E39 540i Touring Manual Conversion Checklist & Wiring / Coding

[whiteghost1]

Gentlemen, I'm in the process of hording parts for this swap on my 10/98 build 540iT.
I think the following pedal cluster will work for my swap - can anyone confirm or deny if this pedal cluster will work for my car?

[geargrinder]

You did something wrong w your pix posting, I get "https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/webkit-fake-url://ccc44d2f-70a4-44e4-b7c5-8634d08a61be/imagejpeg"

Basically the easiest way to do pedals is match the era of your current car:
pre-facelift style
M5 / facelift transition style
facelift style

If worse comes to worse you can pretty much adapt any versions if you have to, but its a lot of pointless / no-benefit hassle, and a drop in is clearly much easier.

[vwsprite]

Happy to find this awesome thread! Good job! And way to go gg for shutting down the off topic crap.
I am assembling and prepping parts for my future install. Due to the parts sitting around before I got them, all hydraulic bits need replacing. Still looking for a trans mount, as the guy i got the tranny from gave me an auto one by accident.
I am lucky enough to be close to DUDMD to get my coding done, well at least within towing distance

[geargrinder]

That'll make your life super easy. Then you can be sure to get a cruise-fixed flash as well. I've been thinking I should update the first post with a few things including mentioning the cruise issue in the flash section with some links to Terra's work on it.

[StRaNgEdAyS]

I'd love to have my cruise control back...
Now all I get is it to turn on, but it will not set a speed

Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder.

[geargrinder]

Do you have the cluster-to-DME wire in place? I just was talking to a local sweet 540iT swap owner and he's got same issues (lights up on dash but doesn't do anything). We haven't checked to see if his cluster wire is there, nor if his pedal switches are wired correctly, but if the cluster thinks it is setting cruise in the first place then I suspect that must either be OK or they 'hot wired' the clutch switches.

If cruise actually sets and works a little, but then cuts out frequently/quickly, then thats the differential final drive ratio problem, and is a different story and needs the DME flash to be tweaked.

[StRaNgEdAyS]

Yeah I have the cluster wire done, otherwise I wouldn't have any reversing lights or PDC.
I've checked the operation of the switches in INPA too, and they're all working as they should..
https://youtu.be/N1QcnIwrCTU

Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder.

[SirTweakAlot]

Okay, I have a 99 540i Steptronic wagon that has early drive by wire setup.Im looking at buying a 2000 540i6 as a donor car. Kinda the opposite of what is described in the initial checklist. What is the preferred way to go in my situation -retaining the type 2 accelerator or swapping in the type 3 floor module? I don't want to buy the wrong donor car

sirtweakalot_betty_page_logosm.jpg

[dk500]

You can probably get that car and just put the clutch pedal on your current pedal cluster cause it has a fitting for it, but don't quote me. All do my manual swap stuff came from an 03 M5, so I know it isn't that critical at all.

[geargrinder]

Yeah that's right. "Hybrid" setups are perfectly viable but just may or may not be more work, depending on what we are talking.

The early dbw pedal is Famously a pain in the ass to deal with however thats mainly guys trying to service the pot in situ. In this case you'd swap the the whole pedal bracket over. The issue you'll have is just splicing and running the wire to the floor pedal if you decide to convert using your donors parts. (Your wiring and plug will be for the top hung pedal pot, and you need it to be converted and extended down to the floor). Hmmm. How do you mount the later pedal to the floor I'm not sure. I seem to recall it being done but but the details.

As DK says you could use early version switches etc thats least if the worries.

As I always say - a matching car IS always easiest! But when there's a will there's a way and if your donor is "Economically justified" maybe dealing w the workarounds is worthwhile...

[SirTweakAlot]

if your donor is "Economically justified" maybe dealing w the workarounds is worthwhile...

It kills me looking at Real Oem.... of course the potentiometer on my wagon is far and away the priciest piece by far at $400 and change.

I wonder what sorta wild hare gets up the butts of these engineers and techs where they say "Forget about using a simple and proven throttle cable on this build, lets throw in this needlessly complex and unreliable gadget as our shot at reinventing the wheel. Hell while we're at it lets tie some sure- to-fail sensors into the mix for some false positives that'll have owners frustrated for a decade chasing down problems that turn out to be the defective sensors and not the actual item being bad"

Pride of workmanship? Id rather do all the extra stuff needed to pull off this manual swap than hunt down a 99-00 only 5hp24-000022 (not 000021 or it won't F-ing work) Then pay Bolivian Cocaine prices for Esso nectar of the gods lifetime fill snake oil crap. This will give me much more "satisfaction" to paraphrase Mick Jagger.

KINKBMW.jpg

[Durden]

TWO quick questions to add to this incredible thread.

1 - What are individuals currently using to browse through the wiring charts on BMW Planet? Before downloading a dozen browsers I figured it'd be good to see if there is a new consensus for best method.

2 - Regarding the Autostart and the removal. So my car needs to be put into ignition position 2 and then left there for a beat before the starter will engage. When someone borrows the car that sin't used to driving it and I forget to warn them I always get a call about the battery being dead. I'm not sure if this is a normal symptom of a post-swap vehicle or not...but I thought I'd ask. FWIW from a wiring standpoint the starter relay behind the glovebox has been fully removed and the ignition switch power goes directly to the EWS.

[geargrinder]

Firefox 51.0 and no later is what I have. You need to go and find the old version download, and MUST disable 'updates' IMMEDIATELY on install (they'll want to turn themselves on... I even had it happen after I was sure I'd turned updates off...) or it will update itself to a new version with NPAPI disabled and the Java plug-in won't run. Also you always need to click "run" on the Java popup and never "update" or again... it'll break itself.

