1996 Bmw 318ti problems

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The BMW 3 Series Compact is a car which was produced from 1994 through 2004 by BMW. It is a 3-door hatchback version of the BMW 3 Series through two generations, for the E36 platform in 1993 and E46 platform in 2001. Unlike most hatchback competitors which were transverse engine front-wheel drive, the 3 Series Compact uses the longitudinal engine rear-wheel drive layout.

In 2004, the 3 Series Compact was replaced by the 1 Series which encompassed 3-door and 5-door hatchback, coupé and convertible body styles (the coupé and convertible models have been marketed separately as the 2 Series since 2014) as BMW's entry-level cars; a new nameplate was created since the 1 Series is smaller than the contemporary 3 Series despite sharing mechanical components. The 3 Series GT, introduced in 2013, is not a successor to the 3 Series Compact, despite also using a hatchback rear opening.

First generation (E36; 1994)

Launched in March 1994, the E36 3 Series Compact (model code E36/5), was BMW's first hatchback since the 2002 Touring model was discontinued in 1974. It reportedly cost BMW $500 million USD to develop the hatchback from the E36 platform.

From the front bumper to the A-pillar, the E36/5 is identical to the E36 saloon. From the A-pillar back, the E36/5 is unique. Although the overall length of the E36/5 is approximately 200 millimetres (7.9 in) shorter than the rest of the E36 3 Series range, the length of the wheelbase is the same. There is a unique set of doors with framed windows for the E36/5, rather than adopting those of the E36 saloon/wagon or the frameless ones of the E36 coupé.

The interior is mostly similar to the E36 saloon models, apart from the folding rear seats and dashboard which share some elements with the previous generation E30 3 Series. Some cost-cutting was employed in the E36/5 dashboard such as manual air conditioning, compared to the rest of the E36 lineup which had automatic climate control.

The E36/5 front suspension uses the E36's MacPherson strut design, while the rear suspension uses a semi-trailing arm from the previous generation E30 models instead of the Z-Axle multi-link suspension used by the rest of the E36 range. The E36/5's rear suspension arrangement - which was also used on the Z3 - was more compact and cheaper to produce. Some reviewers believed that this arrangement caused the E36/5's to be prone to oversteer.

The launch models were powered by four-cylinder petrol engines, with the range expanded over the years to include a four-cylinder compressed natural gas engine, four-cylinder diesel engines, and six-cylinder petrol engines. In North America, the sole model available was the 318ti, initially powered by a DOHC 1.8 litre, 138 hp (103 kW; 140 PS) inline-four BMW M42 engine. In 1996, in conjunction with making the car compliant with OBD-II, the M42 was replaced by the 1.9-litre M44 engine.

A large sunroof, covered by a folding canvas roof was available from mid-1995. This model was known as either the California Top Edition or the Open Air Edition.

In September 1996 (for model year 1997), the 3 Series Compact received a facelift in line with the remainder of the E36 range. Changes included revised tail-lights, grille, bumpers and mirrors.

1996 Bmw 318ti

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Common 1996 Bmw 318ti problems

The BMW 318ti, produced between 1995 and 1998 for the North American market, is known for its unique design and fun driving experience. However, as with any vehicle, especially one that is over two decades old, there are common issues that owners may encounter.

  • Engine and Transmission Mounts: The engine and transmission mounts in the 318ti may wear out over time, causing vibration. It is recommended to consider upgrading these mounts, especially if the vehicle has high mileage.
  • Control Arm Bushings: The control arm bushings in the 318ti are known to wear out, leading to vibration. Regular inspection and replacement, if necessary, can help maintain the vehicle's performance and comfort.
  • Window Regulators: The window regulators in the 318ti are prone to failure, which can be inconvenient and require replacement. This issue is not unique to the 318ti and is common in many vehicles of this era.
  • Oil Pan: The oil pan in the 318ti is made of a relatively soft material. Over-tightening the oil drain plug can lead to cracking, which can result in expensive repairs.
  • Rear Shock Mounts: The rear shock mounts in the 318ti can wear out, especially in the California roof models. Regular inspection and replacement, if necessary, can help maintain the vehicle's handling and ride quality.
  • Plastic and Rubber Components: As with any vehicle, plastic and rubber components in the 318ti will degrade over time due to exposure to the elements and normal wear and tear. Regular inspection and maintenance can help identify and address these issues before they become major problems.
  • Electrical System: The electrical system in the 318ti, like any vehicle, can experience issues over time. Regular inspection and maintenance can help ensure the vehicle's electrical components continue to function properly.
  • Timing Belt: The timing belt in the 318ti should be replaced around 90,000 miles to prevent potential engine damage. This is a critical maintenance item that should not be overlooked.
  • Fuel Filter and Water Pump: The fuel filter and water pump are components that may need to be replaced as the vehicle ages. Regular maintenance and inspection can help identify these issues before they become major problems.

