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BMW Spring Color Codes

325K views 150 replies 83 participants last post by  nacho  
#1 ·
I’m trying to crack BMW’s color coding system for their springs. Based on a review of spring photos in the classified section and some guesswork, here’s my working theories:

Front springs –
* M3 springs have 1 yellow stripe
* manual transmissions have 1 white stripe on the sport springs
* auto transmissions have 1 brown or orange stripe on the sport springs
* 330’s have 1 white and 1 red stripe on the sport springs

Rear springs –
* M3 springs have 4 yellow stripes
* 330 sport springs have 3 stripes
* 330 non-sport springs have 2 stripes
* non-330 sport springs have 2 stripes
* non-330 non-sport springs have 1 stripes
* manual transmissions have green stripes on the sport springs
* auto transmissions have blue or white stripes on the sport springs

What will help take a lot of the guesswork out of this would be if people can check the markings on their springs and post it along with some info about their car. On my car for example –
1999 323i sedan sport package manual – front 1 white stripe, rear 2 green stripes

Thanks for any info you can provide!
 
#5 ·
ZHP springs are advertised as being stiffer by about 6%F and 8%R, but I believe ride height is the same as the sport package. From the pictures of springs I've seen both ones identified as ZHP and as 330 sport both have one white and one red stripe on the front and 3 green stripes on the rear.
If somebody has a set a loose springs and can take some measurements, we can figure out the spring rates and know for sure.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the info- in looking at photos I haven't been confident in the ability to distinguish white from gray or brown from orange, so it's nice to get some first hand color confirmation. Also, that's the first report I've seen of wagon springs
 
#8 ·
JPR...I just picked up the 01- 330ci suspension from a great guy in Boston. The front springs have 1 white and 1 red. The rear springs have 3 blue stripes.

Explain to me how to measure what you need and I'll take care of it. When I take the old stuff off, I will post again.

Anyone want to buy used 328i sports package struts/springs and shocks? only a mere 115,000 miles on them..ha ha.
 
#66 ·
JPR...I just picked up the 01- 330ci suspension from a great guy in Boston. The front springs have 1 white and 1 red. The rear springs have 3 blue stripes.

Explain to me how to measure what you need and I'll take care of it. When I take the old stuff off, I will post again.

Anyone want to buy used 328i sports package struts/springs and shocks? only a mere 115,000 miles on them..ha ha.

i have some aswell but with 60k on them
 
#11 ·
Here my stock sport front spring on the right and Eibach on the left

01' 330ia, bk/bk, moon, cd, xenon, 18x8 ASA AR1, Axxis brake pad, Eibach spring
Thanks - that's a sport package spring correct?
how about the rears - do they 3 green stripes, 3 blue stripes, or something else entirely?
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the info - that's the second example of a grn/red front spring I've got and the first of grey/grey/grey rear.
Over here, all coupes allegedly come with the "sport" suspension and the "sport package" is mainly other things like seats, steering wheel, etc. Is it different in the UK?
 
#15 · (Edited)
Results so far -

Attached is a copy of the data I've collected so far and also a table of the weights and balance for all the E46 models.
My working assumption is that since the ride height is the same across all model for a given suspension type, then the heavier the car, the higher the spring rate. The other useful bit of info is that during 2001, there was a change from only two types of suspension (standard and sport) to three types of suspension (standard, sport, and ZHP). However, my supposition is that the pre-2001 sport is equivalent to the post 2001 ZHP, and the post 2001 sport is somewhat softer then the pre 2001 sport.
The front springs then, in order of stiffness are coded - gray; orange; white/red; brown
The rear springs, in order of stiffness are coded - green/green; blue/blue/blue; green/green/green; brown/brown.
What is obviously needed though, is a lot more information. So if you've got some OEM springs laying around, please provide some info on their color coding and the details on what car they came from.
***
just realized I attached a slightly older version of the spring colors table than I've currently put together, but it still suffices to make the point that it's possible to begin to see a pattern, but more data is needed
 

