Rating: 
Summary: Not for ALL 90->318i
Review: Not as good as the excelent Bentleys 5 series and Fuel Injection manuals. I was disapointed to find that it does not cover the later M40 engines as fitted to E30 cars from 1989 onwards.Still a valuable tool in the 3 series library
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Choice
Review: Since having recently bought my first BMW (318i), I bought the manual mostly to familiarize myself with the model. It is nicely done, with more photos than I've found in any other manual. It even has usable basic electrical diagrams!! I've used various service manuals for over 30 years (for numerous brands, from Mustangs and Harleys to MGs and Triumphs). The Bentley BMW manual is without question the very best I've seen for under several hundred dollars. I feel it is well worth the cost.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as first thought.
Review: The manual looks good until you actually have a need for information. The electrical diagrams are crude, inaccurate, improperly drawn, and actually very limited with almost nothing about the engine or fuel system (what you need the data for most). Have a question about the steering rack? Want to rebuild one yourself? Want to see a parts break-down before tearing into it?? Forget it, there is little mention of the rack other than telling you to buy a new one from a BMW dealer. How much fluid does the power steering pump hold? No data. Want to see a photo of under-carriage parts? Forget it. Want to know which wires run to the fuel pumps? Forget it. Ignition switch data? Ha! Want to trouble-shoot your ignition or fuel injection? Forget it. Anyone who has ever spent much time at all servicing their own vehicles already knows more than what this book contains. Over and over the book purposefully avoids giving information, totally skipping the topic entirely by stating things like "...we recommend that this be done by an authorized BMW dealer...". It is personally insulting that the author deems everyone who buys the book is not competent enough to service one's own vehicle. A service manual should be just that, a service manual, one that supplies technical information. This book fails to live up to that need. I now recommend avoiding the Bentley book. A Chilton should suffice as well and cost half the price. I am a 25 years+ experienced electronics technician whose specialty is trouble-shooting everything from basic house wiring to the most complex computerized security access systems. This morning I wasted almost 3 hours tracing down a bad fuel pump relay, but could have found the problem in less than 5 minutes if the manual had given correct information. (In the afternoon it took me less than half an hour to trace down a faulty CPU chip connection on a circuit board I've never seen before, one that caused two separate main security system controllers to malfunction, and with my having no data whatsoever to go by. Obviously, I would have been better off not using the Bentley manual at all while working on my BMW.) If you cannot trust a manual's diagrams and writing, then it is of no value, actually a liability. I personally will from now on avoid anything from Bentley. Yea, I'm ticked at Bentley!
Rating:
Summary: 1996 318ic mistakes
Review: There are several things you just have to have in order to perform accurate diagnostic work and repairs on cars. This book is complete in its descriptions, photographs and procedures. Purchasing this manual has saved me hundreds of dollars in repair costs. The Bentley Publishing group has really done its homework on this one!
Rating:
Summary: A detailed and complete guide to all maintenance and repairs
Review: There are several things you just have to have in order to perform accurate diagnostic work and repairs on cars. This book is complete in its descriptions, photographs and procedures. Purchasing this manual has saved me hundreds of dollars in repair costs. The Bentley Publishing group has really done its homework on this one!
Rating: 
Summary: Forget it if you have an open in the wiring harness.
Review: This book does not contain proper electrical wiring schematics like other automotive repair manuals do. I have found more useful diagrams posted by kind people on the Web. This book is too pricey to have such a deficiency. Does have other useful information (which should go without saying) however, such as on the fuel delivery system.
Rating:
Summary: Nice book but doesn't cover what it should have
Review: This is a good book. Has good information on specifications, maintenance and mechanical work. However, the book has no information on working on the factory wiring for a a car stereo replacement process, which is probably a very popular thing to do on an older car. There was no wiring diagram or instructions on how to work it. It also had no information on pulling the on board computer. Another area of disappointment was removing interior and exterior body pieces. Very minimal information. Almost nothing specific to the convertible model 325ic.
| 