In summary, the BMW 318ti is a unique and fun vehicle, but like any car, it requires regular maintenance and inspection to ensure its longevity and performance. By being aware of these common issues, potential buyers and current owners can take proactive steps to address these problems and enjoy their 318ti for years to come.

1996 Bmw 318ti engine

Is BMW 318ti reliable?

The 318ti is a fun, reliable, and efficient car to both own and drive. I have over 129,000 miles on my 1998 318ti that I purchased new and it's still running strong. An excellent car that I would recommend to anyone!

Are 1996 BMW reliable?

Most reliable bmw

If you are a mechanically inclined person, thr design of this car is very easy to repair compared to other cars. When everything is in working order, it is a very reliable vehicle and when taken care of, the solid motor, trans and differently will last you a long time.

Is 318ti rare?

Unfortunately, Americans were characteristically preoccupied with grunge music and buying pickup trucks, and the 318ti's introduction largely fell on non-existent ears. Under 25,000 of them were produced and sold for the US, out of around 375,000 total 3 Series sold in the world market.

What does TI stand for in 318ti?

ti is touring international. s can stand for coupe. RAiMA.

Is BMW 318ti reliable?

The 318ti is a fun, reliable, and efficient car to both own and drive. I have over 129,000 miles on my 1998 318ti that I purchased new and it's still running strong. An excellent car that I would recommend to anyone!

Are 1996 BMW reliable?

Most reliable bmw

If you are a mechanically inclined person, thr design of this car is very easy to repair compared to other cars. When everything is in working order, it is a very reliable vehicle and when taken care of, the solid motor, trans and differently will last you a long time.

Is 318ti rare?

Unfortunately, Americans were characteristically preoccupied with grunge music and buying pickup trucks, and the 318ti's introduction largely fell on non-existent ears. Under 25,000 of them were produced and sold for the US, out of around 375,000 total 3 Series sold in the world market.

What does TI stand for in 318ti?

ti is touring international. s can stand for coupe. RAiMA.

1996 Bmw 318ti car problems categorized by type of issue

After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Bmw 318ti problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:

  • Visibility problems
  • Electrical system problems
  • Equipment problems
  • Vehicle speed control problems
  • Air bags problems

The graph below shows statistics for all 1996 Bmw 318ti vehicle components and the number of complaints received.

1996 Bmw 318ti complaints

The NHTSA has received 8 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 1996 Bmw 318ti.

2010-04-08

VISIBILITY PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2010-04-01
  • Components: VISIBILITY
  • Summary: THIS IS THE 8TH TIME PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW OF MY 1996 BMW318TI IS IN NEED OF REPAIR. MOTOR REPLACED ONCE, THAN REGULATOR, FOLLOWED BY NUMEROUS REPAIRS FOR SLIDES OR CLIPS TO BE FIXED. WHEN PUTTING UP WINDOW THERE IS A LOUD CRACK AND THE WINDOW GOES OFF TRACK, SO IT CAN NEITHER GO UP OR DOWN. THIS IS A COSTLY COMPLAINT FROM MANY OWNERS OF THIS CAR SO THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF PROBLEM OR DEFECT. *TR
2009-06-07

