400-1

400 Body-General

GENERAL .... . ....... .. .. . .. ... ... .. ... 400-1
BODY ASSEMBLY ... .. . . . ... ... . . . ..... 400-2
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400-2
Body .. . . ...... . . . . ... .. ... . .......... 400-3
SAFETY AND SECURITY . ... .. ....... .... 400-5
Passenger safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400-5
Restraint system .. .... .. . ... .. .. .... .. . 400-6
Door handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400-6
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400-7
INTERIOR FEATURES ... .. ..... .. .. . .. .. . 400-7
Instruments, iDrive .. .. .. . . .. . .. . ... .. . .. 400-7
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400-8
BODY ELECTRONICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400-8

GENERAL
This chapter covers system descriptions and general information for
the repair groups in partitions 4 Body and 5 Body Equipment.

The 2006 3 Series chassis was introduced in the North America

market as a Sedan (E90) and Sport Wagon (E91) in fall 2005. Both
rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive (xDrive) versions were offered.

In subsequent years, a Coupe (E92) and a Convertible (E93)

became available.

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400-2 Body-General
Dimensions

BODY ASSEMBLY

Dimensions
In the accompanying illustrations, dimensions for 2006- 2008
vehicles are given in inches I mm.

Sedan (E90) Sports Wagon (E91)

Coupe (E92) Convertible (E93)

- - - - 108.7/2,760
t-- - - - - - - - 180.6/4,588 - -

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 Body-General 400-3
Body

Body
.....;{ Sedan (E90) and Sport Wagon (E91) bodies are conventionally
manufactured from steel , fully galvanized and equipped with a safety
passenger cell. Vehicle performance, weight optimization , body
stiffness and safety are inherent in the body design .

.....;{ The bodies of the Sedan and Sports Wagon were developed in
parallel. This made it possible from the start not only to identify the
identical components required but also to take into account parts
and components specific to each.

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.....;{ The Sports Wagon floor assembly does not require any
I
reinforcement because the lightweight design of the E91 was
combined with increased load-carrying capacity. Without additional
reinforcements vehicle weight is reduced and interior space and
load capacity expanded.

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400-4 Body-General
Body

<Oiii{ The inclusion of strong but light weight side-frames accommodates

the special demands made by the large roof opening for the
panorama sunroof. The static stiffness of the Sport Wagon is
approx. 19000 Nm/degree, whi le the dynamic stiffness is
approximately 29 Hz.

<Oiii{ The cargo compartment volume of the Sports Wagon offers 16.24
cu . ft. (460 liters) of space and expands to 49 cu . ft. (13851iters) with
the rear seat backrests folded down.The indentation in the rear
bumper reduces the height of the loading sill and makes loading
easier.

<Oiii{ The E92 Coupe, introduced in 2007 , features a strong, light body
constructed of a combination of different types of materials including
thermo plastic. Structu ral rigidity and support were enhanced
without increasing overall vehicle weight.

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 Body-General 400-5
Passenger safety

~ The E93 Convertible features a retractable hardtop which operates

electrohydraulically and stows in the trunk.

~ Significant torsional (twisting) forces are introduced into the

2 3 4 5 6 7 Convertible body structure while driving due to the run-flat tires and
sporty suspension. Consequently, high body rigidity targets were set
when the body was designed. The main means for increasing body
rigidity include strengthened sills and bolt-on struts.
1. Engine compartment strut
2. Front subframe struts
3. Front strut tower struts
4. Sills
5. Rear underbody struts
6. Strut in rollover protection system

I
7. Tension strut

Vehicle side sills are the main load-bearing components. A

horizontal flange is used between the inner and outer sill shell in
order to optimize bending and torsional rigidity. In addition, the sills
are reinforced with transverse bulkheads.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Passenger safety
~ BMW passive safety is based on the principle of protecting the
passenger compartment with dynamic deformation zones. Body
structures with a high load bearing capacity isolate the extremely
rigid passenger cell. In case of accident, the passenger cage is
designed to absorb the impact and route the deformation around the
passengers.

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400-6 Body-General
Restraint system

Restraint system
~ The passive restraint system consists of seat belts with pyrotechnic
(explosive) tensioners and a minimum of 6 airbags.

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~ The E92 Coupe features large doors. As a result, the B-pillar is

located further toward the rear relative to front seat position , making
it difficult for the driver or front passenger to reach the seat belt. For
this reason , an electrical ly operated seat belt extender is installed on
the E92. The extender pushes the seat belt approximately 25 em (1 0
inches) forward .

For additional restraint system information, see :

• 720 Seat belts
• 721 Airbag System (SRS)

Door handles
~ In vehicle equipped with comfort access, the front door handle
contains the components of the electronic outer door handle module
(TAGE) .
1. Electric fie ld, capacitor 1
2. Electric field , capacitor 2
3. Capacitor plate, capacitive sensor 2
4. Capacitor plate, capacitive sensor 1

If a vehicle remote key is in the vicinity of the vehicle, a hand inserted

between the door handle and the door automatically unlocks the car.

See 515 Central Locking and Anti-theft.

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 Body-General 400-7
Centra/locking

Central locking
~ All doors locks as well as trunk lid lock, tailgate lock and fuel filler flap
lock are integrated into central locking and can be operated via the
fo llowing :
• Remote key
• Driver's door lock barrel (door lock)
• Central locking button
• Electronic outer door handle module (TAGE) (comfort access
vehicle)
1. Car access system (CAS) module
2. Footwell module (FRM)
3. Junction box electronic module (JBE)

Antitheft alarm (DWA)

When armed , the antitheft system monitors door lock contacts and
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tampering. Included in the enhanced system is a tilt sensor to
protect against the vehicle being towed away, and an interior motion
sensor.

For more information, see 515 Central Locking and Anti-theft.

INTERIOR FEATURES

~
Instruments, iDrive
The instrument cluster and dashboard layout is similar to other BMW
models with all of the controls in easy reach of the driver.

The dashboard is equipped with the optional iDrive central

information display (C ID) or car information computer (CIC) . The
display screen is used for a variety of vehicle control and diagnostic
I
tasks and is also capable of displaying navigation information.

~ Navigation , climate control, sound system and other functions are

controlled via iDrive control ler, if equipped.

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400-8 Body-General
Seats

~ Functions and controls essential to the driver are logically grouped

and easy to reach . Instruments and controls are fully integrated into
the overall design of the vehicle.
• Tilt-telescopic steering wheel has 30 mm {1.2 in) of vertical and
longitudinal adjustment.
• Multifunction steering wheel contains two key pads containing
controls for the sound system , telephone and cruise control.

Seats
Ergonomically engineered seats are constructed from polyurethane
foam containing areas or zones of different firmness. They offer
superior lateral support without constricting the occupant.

~ In cars equipped with seat position memory, two different seat

configurations can be memorized by the seat control module. Seat
memory coordinates with outside mirror memory. These functions
are controlled by the seat memory module.

For additional information, see 520 Seats.

BODY ELECTRONICS
3 Series vehicles are equipped with an integrated complex of
electronic modules connected via the bus system. An overview of
the bus system is in 600 Electrical System-General. For details of
electrical functions, see :
• 512 Door Windows
• 515 Central Locking and Anti-theft
• 520 Seats
• 611 Wipers and Washers
• 620 Instruments
• 630 Lights

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