US E36 M3 FAQ

v.26 (2006.04.03) ... Author / Maintainer: J. Zimmitti
For additions and corrections, email eurospeed(AT)engineer.com

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4. EXTERIOR

Q. How can I reduce my blind spots?
A. To properly adjust your mirror, you need to place your head close to the window (for driver side) or place your head in the center of the vehicle (for passenger side) and adjust the mirrors to just be able to see the sides of your vehicle. For even better visibility, you can remove your old side mirror glass (both sides) and replace them with the BMW M3 European spec. mirror glass. Both mirrors are convex and the wider angle significantly removes blind spots (the only change to the passenger side is the omission of the "objects may appear..." writing).

BMW M3 Side Mirror Glass (European spec.)
P/N 51.16.2.267.191 (driver side)
P/N 51.16.2.267.224 (passenger side)

Q. What type of bulbs do the headlights and fog lights use?
A. The headlights use 55W 9006 bulbs for low beams and 55W 9005 bulbs for high beams. The fog lights use 55W H1 bulbs.

Q. Why do some coupes have different BMW rear wings?
A. BMW produced two rear wing designs with an integrated third brake light. If the option was ordered, M3 coupes were delivered with a high arch rear wing, whereas M3 sedans came with a flatter, squared-off wing design. However, for reasons unknown, if the wing was added later on by the dealer, the wing designed for the sedan was installed on both models. When looking at a coupe, you should be able to determine whether the wing was installed at the factory or not.

BMW M3 Coupe Rear Wing
P/N 51.71.2.260.317

BMW M3 Sedan Rear Wing
P/N 51.71.2.260.319

Q. Why does the lower splash guard keep falling off?
A. The fasteners (bolts and some plastic pins) for the lower splash guard tend to fail or fall out after a relatively short period of time. If your splash guard scrapes the ground, you will most likely need to replace it. Some have removed the splash guard altogether, but make sure all items that were previously attached to the panel are securely fastened by other means. Another alternative is to install an aluminum underpanel made by JT Designs.

Q. Why is it so difficult to open my doors (inside or outside)?
A. The latches and strikers tend to bind at times making the handles a bit difficult to operate. To alleviate the binding, use grease (as opposed to a silicone lubricant; anti-seize grease tends to last the longest) to lightly coat both the latch mechanism and the striker.