VISIBILITY,EQUIPMENT PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2009-06-01
  • VIN: WBACG7326TA
  • Components: VISIBILITY,EQUIPMENT
  • Summary: MY 1996 BMW 318TI - DRIVER SIDE FRONT WINDOW HAS 3 TIMES IN LAST 5 YEARS FALLEN INTO THE DOOR INTERIOR WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE HAD THIS REPAIRED NOW 3 TIMES IN 5 YEARS AT A TOTAL COST TO BE OF $1300. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC DESIGN AND SAFETY PROBLEM THAT OCCURS NOT MOST OF THE 3 SERIES BMW FROM 1995 TO 2002. BMW UTILIZES A VERY POOR CHANNEL DESIGN TO RETAIN THE WINDOW SAFELY AND SECURELY WITH 3 CHEAP INADEQUATE PLASTIC / METAL CLIPS THAT FAIL CONSISTENTLY AND REPEATEDLY AFTER REPAIR OVER A SHORT TIME IT IS A HUGE DESIGN PROBLEM AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND NEW DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION TO CORRECT THIS SYSTEMIC DESIGN SAFETY FAILURE. IN MY LAST FAILURE LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING 60 MILES AND HOUR ON A FREEWAY AND WINDOW DROPS INTO DOOR ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. *TR
2006-07-10

VISIBILITY PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2006-07-08
  • Components: VISIBILITY
  • Summary: THE WINDOWS FALL OFF TRACK ON MY 1996 BMW E36 318TI. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO BOTH WINDOWS ON MY CAR REGULARLY FOR THE PAST 2.5 YEARS I HAVE OWNED THE CAR AND HAS RUINED THE TINT ON BOTH WINDOWS. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER 318TI OWNERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS A HIGHLY COMMON FAILURE AND NORMALLY COSTS SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPAIR, ONLY TO BREAK AGAIN SHORTLY THEREAFTER. I FEEL AS THOUGH THE WINDOWS COULD SHATTER WHEN THEY FALL INTO THE DOOR OR POSSIBLY HARM PASSENGERS BY FALLING INTO THE CAR WHILE IN THE OFF-TRACK POSITION. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *NM
2006-06-02

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2006-05-26
  • VIN: WBACG7328TA
  • Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
  • Summary: I AM AN ENGINEER WHO PERFORMS FAILURE ANALYSIS - MY OBSERVATIONS ARE BASED ON SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD. THE CAR IS A 1996 BMW 318TI WITH A 5 SPD MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE ENGINE IS STOCK. I WAS DRIVING MY 318TI ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND NOTICED THAT THE SPEED WAS INCREASING WITHOUT THROTTLE INPUT. I TURNED THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF THINKING THAT IT SOMEHOW HAD MALFUNCTIONED - THE SPEED CONTINUED TO INCREASE. WHEN THE SPEED PASSED 80 MPH, I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH, WHICH OF COURSE ALLOWED THE CAR TO SLOW, BUT THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED TO REDLINE - AS THE TACH GOT CLOSE TO THE RED LINE, I SHUT THE IGNITION OFF, AND STEERED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER. WITH THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, I TRY TO START IT AGAIN, AND THE ENGINE SPEED INCREASED VERY RAPIDLY TO REDLINE. I TRIED THIS 3-4 TIMES OVER 5 MINUTES WITH THE SAME RESULT EACH TIME. I FINALLY OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON THE LEVER HOUSING. THIS PROBLEM WAS THE SUBJECT OF A 1997 RECALL, AND MY CAR HAD THE REPAIRS MADE (METAL RINGS) THAT WERE SPECIFIED IN THE RECALL. THEY SEEM TO BE FAILING NOW. THERE IS A NEWS ARTICLE FROM ENGLAND THAT SEEMS TO SHOW AN IDENTICAL FAILURE IN A 318. THE DRIVERS NAME IS KEVIN NICOLLE, AND THE STORY APPEARED ON THIS WEB PAGE ( HTTP://WWW.TELEGRAPH.CO.UK/NEWS/MAIN.JHTML?XML=/NEWS/2006/03/11/NTRAPPED11.XML ). THE RECALL EFFECTED 410,000 CARS - THIS RECALL SHOULD BE REVISITED AS THE REPAIR SEEMS TO HAVE CREATED ANOTHER FAILURE MODE THAT LEADS TO UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. I HAVE A PHOTO OF THE THROTTLE CABLE / CABLE BUSHING AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE - I CAN FORWARD IT TO ANY INTERESTED PARTIES. *NM
2003-08-29

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2003-08-28
  • Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
  • Summary: WHEN TAKING THE KEY OUT OFIGNITION VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN. *AK
2002-12-06