Attachments

#139 ·
Attached is a copy of the data I've collected so far and also a table of the weights and balance for all the E46 models.
My working assumption is that since the ride height is the same across all model for a given suspension type, then the heavier the car, the higher the spring rate. The other useful bit of info is that during 2001, there was a change from only two types of suspension (standard and sport) to three types of suspension (standard, sport, and ZHP). However, my supposition is that the pre-2001 sport is equivalent to the post 2001 ZHP, and the post 2001 sport is somewhat softer then the pre 2001 sport.
The front springs then, in order of stiffness are coded - gray; orange; white/red; brown
The rear springs, in order of stiffness are coded - green/green; blue/blue/blue; green/green/green; brown/brown.
What is obviously needed though, is a lot more information. So if you've got some OEM springs laying around, please provide some info on their color coding and the details on what car they came from.
***
just realized I attached a slightly older version of the spring colors table than I've currently put together, but it still suffices to make the point that it's possible to begin to see a pattern, but more data is needed
Thanks for the critical information. I have a 2001 BMW 325xi e46 sport package and picked up recycled parts to get on the road and your charts just informed me that I bought 330xi zhp strut assemblies

Sent from my [device_name] using E46Fanatics mobile app
 
#30 ·
Thanks again for the info - so far blue/blue/blue on the rear seems to be associated with 2001+ coupes with the 5-spd and green/green/green with the automatic. The green/red fronts seem to show up on the 325 version and the white/red on the 330's.
 
#31 ·
Update w/ part numbers

Finally downloaded the ETK and using it, I've been able to start cross referencing spring part numbers with color codes - results so far are attached.

This has revealed a few interesting things about how BMW specified their springs:
- there is some significant inter-model variation based on the production codes, mainly in the post- '01 and '02 builds (depending upon model)
- there are some semi-non-obvious things that change the spring selection
** the navigation system option affects the front springs
** transmission options affect the front spring
** Harmon-Kardon option affects the rear springs
** folding rear seats affects the rear springs

Here's how you can help - if you got a set of OEM springs off your car, post the color code info along with the model, build date, and what options you've got and we can start filling in some holes in the list.

For those that have been gracious enough to already send info, if you could fill in the blanks with the option info, that would help.

Finally, the version of the ETK I'm using is dated 11/03, which means it's missing (or at least I haven't yet discovered) any info on the "ZHP" options. If anybody has a later version and/or can some advice on how track the info down, that would be great.
 

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#35 ·
Update

Here's an update with more models and part numbers - mainly added a lot of info on coupes.

Again, please pass along anything you've got on the spring part numbers and/or color codes along with your your model and option info to help fill in some of the gaps.
 

Attachments

#37 ·
For this effort, all I really need is the color codes on the springs and the info on the car the came from (as much as you've got if you bought them used) - such as model, year, build date, and all options that came with the car. Then I can plug the car info in the ETK and look up the spring part numbers to correlate with the color codes.
Thanks!
 
#38 ·
I just bought a different car. It is a 2001 330i, manual, sport package. It is set up with leather/manual seats, folding rear seats, single CD, sunroof, 17" wheels. I have 1 red stripe in front and couldn't see any in back. This car was built in the 22nd week of 2000 so it is a very early model.
 
#40 ·
Any chance that's an orange stripe rather than red?
And can you possibly find 2 green stripes on the rears?
and Xenons.

I noticed one parts vendor has a line item for Performance Package Control Arms. What would be the difference? I am buying Bimmerworld M Sport Control Arms with Powerflex busings and steel ball joints. I need them regardless, but would like my replacement items to move my handling toward the ZHP I had.
It appears that the ZHP arms and the Meyle (Bimmerworld) arms are fairly functionally equivalent. Both feature metal ball joints and beefed up construction. The ZHP arms may be more beefy, but the Meyle ball joints are replaceable.
 
#39 ·
and Xenons.

I noticed one parts vendor has a line item for Performance Package Control Arms. What would be the difference? I am buying Bimmerworld M Sport Control Arms with Powerflex busings and steel ball joints. I need them regardless, but would like my replacement items to move my handling toward the ZHP I had.
 
#41 ·
The front each are probably one orange like you suggested. The rear honestly look like pink. Maybe they are white, but def not a green or blue. They look funny too, almost like two Ds back to back with a thin stripe in between them. Hum.
 
#42 ·
If you have a full size spare and the Harmon-Kardon sound system, then those are the 095 714 springs, which I have seen in the ETK but had not yet been able to correllate a color code with them. I'll log it in as pink/pink since I already had white/white assigned to 750 250. Thanks for the contribution!
 
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