1993 BMW 318i Service and Repair Manual

This factory service and repair manual for the 1993 BMW 318i documents a single-engine car: the 1.8-liter DOHC inline-four, naturally aspirated and gasoline-fueled, in Base form only. Two bodies carry it, a four-door sedan and a two-door convertible, and that difference shapes how the manual is used more than the mechanical sections do — suspension, brake and engine specifications are shared, while the convertible's body reinforcement, weather sealing and top mechanism take their own procedures and wiring coverage.

Engines covered

• 1.8L inline-four — DOHC, naturally aspirated, gasoline

Body styles covered

• 4-door sedan
• 2-door convertible

Trims covered

• Base

Known issues on the 1993 318i. Two recalls apply to this year. The first begins at the throttle housing, where a plastic bushing on the throttle or cruise cable can crack and let the outer cable housing catch on the broken edge, holding the throttle valve partly open so the car does not slow as the driver expects. The second concerns the cooling system: a failed thermostat, water pump or belt can drive temperature and pressure up until a heater core seam separates and hot coolant escapes into the cabin. Of eleven complaints, ten name engine and cooling — the same circuit this manual specifies and diagnoses.