E36 firing order - United Bimmer Community

**billycuth** · 08-18-2005, 08:47 AM

I asked about this before, and got one answer. I think it was the incorrect answer. I am trying to locate the number 5 cylinder in my engine. My Chilton manual doesn't have it, nor does my bentley CD manual (that I can find). Anyone know the precise firing order of the chambers on the s-52 engine?

I have a 1997 328i. Thanks!

**xsperf** · 08-18-2005, 09:00 AM

you mean m52? s52 is for m3, and i dont know if i sadi this before, but i assume cylnder 6 is the one all the way in the back, its CALLED cylnder 6, but it might not necessarily be the last one that fires(btw saying that, means that cylnder 5 is right before it)

**komodo** · 08-18-2005, 10:00 AM

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...23/ai_n6221222
says "Firing order: 1-5-3-6-2-4"

http://www.speedvisionwc.com/competi...mw-325-E36.pdf
says "Cylinder Firing Order: 1.5.3.6.2.4"

http://www.usenetcars.com/t-33667.html
says "With cylinder 1 being at the front of the car by the radiator, 1-5-3-6-2-4."

I can't find a single source to disagree with that.

**billycuth** · 08-18-2005, 11:10 AM

so it is definitely the one that is second away from the firewall? thanks guys..

**xsperf** · 08-18-2005, 02:28 PM

so, now i hate komodo and jrhaile, because i hate being wrong

*adds to enemies list*

seriously though? i thought the cylnders were 1-6, but the firing order was much different

**Dudesky** · 08-18-2005, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billycuth

so it is definitely the one that is second away from the firewall? thanks guys..

No, it's the second one in from the front of the car . . . I was correct when you asked a few weeks ago

**jrhaile** · 08-18-2005, 03:40 PM

I'm on someone's enemy list... cool

**billycuth** · 08-18-2005, 03:50 PM

you sure dude? I am not. BMW replaced parts in cyliner 5 and it worked fine. When I replace parts in that cylinder, the misfire comes back. I am not doing something right.

**E36Bimmer** · 08-18-2005, 03:58 PM

ok here goes..from my understanding from the front of the engine leading to the back the cylinders are in order 1-2-3-4-5-6 in a straight line. The firing order is a different answer, for example according to the info: 1-5-3-6-2-4 is the firing order. So cylinder 1 first, then cylinder 5, then cyl. 3, so on and so forth...But the answer to your question is cyl. 5 is the second from the back..

**94bmw325i** · 08-18-2005, 04:00 PM

dude your cars engine seems pretty messed up if you already replaced parts of cylinder 5. Seems like all you have left is putting in an s52...

**billycuth** · 08-18-2005, 04:15 PM

haha... yeah, I'll sell THAT one to my wife...

**xsperf** · 08-18-2005, 04:25 PM

if the misfiring stopped,t hen it came back again, chances are another cylnder is misfiring because if the parts in 1 cylnder went bad, its just about time for all of them to go bad

and i was sayign something along the lines of e36 bimmer, cylnder #5 is the one 2 away from the firewall, but the FIRING ORDER is different, i believe when the check engine light code comes on, it numbers the cylnders by their number, not by their firing order(i remember having the same problem in a few other cars, even though they were V8's, the cylnder #'s all went in a row)

thirdly, a lot of hondas that have the distrubor wires on top, they arein a row, and on the spark plug wires you can see the 1234(referring to cylnder numbers) and they are immedietely following each other

**billycuth** · 08-18-2005, 04:48 PM

gotcha... thanks xsperf... I think I got it now.

**Dudesky** · 08-18-2005, 05:27 PM

**as I put my head up my ass**

E36Bimmer is right . . remind me never to work on my engine block.

**xsperf** · 08-18-2005, 05:53 PM

lol, ive done work on engine blocks before, timing, but id never do it to any BMW, b/c in case i might screw it up, i dont take that chance, lol