hey guys, how you change the spark plugs in a 525i?

[sirius_GTO]

anyone? thanks

[darron525]

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/maintenance/gen_maintenance/spark_plugs.htm


darron

[calmloki]

That's kind of a generic set of directions. I'll start and then someone who really knows how can correct the egregious errors please. Pry up the round caps on the plastic valve cover cover. Remove the two 10mm nuts and the oil cap. Remove plastic cover. You are now looking at the individual coils sitting on top of the plugs, each is held down with a couple 10mm nuts. Note there are also several ground straps - don't forget where they go. I have only pulled one coil on my car so far - it lifted up easily off of the sparkplug, which is buried deep in the valve cover kinda like an M42 318 engine. You are going to need the long sparkplug tool in your car's tool kit or a plug wrench socket with a rubber grabber inside the socket to help you lift the plug out of the hole. Watch for pooled up oil around the plugs, sign of a failed valve cover gasket, and something that (on early E36s at least) can kill individual coils. You are dealing with plugs that have been in place for a long time: be careful, go back and forth, don't just hog that plug out of the hole taking the threads out of the head with it. Also be careful on installation - no crossthreading allowed - if it doesn't feel right, back it out and try it again.
Tom Walrod

[Traian]

That sounded like M60 procedure. I didn't know the 525 had individual coils. Anywho, that sounds pretty much like what I did on my car - complete with oil pool, failing valve cover gasket et al.

[calmloki]

Individual coils are the case on my '93 525iT - first I've ever dealt with - hopefully the proceedure with multiple coils matches for the original poster's '95 525. Didn't know the V8 was the same: sounds like BMW decided that one style worked for all!
Tom

[Jon K]

Individual coils are the case on my '93 525iT - first I've ever dealt with - hopefully the proceedure with multiple coils matches for the original poster's '95 525. Didn't know the V8 was the same: sounds like BMW decided that one style worked for all!
Tom

all 92+ 525 will have 6 coils. Its not so much a "style" as a "technology". No point in using a distributor and spark plug wires when COP technology was available.

[Torque]

all 92+ 525 will have 6 coils. Its not so much a "style" as a "technology". No point in using a distributor and spark plug wires when COP technology was available.All m50 525s had individual coils ... so 91 included.

[Jon K]

All m50 525s had individual coils ... so 91 included.


I know that all M50 are COP, but not all 91 are M50.

[calmloki]

Here in the states I think the '91 525 is the old M20 2.5. Not familiar with the acronym COP.
Tom

[dacoyote]

COP.
Tom

Coil Over Plug

[Dave M]

I know that all M50 are COP, but not all 91 are M50.

I've got a 10/90 build date M50 525im. Check realoem or the ETK and try the pre-91 build dates (U.S. vehicle). At some point before 91, the M50 became available. Were they both (M20 and M50 build in the same year?)

Dave M

[Jon K]

Here in the states I think the '91 525 is the old M20 2.5. Not familiar with the acronym COP.
Tom


The 91 cars seemed to switch in the late year to the M50, so some say. I personally have not seen a 91 model year with an M50. Mine is a 9.91 production car... but a 92 year model.

[sirius_GTO]

Thanks A Bunch Everyone For Helping!!