Disconnect the negative (-) battery cable and cover the battery terminal to prevent accidental contact; before disconnecting, read the battery disconnection cautions in 001 Warnings and Cautions; raise vehicle support safely and remove underbody splash shields; on AWD cars remove the front suspension reinforcement plate; partially remove front wheel housing liners at the front and rear of the wheel wells and disconnect the steering shaft from the steering rack. Install an engine support brace across the engine bay, thread a vehicle tow hook into the threaded bore in front of the cylinder head (the F30 trunk tool tow hook does not fit the N20 cylinder head, use a tow hook from an earlier BMW), attach the support brace chain to the tow hook and raise the engine slightly to relieve load on the mounts; on AWD remove the upper engine mount fastener on both sides, on RWD remove fasteners from the engine mounts working from below. Unlock coolant hose clamps on the Front Cross-Member and move the coolant hose aside, unlock and disconnect electrical harness connectors from the steering gear and unclip the harness from the Front Cross-Member; unclip the electric power steering wire harness from its bracket and any other cable ties, then move the power steering cables out of the way to prevent damage during Front Cross-Member lowering; at the left and right front bumper corners unfasten and fold down the splash shields. At the driver's side release the indicated fastener and unclip cable tie, support the Front Cross-Member with a suitable workshop jack (loosen nearby splash shields near bolt 3 if needed), remove fasteners 1-3 and lower the Front Cross-Member no more than 10 cm (4 in); for installation reverse removal, first tighten bolts 1 (M12x45), ensure the foam seal for bolt 2 is installed between the Front Cross-Member and body, then tighten bolts 2 (M12x165) and bolts 3 (M14x60) together.
