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.

Engines

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.

Name	Volume	Engine	Valvetrain	Fuel	Output	Torque	Engine code	Years
316i	1766cc	4cyl	SOHC 8V	Petrol	99hp (66kW) @4500 rpm	103ft/lb (140Nm) @4250 rpm	M10B18	1982–1990
316i	1596cc	4cyl	SOHC 8V	Petrol	102hp (75kW) @4500 rpm	105ft/lb (140Nm) @4250 rpm	M40B16	1988–1995
318i	1766cc	4cyl	SOHC 8V	Petrol	104hp (77kW) @4500 rpm	103ft/lb (140Nm) @4250 rpm	M10B18	1982–1990
318i	1796cc	4cyl	SOHC 8V	Petrol	113hp (85kW) @4500 rpm	122ft/lb (165Nm) @4250 rpm	M40B18	1987–1995
318is	1766cc	4cyl	SOHC 8V	Petrol	140hp (104kW) @4500 rpm	127ft/lb (172Nm) @4250 rpm	M42B18	1989–1991
320i	1766cc	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Petrol	123hp (92kW) @4500 rpm	0ft/lb (0Nm) @4250 rpm	M20B20	1982–1985
320i	1766cc	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Petrol	127hp (95kW) @4500 rpm	0ft/lb (0Nm) @4250 rpm	M20B20	1985–1991
320is	1990cc	4cyl	DOHC 16V	Petrol	192hp (143kW) @4500 rpm	155ft/lb (210Nm) @4250 rpm	S14	1982–1990
323i	1766cc	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Petrol	139-150hp (104-110kW) @4500 rpm	0ft/lb (0Nm) @4250 rpm	M20B23	1982–19850
325e	1766cc	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Petrol	101hp (75kW) @4500 rpm	103ft/lb (140Nm) @4250 rpm	M20B16	1982–1990
325i	1766cc	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Petrol	101hp (75kW) @4500 rpm	103ft/lb (140Nm) @4250 rpm	M20B25	1982–1990
325iX	1766cc	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Petrol	101hp (75kW) @4500 rpm	103ft/lb (140Nm) @4250 rpm	M20B16	1982–1990
M3	2302cc	4cyl	DOHC 16V	Petrol	197hp (147kW) @4500 rpm	0ft/lb (0Nm) @4250 rpm	S14	1986–1988
M3	2302cc	4cyl	DOHC 16V	Petrol	212hp (158kW) @4500 rpm	0ft/lb (0Nm) @4250 rpm	S14	1989–1991
M3 Evolution	2302cc	4cyl	DOHC 16V	Petrol	197hp (147kW) @4500 rpm	0ft/lb (0Nm) @4250 rpm	S14	1987–1987
M3 Evolution II	2302cc	4cyl	DOHC 16V	Petrol	217hp (162kW) @4500 rpm	0ft/lb (0Nm) @4250 rpm	S14	1988–1988
M3 Sport Evolution	2467cc	4cyl	DOHC 16V	Petrol	235hp (175kW) @4500 rpm	0ft/lb (0Nm) @4250 rpm	S14	1990–1990
324d	2443cc	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Diesel	84hp (63kW) @4600 rpm	112ft/lb (152Nm) @2400 rpm	M21D24	1985–1993
324td	2443cc	6cyl	SOHC 12V	Diesel	114hp (85kW) @4800 rpm	162ft/lb (220Nm) @2400 rpm	M21D24	1985–1993

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