BMW 3 series E46

Since 1998 of release

Repair and car operation


The BMW of 3 series Е46
+ Cars BMW 3 (Е46)
+ Current leaving and service
+ The engine
+ Systems of cooling, heating
+ Power supply systems, injection and release
+ Engine electric equipment
+ Manual transmission and transmission a line
+ Automatic transmission
+ Coupling and power shafts
+ Brake system
- Suspension bracket and steering
   - Forward suspension bracket
      Removal and installation of an amortisation rack
      Dismantling of an amortisation rack/removal and shock-absorber/spring installation
      Shock-absorber check
      Shock-absorber recycling
      Removal and installation of the bearing of a wheel
      Removal and installation of a beam of a forward suspension bracket
   + Back suspension bracket
   + Steering with the hydraulic booster (сервоуправление)
+ Body
+ Onboard electric equipment
+ Electric equipment schemes


Shock-absorber check

Following signs specify in malfunction of shock-absorbers:

— Additional fluctuations of a body at movement on roughnesses of road.
— Increase of amplitude of fluctuations of a body at the following one after another roughnesses of road.
— Jumping of wheels at movement on normal road.
— Involuntary drift of the car at braking.

Can be a consequence of other reasons.

— Instability at turn owing to bad держания a track and car drift.

— The raised deterioration of tyres with a cut of tops protector (washing away).
— A sign of defective shock-absorbers are also presence of roaring noise. This noise can be a consequence and other reasons, for example, отворачиванием bolts of fastening and nuts, failure of bearings of wheels and hinges of equal angular speeds. Therefore before replacement of shock-absorbers always check their condition.


The shock-absorber can be checked manually. However exact check of work of shock-absorbers is possible only by means of a shock-tester or the special verifying car.

Check manually
1 Remove the shock-absorber.

2 Establish the shock-absorber into position, put forward and compress it. Throughout all course the shock-absorber should move exactly and smoothly.


3 At газонаполненных shock-absorbers at sufficient pressure of gas the rod itself comes back in a starting position. If the rod does not come back, it does not mean necessity of obligatory replacement of the shock-absorber. Its principle of action corresponds to a principle of action of the usual shock-absorber until there is no considerable leak of oil. Dempfirujushchee action of the shock-absorber remains also in the absence of pressure of gas. However its noise characteristics thus worsen.
4 At normal functioning of the shock-absorber insignificant traces of the flowed out oil are not the basis for its replacement. A key rule here is the following: if the oil acting from an epiploon of a rod, is visible, but it does not extend further the bottom plate of a spring the shock-absorber is serviceable. Insignificant leaks of oil have even some advantage as the epiploon is thus greased that promotes increase in its service life.
5 At considerable leaks of oil the shock-absorber is subject to replacement.