How to Replace Spark Plugs 2001-05 BMW 325Xi
Created on: 2019-06-07
Watch this video to learn how to replace the spark plugs in your 01-05 BMW 325Xi. 1A Auto will show you the steps.
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step 1 :Accessing the Spark PLugs
- Disconnect the negative battery cable using a 10 mm wrench (The battery is located in the trunk)
- Unlock the three twist locks to release the cabin air filter cover at the rear of the engine compartment
- Remove the cabin air filter
- Pry open the plastic wiring conduit along the cabin air filter box
- Pull the wires and hose from the conduit
- Remove the four T30 screws mounting the cabin air filter box
- Remove the cabin air filter box
- Pry off the two bolt covers from the center engine cover
- Remove the two 10 mm bolts securing the center engine cover
- Remove the center engine cover
- Remove the oil fill cap
- Pry off the two bolt covers from the passenger side engine cover
- Remove the two bolts securing the passenger side engine cover
- Remove the passenger side engine cover
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step 2 :Removing the Spark Plugs
- Remove the two 10 mm bolts securing the ignition coil
- Disconnect the ignition coil electrical connector
- Remove the ignition coil
- Blow compressed air into the spark plug well to clear out any debris that may have entered
- Carefully remove the spark plug
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step 3 :Installing the Spark Plugs
- Insert the spark plug carefully into the spark plug well using the spark plug socket
- Don't drop it in, the electrode could be damaged
- Carefully tighten the spark plug by hand, being careful not to cross-thread
- Torque the spark plug to 20 ft-lb
- Replace the ignition coil
- Reconnect the ignition coil electrical connector
- Replace the two 10 mm bolts securing the ignition coil
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the remaining spark plugs
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step 4 :Putting the Engine Compartment Back Together
- Replace the passenger side engine cover
- Replace the oil fill cap
- Replace the 10 mm bolts securing the passenger side engine cover
- Replace the bolt covers
- Replace the center engine cover
- Replace the two 10 mm bolts securing the center engine cover
- Replace the two bolt covers
- Replace the cabin air filter box
- Replace the four T30 screws securing the cabin air filter box
- Replace the hose and wires into the conduit
- Replace the conduit cover
- Replace the cabin air filter
- Replace the cabin air filter cover, and secure it with the three twist locks
- Reconnect the negative battery cable (The battery is located in the trunk)
Tools needed
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Socket Extensions
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Torque Wrench
10mm Wrench
T30 Socket
5/8 Inch Spark Plug Socket
10mm Socket
Ratchet
Pocket Screwdriver
What's up guys? I'm Andy from 1A Auto. In this video I'm going to show you how to replace the spark plugs on this 2001 BMW 325xi. If you need these parts or other parts for your vehicle, click the link in the description and head over to 1Aauto.com. Battery's in the trunk. I'm going to disconnect the negative terminal, I'm just going to use a 10 millimeter wrench. Loosen up this nut right here, and grab the connector and disconnect that. Set it aside. All right, we're going to take this cover off. We have this nice light that we can see a lot better under the hood. We sell this at 1Aauto.com. Hooks right onto the hood. Open this up. Lift this cover, this should slide out, just like that. Just slides forward. We can grab this cabin filter, slide it out, take a straight blade screwdriver or a pocket screwdriver or even a pick, we're going to take this cover right off here, just get under there. Snap this off.
Just like that. Slide that out of the way. We can pull these wires down just like that. Just like that. There is four screws right here. One, two, three, four. When going to use a T30 socket, extension and a ratchet. Take these out. They should stay with the cover, so they're not going to fall out. With all those loose, you can grab this, slide it out. Might have to just loosen this by hand a little bit, and pull this off. Set it aside. So there should be two covers over here, and right here you just take a pocket screwdriver, get underneath there, pop those off. Then there is a bolt there and there. We're going to use a 10 millimeter socket, extension and a ratchet to take those bolts out. I'm just going to use a magnet to grab the bolt. I'll just grab this cover, pull it off.
