BMW E36 Blog

I wrote couple days ago an article about BMW E36 Parking Distance Control (Parking Sensors) and I was very excited to discover that some BMW E36 cars came with a parking distance control system. If you didn’t read my previous post yet, please do before proceeding with this. I’ve decided to dig into this subject more and may be find a DIY about how to install such a system in a BMW if that car didn’t originally have one. So, I was looking for more information about this parking distance control system (PDC for short) and I found that it costs a lot of money. I also found some information about other solutions that I thought are more valuable and I guess more modern for BMW cars.

The modern parking systems are actually equipped with camera(s) to help you park your car and see everything that is behind you. These systems are usually very expensive and hard to install, but I found two systems that I thought you’d like to know about.

The first system is equipped with two cameras which are supposed to work as  left and right mirrors while parking. Take a look at this photo:

This system is provided with two TFT LCD monitors and you can control brightness, color, and contrast. What I didn’t understand about this system is why they provided 2 monitors with different sizes? Why the two monitors are not of the same size?

Anyway, I kept looking for more information and I found another system which provides you with a monitor and a digital distance display that is integrated into your rear-view mirror. I think this is much cooler as I hate to make huge changes to the car’s interior. So, I think this system can be used inside your BMW and look OEM a the same time.

Take a look at these photos:

This system issues a warning sound when getting too close as well. I think this is much cooler than the previous one.

What I still need to figure out about these systems is how they can be installed inside a BMW E36. I think the most obvious thing is to connect the power of this system with your reverse light. This way, the system will turn on automatically when you use the reverse gear. But I still need to know how hard is it going to be to make holes inside your rear bumper and whether they’re going to look good or not.

Please feel free to let me know what you think? Do you know of any better solutions?

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

I’ve found an impact safety test for the BMW E36 cars. The test was conducted on a BMW E36 316i sedan which was moving at a speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) when the impact happens. I have to admit that the E36 didn’t perform well as expected. Take a look at this photo:

The problem in the frontal impact test was in the chest injuries which were life-threatening. The steering wheel was pushed backwards by 8.8 inches which may cause very serious damage to the driver’s chest. In that test, the knee also has suffered some injuries as well. So, the main problems with the fontal test in E36 cars were in the chest and the right knee for the right-hand drivers. The driver’s neck was protected very well in that test.

In that impact test, the passenger was protected well. So, this is something good on the contrary of the above chest and knee injuries.

The side impact test for the E36 was ok as well, so this only leaves us with two main problems that I could see which are the chest serious (life threatening) injuries and the knee injuries. If you’re asking about the airbag and how it was supposed to protect the drivers chest, I think the problem was in the steering wheel moving towards the driver’s chest by 8.8 inches which is a very long distance in such situations. 

Anyway, if you’re like me, I hate talking about accidents, but I thought I needed to write this information here to remind you all to drive safe and to make sure that your Airbag(s) are in their best shape all the time (YES, all the time).

If you’re looking to read the full impact safety test report, please find it here.

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

The guys at BMW have never stopped amazing me. I used to have a BMW E30 before and every now and then, I was discovering some facts that made me say Wow! The BMW E36 is no difference. I’m feeling that every now and then, I discover something that makes me say wow too!. Today, I’ve discovered that the BMW E36 cars have come with an optional Parking Distance Control (Parking Sensors). It’s a rare option but what’s important is that it exists. Take a look at these photos which show how this toy is supposed to look on your BMW E36:

I think this option has came to life in 1995. Imagine that you’re parking your car and being able to know exactly when to stop. Before anyone asks, I’m very very good at parking, but I think that this option is really cool and makes you enjoy your car even more!

You can see the full diagram for such a system here in case you’d like to install one. I’m not sure whether it’s available but I think you can find it if you tried.

The one thing that I want you to notice is how creative BMW guys were in 1995. I’m not saying that they’re always that ones who invent new options and features, but they’re definitely one of the most important leaders in the car market. They just put the standards.

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

I wrote about Bluetooth Ready Headunits For Your BMW before and I suggested the Pioneer (DEH-P7900BT) and the Sony (MEX-BT2500) headunits to be used in your BMW cars. The only problem that I could see and didn’t like about these two types was the blue illumination which didn’t exactly fit into your BMW car illumination. I’ve received some comments about other types that are designed with the same purpose in mind. One of these is the Alpine iDA-X001. This headunit is designed for iPod users and integrates flawlessly with them. This headunit doesn’t have integrated CD-ROM. Only Radio + iPod connection to play and manipulate your songs inside your car. This is a really cool way to store and play your music. It has almost the same interface that you use to play music using your iPod. And best of all, it can work as a car phone kit at the same time by using the Alpine Car Bluetooth Adapter. If you are not impressed with all what I’ve just said, I’m sure you will be when I tell you that this receiver can illuminate in either Blue or Red colors which will make it look great in your BMW E36 console. I’ve prepared some photos for this Alpine headunit for you to check out. Please take a look and let me know what you think. Oh, yes, I just wanted to thank Alexander for the photos that he sent me.

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

Rough idle problems are really common on BMW E36 cars and there are a lot of problems that may cause this to appear. First I will show you a video of such a rough idle and then list the possible problems that may cause that.

Take a look:-

The possible reasons for such a problem are:

1. Oxygen Sensor is gone: You can run a diagnosis to see if this is the problem. If you find out that it’s the problem, you should replace it. Read Everything you need to know about Oxygen Sensor! for more information about oxygen sensors.

2. Idle Control Valve: Dirty idle control valve is a very common problem in BMW E36 cars that may cause rough idle. You can use this DIY (Do It Yourself) to learn about Cleaning E36 ICV (Idle Control Valve)

3. Plugs and Distributor: You may need to replace these to solve your problem. I however don’t have a way to check them before replacement.

4. The Throttle Position Sensor (TBS) and/or connections may be bad: You can simply disconnect it and see if your problem is solved or not.

BMW E36 Blog: The Ultimate E36 Information Source.