E36 sensor in a e46 car

[Brooky90]

Hi all, i posted a couple of weeks ago on here asking about replacing the camshaft sensor on my e46 3 series and you guys said it would be a quick easy task. I ordered the camshaft sensor off ebay but it wouldn't fit my car. Turns out my car needs an e36 sensor. Apparently alot of early e46 cars were still being made with e36 parts in the cross over period. Apparently it's much more of a bigger job to fit an e36 camshaft sensor and the car will need jacking up to achieve this? Is this true? Can anyone shed some light on this?

[d_a_n1979]

Go onto RealOEM, use the last 7 digits of your VIN where it says VIN number, look on the engine diagram section and then go through it and find your relevant sensor.

Search that part number on eBay using ‘bmw’ then the part number and see what it brings up

[helix402]

Someone’s giving you duff advice,

Here is your engine:






cam sensors are pictured. Not E36 parts.



No jacking up required.

[4rephill]

Brooky90 said:

Hi all, i posted a couple of weeks ago on here asking about replacing the camshaft sensor on my e46 3 series and you guys said it would be a quick easy task. I ordered the camshaft sensor off ebay but it wouldn't fit my car. Turns out my car needs an e36 sensor. Apparently alot of early e46 cars were still being made with e36 parts in the cross over period. Apparently it's much more of a bigger job to fit an e36 camshaft sensor and the car will need jacking up to achieve this? Is this true? Can anyone shed some light on this?

Whoever told you this load of bollocks: Avoid them like the plague! - They haven't got a clue what they're talking about!

(They sound like the sort of people who would claim you have to take the gearbox out to replace the brake pedal switch!)