The BMW 3 Series E36 was a really capable car back in its day, which is why it’s still a popular car even to this day. And while it is understandable that E36 interiors, being over 20 years old, will no longer be in a pristine condition, these cars had issues with their interiors even when they were new.
This was mainly caused by BMW attempting to make the interior parts more eco-friendly and recyclable. If you have or are planning to get the 1990s 3-Series, you will not avoid at least one of the following issues.
Steering Wheel as the Major Source of Squeaks
For starters, there are quite a few issues that revolve around the steering wheel. The first thing, which is not a quality issue but rather a cost-saving solution by BMW, is the lack of tilt adjustment. If you have one of the first production years, you are quite lucky, as these had this feature. However, starting from the 1995 model year, you could only put the steering wheel closer or further away from your body but without the tilt option.
The second steering wheel issue revolves around squeaking sounds that occur while turning at low speeds. These only appear after years of use and thankfully, there is a fix. Oiling up the bearings and stop ring on the steering column will solve the problem. Otherwise, it can be almost embarrassing hearing the steering squeak while in a parking garage.
Thin Doors as a Cost-Saving Measure
The steering wheel is only one of the many interior parts that can produce a variety of annoying sounds. Often the door panels will develop a rattle because the plastic clips that hold them in place crack and do not keep the panels firmly in place anymore. Fixing this issue is not so difficult, as you can strip the door panels quite quickly.
Not a fault but rather another cost-saving measure by BMW are the doors themselves. They are very thin and do not allow for much isolation. You would be surprised how much of an effect soundproofing the insides of the doors can have.
This issue is amplified by the weak door seals that haven’t really withstood the test of time. These tend to pretty much decompose and become brittle, which means less noise insulation, poor protection from water entering the interior, and worse door closing sound. Not only that, but with worn-out door seals, you can also hear squeaks when driving over bumps and the chassis flexing.
More Interior Issues Coming
Perhaps even more annoying can be rattling coming from the rear deck and back seat latches. The rear deck flexes over time and the only real fix is to replace it with a new one, but finding a new deck is not so easy for a car that is three decades old. In that case, you can at least try to add felt to the contact surfaces, which should slightly improve the situation.
If you checked all of the above and your E36 interior still rattles, the issue might be in the glove box. The glove box door might just drop a little after so many years and look a bit saggy. Again, with a bit of luck and a glove box lock kit, this can be resolved.
Then, there is the center console, which often makes all sorts of sounds. Adding felt around the cupholders and ash tray from the inside can help but it will not fix the issue in its entirety. The armrest is almost sure to develop a flex after decades of use, but this can be solved by simply tightening it. Also worth tightening are the front seats, which can even slightly move and pop under heavy steering. The rear folding seats, while adding practicality, tend to also be sources of potential issues. Even small things that are not commonly checked for, like window alignment, can cause increased noise inside the cabin.
Thankfully, the dashboard does not seem to crack and even the sun does not do a lot of damage to it over the years. Overall, with E36s, which have likely been driven for hundreds of thousands of miles, have seen some use. If you want a mint interior in one of these, you’ll either have to find one that has been babied from the start, or you will need to replace the seat upholstery, steering wheel, and the shift lever but this is not really on BMW to blame. Ripped sides on front seats can be seen on almost all old cars, and so can “polished” steering wheels and shift knobs.
Sunroof — A Nightmare for Used Car Buyers
A chapter of its own is the sunroof. Really, while they look nice and make the interior roomier, sunroofs are a nightmare on almost all used cars. This makes it an important point to consider when getting an E36, although it is not really exclusive to this car. If you are looking to buy an E36, choosing one without a sunroof can save you from lots of issues down the road.
Doing proper maintenance on the sunroof is a must. Otherwise, the drain channels will get blocked with debris and leaves, thus causing leaks. If not solved, this can lead to rusting, potential electrical issues, and also a damaged headliner.
This issue alone would not cause such “nightmares” but if you also take into account the fact that the motors operating the sunroof tend to give up after some time, and replacements are definitely not cheap, you start to understand that the possible issues are not just worth it. In addition, the motors can come out of sync, meaning that the sunroof will not seal properly. There is also the sunroof seal. The sunroof can quickly become a reason for expensive repair bills.
On top of this, the panel itself can also easily become another source of rattles. The shims and screws in the sunroof can come loose, thus causing major rattling and squeaking when driving over bumps. Even if the sunroof is in a pristine condition, it might still hinder the thermal and sound comfort inside your E36.
The E36 Interior — Memento From a Different Time
The E36 interior is really not the place where this 3 Series would shine, which is disappointing given the premium nature of BMW. It used a lot of hard plastics and just overall cheap-looking materials, which were not so highly regarded even back in the ‘90s. On the other hand, there are still things that the interior does well. This mostly comes down to the ergonomics and easy-to-read gauge cluster, which was derived from other BMW models.
Apart from the interior, the E36 is an actually good-looking car. Yes, for many years, it was overshadowed by the much more modern-looking E46 but nowadays, the older generation is becoming stylish again. That is not the most important point though. Most importantly, the E36 just drives great. Petrolheads do not use these cars as drift cars and racetrack cars for no reason.
