M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS

DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: SheldonJace on November 23, 2007, 11:19:01 AM

Title: Repair Manuals?
Post by: SheldonJace on November 23, 2007, 11:19:01 AM

I just have a quick question. Does anyone here have the Chiltons for the 3 series and Z3 89-98 and if so does it have a lot of content covering the 318is? Or mostly Z3 stuff.

I know the bentleys as far as my knowledge goes only cover chassis, nothing m42 related.

Also is Haynes a good in depth manual like Chiltons?

Im finally getting a repair manual so I dont have to browse forums to find every little diagram ;)

Title: Manuals
Post by: AFARR on November 23, 2007, 11:33:59 AM

I've used Haynes and Chiltons for my older American cars (cavalier, windstar, explorer, etc.), but the Bentley is the best for the BMW.

Get the E30 for the body and the E36 for the engine (two separate manuals)...you will find that it is MUCH worth the $$.

Look on Ebay/Amazon for used manuals--the E36 one will cost a good bit but helps a lot.

AFARR

(The above info is assuming you have an E30 318is).

Title: Repair Manuals?
Post by: tjts1 on November 23, 2007, 01:12:29 PM

http://ee1394.com/bmw/docs/factory/repair/en/index1.htm

Title: Repair Manuals?
Post by: SheldonJace on November 23, 2007, 02:33:12 PM

Quote from: AFARR;38214

I've used Haynes and Chiltons for my older American cars (cavalier, windstar, explorer, etc.), but the Bentley is the best for the BMW.

Get the E30 for the body and the E36 for the engine (two separate manuals)...you will find that it is MUCH worth the $$.

Look on Ebay/Amazon for used manuals--the E36 one will cost a good bit but helps a lot.

AFARR

(The above info is assuming you have an E30 318is).

Yea Ive used Chiltons on both my 240 and my Jeep. I love how they picture nearly everything and detailed it all was.

Sooo your saying the 50-60 bucks I'll most likely spend getting both of those is well worth it??? I find that kind of frustrating though to have to look through two different books...is there no manuals worth buying that cover everything...in one book lol.

and tjts thanks for that link. But I tend not to be near a computer when Im working on my car. Im usually out at my parents using their shop out in the middle of nowhere...shoot they hardly even have internet.

Title: Repair Manuals?
Post by: dhirsch on November 24, 2007, 08:06:09 PM

when I first got my e30 318is I went through this too.

I went as far as asking Bentley directly what I should do.  

According to them the E30 Bentley was released sometime around 89 or 90 so they had no info on the M42.  Since then I've purchased both the Bentley for the E30 and the E36 models.  I use the E30 manual for all chassis related issues and the E36 for engine related issues.

to date the only thing I haven't been able to find in the manuals is information about the  fan belts on E30 318is's because by the time the M42 got to the E36 the setup was changed to use different style belts

Title: Repair Manuals?
Post by: Febi Guibo on November 25, 2007, 12:48:18 AM

there is a larger chilton manual, covers both the e30 and e36 and is particularly good for figuring out, for example, if s52 pistons will fit in an m42 etc...

loaned mine to denis last year.... sigh....

Title: Repair Manuals?
Post by: SheldonJace on November 26, 2007, 08:28:48 PM

so febi are you saying go for the chiltons as well?

Eh I'll probably get the two bentleys and the chiltons if I ever need it.