We can just the oil cap, fill cap. Take a pocket screwdriver right here, and then it's also a cover right here. Just take these covers off. So I'm going to take a 10 millimeter socket, extension and ratchet, and there's a nut here and also under that cover. Take those out. Pull that nut out. We can grab this cover and slide it off. So this front coil has a ground strap on it and also that back coil has a ground strap, so you want to keep that in mind before you take it apart. I'm going to take a 10 millimeter socket, extension, and a ratchet, take these two bolts out. Set that ground strap aside.
Can slide this retainer up. There's like a lock on this. As you slide this up, you should be able to disconnect the connector, and then wiggle the coil back and forth and pull it up. This normally should be sealed off so nothing should get in there. There shouldn't be any dirt, but it's always a good idea to just take some compressed air and a blow gun and just blow the hole out. Make sure nothing gets down there when we take the spark plug out.
I'm going to use this spark plug socket to remove the spark plug. It's got a magnet in the end. It is a 12-point, although they're only 6-point spark plugs, which it doesn't matter. It's still going to work. We actually sell this socket at 1Aauto.com I'm going to use a little extension on the end of it and a ratchet. Once it's loose, I can do it by hand, and slide it out.
Here's the old spark plug. Here's the new spark plug from 1Aauto.com. It has the same shape, has the same thread. The important part is the fact that the threads are the same length, which they are. The electrode on the top is slightly different, but that's okay. Get yours at 1Aauto.com and, you'd be ready to do it yourself. Take the new spark plug, install it in my socket. Slowly, we'll drop it. Now these spark plugs, you don't have to gap because they come pre-gapped. They actually don't want you to get them. Once it's snug finger tight, then I will torque it.
I'm going to take this torque wrench, we actually sell this at 1Aauto.com. I'm going to torque this spark plug to 20 foot-pounds. Take the new coil, slide this on here. You could actually put some dielectric grease in there if you wanted to. It's a good idea. Slide this in position. We'll connect the connector and lock it down. And then this one has the ground, same as the last one. Take the two bolts for that forward one, put it through the ground strap.
Take a 10 millimeter socket, extension and ratchet and we'll snug these down, snug, and then we can do the same with the other ones. Now we'll put this cover back on. Slide it back into position. Put the cap back on. If you wanted to, you could have left the cap on once you take the cover off so you don't drop anything in there, and put the nut back on.
Put this nut back on. Get those started. I'll use a 10 millimeter socket, extension and a ratchet, tighten these down. Snug those down, not too tight. It is plastic that you're holding there. On this cover we have these two caps. Get those lined up, press those in. I'll reinstall this cover. Slide it under the wires, so this has to ... There's a couple of clips underneath you that have to slide onto this rail. Let's see. There we go.
All right, so make sure those clips slide in position, and take the bolts. Get the bolts started. Take a 10 millimeter socket, extension and ratchet, tighten these down, just snug. It is plastic, not too tight.
There should be two caps that go over here. This vehicle doesn't have them. They're missing, so I'm not going to put those in, but make sure you reinstall those caps. Now we want to install this. Just get this lined up. You can get these screws started. I'm going to take a T30 socket, extension and a ratchet, tighten these up. Now reinstall these wires in this cover right here. Just like that. Take this cover, line it up. That's good. Take the filter. We're going to slide it in with the curved side towards the vehicle, so the bowed side more towards the out of the vehicle. Just slide that position like that.
We'll take this cover. It's going to just slide in underneath this weatherstripping. Just push it in, get these lock tabs to line up and lock them down. They're spring loaded, and the last one, and you're good to go. Reconnect the battery, put the negative terminal on. Take a 10 millimeter wrench, we'll just tighten up this nut and just snug it up. Make sure it's tight, it doesn't wiggle loose, and you're good to go.
Speaker 3: Thanks for watching. Visit 1Aauto.com for quality auto parts shipped to your door, the place for DIY auto repair. And if you enjoyed this video, please click the subscribe button.
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