Seat Adjustment Cable Broken In Your E36 BMW? Don't Fret, We'll Show You A Cheap And Easy Fix.
The E36 chassis was a storming success for BMW. The company gave birth to it in '92 and continued producing it up to '00, having released such models as the 318i, 325i, 328i, 323i and M3 in coupe, four-door or convertible forms, also including a three-door hatchback for the 318ti.
Sadly though, we must face the truth. These cars are starting to show their age and things are inevitably beginning to break.
The tools for this job are basic: 17mm socket wrench, set of screwdrivers, T-15 Torx driver and needle-nose pliers. The replacement Bowden cable (BMW part no 52-10-8-187-999 for E36 M3 Coupe sport seats) will run you a little over $20 from the dealer
Except for the E36 sedan, a common problem is cable snapping on the seat-tilting mechanism of the two-door models. We've had this happen to both the front seats in our '96 M3 with 130k miles on it. While most BMW owners might be a little intimidated to attempt fixing the problem, we encourage you to save hundreds of bucks at the dealer and do it yourself.
Anybody who can turn a wrench can do this job and it shouldn't take much more than one hour per seat.
While any of the E36 front seats will fit any E36 model, some seat mechanisms are different. Some have manual adjustments while others are electric. The following steps show how to remove and replace the cable on a manually adjusted Vader-style seat found in most non-luxury '95-99 BMW M3 Coupes. The repair on most of the other 3-Series seats should be similar.
1
The first step is to remove the broken seat, which is secured to the rails by four 17mm bolts. Pull the seat all the way forward to remove the two bolts in the rear, and vice-versa for the front | 
2
Once the nuts are out, don't remove the seat yet. Make sure to unclip the connectors underneath first- two large andone small. Now the seat can be removed | 
3
After removing the seat, you might be surprised what you'll find underneath |
4
Remove the headrest by pulling up and out with a strong hand | 
5
Take a screwdriver and pry out the adjustment lever | 
6
Grab both screwdrivers to pop out the adjustment cover. Put pressure inside the cover on the top and bottom to release the clips. On the other, slide it in between the cover and seat to gently pry it out. |
7
Take your T-15 Torx driver and remove the two Torx screws on the bottom portion of the seat back (on some convertibles these screws will be between the holes the headrest goes into) | 
8
With the screws gone, the plastic rear cover should come right out, exposing the inside of the seat | 
9
This is the Bowden cable we'll be replacing |
10
The cables tend to break under the seat, as pictured. To remove the cable, take your needle-nose pliers and pry off the C-clip, as shown | 
11
Next, take a screwdriver and gently pry off the spring washer. This end of the cable is now disconnected | 
12
Remove the small, cylindrical cable attachment from behind the seat tilt handle |
13
Using needle nose pliers makes it easier to remove | 
14
Now slide cable out of its housing so it can be replaced | 
15
With your new BMW cable in hand, slide the cylindrical end back into its housing inside the seat tilt handle (left). It's easier if you compress the spring at the opposite end of the cable (as shown) to give it some slack. Reverse the steps and it should be smooth sailing |