Where each body ground is and every part that grounds there. Bad grounds cause the strangest faults; this tells you which eyelet to clean.
projekt36.com/wiring/grounds/
The front ground in the left of the engine bay: the front lights, horns, fan, washer pumps and the level and temperature switches. Two splices (X215 left, X216 right) join with 4 mm² brown wires.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
The main dash ground. It collects three splices (X10008 for the cluster and stalks, X10024 for the dash relays and switches, X10007 for the wiper motor, washer heaters and front relays), each joined with 4 mm² brown.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
Electronics ground in the right footwell: control units and sensors, all brown/orange to splice X10009, then 1 mm² to the body.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
The second right-footwell ground carries the heavier loads: blower, wipe/wash module, cigar lighter, and the console lamps and switches, through splices X10064 and X218.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
The body ground for the doors, the body modules and the passenger seat. On four-door cars the passenger seat items move to X13004.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
The rear ground behind the seat bench: rear lights, licence plate lights, the fuel pump and the driver's seat. The two seat heating switches have their own ground X494 under the driver's seat (X651 / X658 pin 4). A rear light that glows faintly with another one on is a classic X13006 or lamp-holder ground fault.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
Sensitive signal grounds (airbag sensors, PDC, check control, alarm contacts) share this point through splice X13011.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
The engine ground behind the right strut dome: the DME, the EGS and the sensor shields. A bad X6454 shows as running faults that no sensor test explains.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
The coil ground. On the M52 the DME reads its ignition feedback through resistor R6240 on this line.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
The ABS ground. The six-cylinder ABS/ASC unit and its overvoltage relay use X1166 (behind the right footwell trim) instead, and the airbag module X74 pin 6 has its own point X1441 under the rear seat.
Redrawn from BMW ETM 0670.4 ground distribution and 7000.0 location chart (05/99), standard petrol E36 (316i–328i); diesel and M3 parts are left out.
BMW labels every wire with its size and colour, for example 2.5 SW/GE: 2.5 mm², black (schwarz) with a yellow (gelb) stripe. Connectors are numbered X…, followed by the pin. The wires in these diagrams are drawn at relative thickness, so the 25 mm² battery cable stands out from a 0.35 mm² signal wire.
Codes used here: SW = black, RT = red, GN = green, BL = blue, GE = yellow, BR = brown, WS = white.