1996 1996–1998
32td	Template:Convert	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Diesel	Template:Convert @4800 rpm Template:Convert @4600 rpm	Template:Convert @2200 rpm Template:Convert @2200 rpm	M51D25 M51D25	10.4	Template:Convert	1993–1996 1996–1998

The E30 was available with a number of engines. The M10, the M40 and the M42 are the four-cylinder engines. The M20 is the six-cylinder engine, fitted to the 320 and 325. A rare version of the M30 was fitted to the 333i, available in South Africa, and the M30 remains a popular choice among engine swaps. In mainland Europe, the diesel engine M21 was also fitted. but very few were sold in the UK.

Engine Swaps

While every E30 is a sublime driving machine, the desire for more power leads many to look at their options. Since many E30 engines are unsympathetic to "tuning" without spending serious cash, the following engines are popular choices to replace your current donk:

M50 and M52

Uploading images and files

To upload you'll need to sign-up. See the top right corner if you haven't already created an account.

Once logged in you will see the toolbox in the left panel has an Upload file link. You can use this to upload images for you pages.

To use an image in a page just use

[[Image:Filename.jpg]]

Please note filenames are also case sensitive.

Formatting

This page details the guidelines for how to edit pages on the zone wiki.

A great list of simple formatting options is on the Wikipedia site here: Wikipedia Cheatsheet

For pages that are incomplete please add the stub template by placing the following text at the start of your article:

{{stub}}

This will ensure that it's easy for users to find and update articles that need updating.

Tables

Tables can be somewhat tricky. Good information can also be found on the wikipedia site: Tables Help

Tables on this site should be created like the below:

Please note the class="wikitable" attribute.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+'''Table Title'''
|-
|'''First Column Header'''
|'''Second Column Header'''
|'''Third Column Header'''
|-
|We
|Love
|E30s
|-
|Old
|Skool
|Cool
|}

This should look like:

Table Title

First Column Header	Second Column Header	Third Column Header
We	Love	E30s
Old	Skool	Cool