BMW 3 Series (E46) Service Manual: 1999-2005 [Paperback]

Bentley Publishers (Creator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0837612772 | ISBN-13: 978-0837612775 | Publication Date: June 2005

M3, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 330i, 330xi, Sedan, Coupe, Convertible, Sport Wagon This Bentley Manual is a comprehensive source of service information and specifications for BMW 3 Series from 1999 to 2005. The aim throughout this manual has been simplicity, clarity and completeness, with practical explanations, step-by-step procedures and accurate specifications. Whether you're a professional or a do-it-yourself BMW owner, this manual will help you understand, care for and repair your E46 3 Series. Though the do-it-yourself BMW owner will find this manual indispensable as a source of detailed maintenance and repair information, the BMW owner who has no intention of working on his or her car will find that reading and owning this manual will make it possible to discuss repairs more intelligently with a professional technician. BMW E46 models and engines covered in this BMW repair manual:

323i/Ci

(M52 TU, 2.5 liter engine)

328i/Ci

(M52 TU, 2.8 liter engine)

325i/Ci/xi

(M54 / M56, 2.5 liter engine)

330i/Cis/xi

(M54, 3.0 liter engine)

M3

(S54, 3.2 liter Motorsport engine)

Technical highlights:

* Procedures for everything from oil change service to interpreting the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL). This manual tells you what to do and when to do it.

* Engine and cylinder head service, including valve clearance adjustment on the S54 engine.

* Information for specific driveability problems, including explanation of engine management systems and BMW OBD II Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs).

* Theory of operation and repair information for Siemens MS 42.0, MS 43.0, MS 45.1 and MS S54 engine management, resonance/turbulence intake manifold and Double VANOS (Variable Camshaft Timing).

* Drivetrain maintenance, troubleshooting, adjustment and repair of self-adjusting clutch (SAC), gearshift linkage, driveshaft, drive axles and, wheel drive system.

* Manual, sequential manual (SMG), and automatic transmission removal, installation, seal replacement and external service.

* System description and repair information for Antilock Brakes (ABS), Automatic Stability Control (ASC) and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).

* Heating and air conditioning repair (IHKA and IHKR), including component replacement.

* Body adjustments and repairs, including sunroof, convertible top and tailgate.

* Wiring schematics, including power distribution and ground locations.

* Dedicated electrical component guide specifying relay, control module and ground locations with detailed illustrations and photos.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

BMW E46 models and engines 323i/Ci (M52 TU, 2.5 liter engine) 328i/Ci (M52 TU, 2.8 liter engine) 325i/Ci/xi (M54 / M56, 2.5 liter engine) 330i/Cis/xi (M54, 3.0 liter engine) M3 (S54, 3.2 liter Motorsport engine)

Product Details

• Paperback: 1434 pages
• Publisher: Bentley Publishers (June 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0837612772
• ISBN-13: 978-0837612775
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #712,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars HORRIBLE book for E46 M3s - DO NOT BUY!, November 2, 2008

By 

David G. 1972 "David G. 1972" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: BMW 3 Series (E46) Service Manual: 1999-2005 (Paperback)

I have a 2002 E46 M3 and got this manual for help with small projects. I previously had a 1993 325i and a 1984 318i and I used Bentley manuals for both of those cars and found the books to be very helpful.

Not so with the E46 M3. Put simply, I have tried to use the book to help with maybe 5-6 projects and EVERY single time the information in the Bentley manual was either: 1.) completely unless (i.e., for one of the steps it will say "remove navigation screen" but then give zero information about how to do that); or 2.) completely wrong.

I am truly shocked that this book is advertised as containing useful information about M-series cars...that's just 100% false. Since I haven't tried using it with non-M cars I have no idea if it's useful or accurate for those vehicles. However, if you have an M car and you are thinking about buying this book to help you with projects, FORGET IT! Just Google stuff and look for blogs with M-specific instructions.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge is Power, July 19, 2005

By 

M. Tung-Yep (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: BMW 3 Series (E46) Service Manual: 1999-2005 (Paperback)

I will leave the more in-depth reviews to the readers with more engineering know-how; but I took delivery of this book from Amazon the other day, and as a first-timer to a BMW Bentley manual I'm quite impressed. At over 1400 pages there's no doubting that it's quite comprehensive and detailed. But for anyone who owns an E46 and has gone a step further to become an enthusiast, you will know how complicated these cars are; so it would appear impossible to cover absolutely everything for the E46, what with so many different body variations, engine options and equipment levels, not to mention different markets. Bear in mind that with the international context of use for this book, some details and specifics will be absent.

The pictures included are reasonably well detailed and are of high quality and of a decent size. Explanations are quite clear. A batch of wiring diagrams are appended to the end of the manual, which contributes substantially to its size. As those familiar with Bentley manuals will know, the manual is fully indexed and segmented into the main car components (e.g. engine; body), with each sub-component (e.g. changing the transmission; removing headlights) quite well-defined, including an overview of what special tools are required for the job.

I think this book will come in very handy for my E46 ('99 model) and would recommend it to friends. It's a bit expensive (though in reality this won't bother most people with E46s) and also this version is quite new so it may not breach the second-hand market in any great quantity in the near future.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Content but Poor Quality Binding, August 7, 2006

By 

Loin Burger (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: BMW 3 Series (E46) Service Manual: 1999-2005 (Paperback)

I had a similar experience to another reviewer in that after a few days owning the manual, the binding started coming apart and a few pages are now trying to escape.
I used the book so gently that I believe I'd rather just get a refund than an exchange - because I'm afraid the same thing will just happen again.

As for the contents of the manual, I'm giving it 4 stars because it seems like a decent manual. It has good pictures. Granted, sometimes you need to stare at them for a while and then stare at your car to figure out exactly which angle they took the picture from. The instructions are concise but I was able to follow pretty well.
I'm not a seasoned mechanic. I want a manual to tell me what to do, what order to do it, and generally which screws to undo for each step. This manual did that pretty good.

Here's what I used the manual for in my short time:
-I replaced my belts
-I openned up the blower motor for the HVAC system
(unnecessarily since it wasn't the problem)
-I replaced the blower motor resister pack, also called
the final stage unit which is in behind and left of
the glove box.