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 2002-12-01
  • VIN: WBACG7328TA
  • Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
  • Summary: IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN OFF CAR, KEY MOVED TO OFF POSITION WITHOUT RESISTANCE BUT DID NOT TURN OFF CAR. SWITCH LOCKED IN OFF POSITION BUT KEY WOULD MOVE AND CAR CONTINUED TO RUN. KEY COULD BE REMOVED AND REINSERTED BUT COULD NOT TURN OFF CAR. HAD TO PULL FUSE ON THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM TO STALL ENGINE AND DISCONNECT BATTERY TO TURN OFF POWER TO CAR. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE COMMON IN A LARGE NUMBER OF BMWS. INABILITY TO TURN OFF ENGINE COULD POSE HAZARD IF SITUATION REQUIRED DRIVER TO CUT POWER TO ENGINE. ALSO, BECAUSE ENGINE RUNS QUIETLY, POSSIBILITY THAT SOMEONE COULD THINK HE/SHE TURNED OFF HIS/HER CAR IN HIS/HER GARAGE BUT DID NOT, LEADING TO POSSIBLE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. DT
1997-10-27

AIR BAGS PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 1997-10-26
  • Crash: 1
  • VIN: WBACG832XTA
  • Components: AIR BAGS
  • Summary: WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. OWNER WILL CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
1997-10-27

STRUCTURE PROBLEM

  • Date Of Incident: 1997-08-01
  • Components: STRUCTURE
  • Summary: STRIP ON DOOR PEELING MAKING IT HARD FOR DRIVER TO CLOSE THE DOOR.

1996 Bmw 318ti recalls

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 1 recalls for different components of the 1996 Bmw 318ti.

1997-08-19
  • Manufacturer: BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE
  • Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
  • Summary: THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THROTTLE CABLES ARE ATTACHED TO THE SAME THROTTLE VALVE ACTUATING LEVER AT THE THROTTLE HOUSING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING ON EITHER CABLE COULD BREAK DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES COUPLED WITH VIBRATION. IF THE BUSHING BREAKS, THE OUTER CABLE HOUSING CAN SEPARATE FROM THE BUSHING. IN THIS CASE, DURING APPLICATION OF THE THROTTLE PEDAL WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL BEING ENGAGED, THE OUTER TUBE COULD CATCH ON THE EDGE OF THE BROKEN BUSHING.
  • Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE VALVE TO REMAIN PARTIALLY OPEN. IT HIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE CAR MIGHT NOT DECELERATE AS EXPECTED INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
  • Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPRING STEEL CLIP ON THE OUTER TUBE OF EACH CABLE IN THE AREA OF THE ADJUSTING SCREW AND PLASTIC BUSHING. THE CLIP IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE OUTER TUBE FROM DISLODGING FROM THE BUSHING.
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Additional sources

More sources of information about 1996 Bmw 318ti problems:

common problems - 318ti.org forum
common problems - 318ti.org forum
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18971

Oct 26, 2007 ... take it to a certified BMW tech. no matter how much anyone explains the common problems, you will never spot them all... spend the extra $50-$ ...

How reliable is a 1996 BMW 318ti? What are some common ...
How reliable is a 1996 BMW 318ti? What are some common ...
https://www.quora.com/How-reliable-is-a-1996-BMW-318ti-What-are-some-common-problems-with-the-car

Sep 4, 2015 ... Cooling System Failures: BMWs are notorious for cooling system issues, including water pump failure, leaking coolant hoses, and radiator ...

Planning to purchase a 1996 BMW 318i, common issues? : r/BMW
Planning to purchase a 1996 BMW 318i, common issues? : r/BMW
https://www.reddit.com/r/BMW/comments/23m4tz/planning_to_purchase_a_1996_bmw_318i_common_issues/

Apr 21, 2014 ... Planning to purchase a 1996 BMW 318i, common issues? · Window Regulators - expect these to fail at some point. · Oil Pan - this thing is soft.

318 common problems to look out for.
318 common problems to look out for.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1765736-318-common-problems-to-look-out-for

Dec 31, 2011 ... i say buy it...you'll love it! 1995 318ti Active what a nice e36. i've never seen compact which would be so angry.

just bought a 1995 318Ti, Problems to look out for? - 318ti.org forum
just bought a 1995 318Ti, Problems to look out for? - 318ti.org forum
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=36417

Jun 10, 2012 ... Overheating due to failed cooling system components is the number one killer of these engines. While you're replacing the cooling system, you ...

Other years of Bmw 318ti

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