BMW318TI - E361995Overview/bmw/318ti-e36/1995/base/
E36 platform

1995 BMW 318TI - E36

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1995 318TI - E36.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1995 BMW 318TI utilizes the E36 architecture with a four-speed automatic transmission and posts EPA fuel economy figures of 18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. Service intervals require 5.3 quarts of engine oil meeting 15W-40, 10W-40, or 10W-30 API SJ viscosity grades. Reliability records remain sparse, showing only three owner complaints—clustered in seat belt systems—alongside a single factory recall, indicating this model year presents a mechanically uneventful reference point in the 318TI’s production run.

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.3 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 / 10W-40 / 10W-30 API SJOEM · verified
Lug nut torque88 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy18/26/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 91 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 11421727300. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 91 · 600 CCAOEM · verified
Tire size185-65R15, COUPE and CONVERTIBLE:205-60HR15OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter11421727300
Engine air filter13721247404
Fuel filter13321740985
Spark plug12129063428 alt 12129064619
Front wiper blades61611380759 alt 61611387678
Serpentine belt11281743193 alt 11287636373
Thermostat11537511580 alt 11531721218
Cabin air filter64312339892

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length165.7 in
Overall width66.9 in
Overall height54.7 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Curb weight2690 lb
Track (front / rear)54.7 / 54.3 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)51/49

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined18 / 26 / 21 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.3 qt of 15W-40 / 10W-40 / 10W-30 API SJ engine oil, GL-5 in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 88 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 17mm: 22.0-26.0, 19mm: 43.0-45.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear OilGL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.4 Pints
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil15W-40 · API · 10W-40 · 10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity5.3 qt
Power Steering FluidATF

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs8.5 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts88 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts9 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts16-18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug17mm: 22.0-26.0, 19mm: 43.0-45.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs16 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Driveshaft Flange to Transmission145.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts88 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerBMW

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.76-2.26 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Capacity4.05-5.06 oz
Standard BCI Group Number91
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test28-32 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief28-32 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature190 °F
Engine Oil Pressure7.25 at idle, 62.35 regulated. psi

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH SOLID ROTOR / WITH VENTED ROTOR
Torque Caliper to Bracket18-22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle33 ft-lbs / 49 ft-lbs / 20.2 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Brake ApplicationWITH SOLID ROTOR / WITH VENTED ROTOR
Rotor Minimum Machining0.031 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.646 in / 0.7172 in / 0.6816 in / 0.7528 in
Rotor Finish0.5 - 3.5 μin

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
114-18 ft. lbs., Step 2: 5314–18 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Every 100,000 miOxygen Sensor (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1995 BMW 318TI - E36 dominate in one area — the seat belts, 1 of 3 reports (33%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 1 recall campaigns target the seat belts, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the seat belts pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
3
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 3 complaints on record, top 3 components.

Seat Belts1
Fuel System, Gasoline1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

97V131000Vehicle Speed ControlReported 19/08/1997

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… 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
B5108192024-01-16Electrical SystemThe basic conditions for initializing the power windows are not met.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific 318TI - E36. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1995 318TI - E36 take?

5.3 qt of HIGH PERFORMANCE MINERAL OILS: ABOVE 5 degrees F: 15W-40 API SJ, SL OR SM, -5 degreesF TO 68 degrees F: 10W-40 API SJ, SL OR SM, 5 degreesF TO 50 degrees F: 10W-30 API SJ, SL OR SM, BELOW 50 degrees F: 5W-30 API SJ, SL OR SM, BELOW 32 degrees F:, per the factory manual.

Does the 1995 318TI - E36 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the 318TI - E36 get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 26 highway / 21 combined mpg.