Here's the double secret Firefox old versions archive....
https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/

Hmmmm. Dunno bout the starter delay. I don't seem to have anything like that, neither does the other bud who's around here w/ a swap.

If the power supply to the EWS was 'delayed' somehow it might take a second longer to identify the key and allow starter to crank... like if there was a slow relay someplace... but there shouldn't be... the EWS should start recognizing the key immediately even before you can get the key to position 3....

[StRaNgEdAyS]

I have performed a swap using this write up, and I have no delay with the start.
I have it on good authority that it is possible to use the comfort start feature by utilising a pin on the DME that performs the function for a manual version, but I haven't tried it. I don't know if you've heard of this at all GG?
Maybe when I do an engine swap in the future I'll investigate it, the changes I've made to the start circuit all happened in the e-box so they're easily reversible.

Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder

[geargrinder]

No... I think terraphantm dug around and thought that the DME for the MSS52 (E39M5) might contain unused code for the autostart feature but haven't heard of anybody getting it to work on these ME7 cars.

I'd be skeptical as I think prob if the manual car had the code for it, it'd be on the same pins but just disabled. The DME for sure needs logic for it, needs to decide when the engine has started to stop running the starter so it probably would need to be 'turned on'. There are certainly often MANY hidden secret unused code features in ECU's from the factory so it could be there... I"d just expect it not to use some other type of wiring... AND I'd expect it to be tremendously hard to find out how to activate it in the code since no cars came with it from the factory...

[SirTweakAlot]

Let me preface this -my 5hp24-000022 trans on my 540it goes in and out of failsafe mode and hopefully this will improve with a manual transmission. I haven't driven it all that much since buying it in June but tonight was my first time checking MPG on a 55 mile all-freeway run with no traffic and OMF'nG I'm only getting 15mpg hwy? I dont expect a 540i to be a mileage champ but geeze . I was gonna keep the 3.15 diff when I swap in the 6speed but now I'm thinking taller. Is there a taller option than the 2.81?

[geargrinder]

Not for factory. If you go custom diff build maybe. 2.81 is pretty tall on the general scale of things. If you spend any money on a diff you absolutely want to go some kind of LSD. Huge improvement on these cars which can't put their power down through the open diff from the factory, let alone when they get boosted.

Not sure you're ever gonna get much mileage out of an M62 though. If I can get low 20's I'm ecstatic but I'm also probably driving like a granny. Heavy & large, thirsty V8's... these are not mileage cars.

[makenzie71]

Is there anything about the swap that's "one way only"? If you have a manual sedan and a wagon side by side, is there anything preventing a person from basically doing an auto-swap in the sedan?

[geargrinder]

Is there anything about the swap that's "one way only"? If you have a manual sedan and a wagon side by side, is there anything preventing a person from basically doing an auto-swap in the sedan?

Great question. Nope. can't think of any reason why it wouldn't be doable, although wiring would be trickier.

For the manual-auto swap these things would be easier than the manual side:
- No knock-outs to punch out on the receiving car
- No hydraulics to run etc.

These things would be more involved:
- Adding the EGS (TCU) wiring harness in (probably the single biggest hassle) including wiring up to the shifter etc. If you try to steal the wires out of the Tourings looms (and that won't be trivial as they are all interwoven into the looms and harnesses IIRC), then you can't use those wires for the manual swap and need to hand-run them on the manual car instead. Or you go and chop parts of harnesses out of a junkyard auto car. Probably thats the better way, but either way a lot more wiring work.
- Also in wiring category - if you want to wire up the autostart feature for the automatic the wiring will be more involved as there's no wired relay socket behind the glove box for that. But that feature could be considered optional.
- Adding the heat exchanger in with associated plumbing (w the manual swap that's an 'optional delete' - you can leave it in there if you want but in a 2-way swap you'd obv need it)

You'd for SURE want to make the 2 cars same-production period I'd say though, to maximize the ease of swapping. Not that you couldn't still work around it but by far easiest would be side by side same configs, no screwing w/ individual pedal swaps and different pedal switches etc. Just swap the whole pedal bracket one for one.

[makenzie71]

Thanks. Looking at the harness I think I'd rather buy the whole bit from a junkyard for $15. I'm not 100% certain exactly what the purpose of the autostart feature is so I'm sure I could live without it. I think the biggest issue I will have is reprogramming...I have not yet found someone here capable of handling that task without going to the dealership, and they want a small fortune. Pretty far down the road, though.

I appreciate the help! Great post!

[StRaNgEdAyS]

The coding isn't as daunting as it seems...
Just my 2c worth.
I thought it would be the trickiest part too, right up until I tried it for myself.

Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder

[makenzie71]

Well that part's outside of my ability...but not my understanding. I haven't had time to look into the cost of getting the equipment to be able to do it...not sure at this time if it's worth investing in for the two cars.

[StRaNgEdAyS]

The software and cables are cheap, the laptop I did it on cost me $100.


Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder

[makenzie71]

I have plenty of computers. Do you have a link to the cable/software I should be looking at? I'll dig into it when I'm back in my office tonight.

[geargrinder]

not 100% certain exactly what the purpose of the autostart feature is

Just a neato 'convenience' feature so you can click the ignition to starter pos 3 and not hold the key down until its done starting.

Do you know the car does that now, or are you currently holding the key over until it starts like a regular car? (...or wait... do you not actually own an E39 at the moment?)

without going to the dealership

For the 80th time (not your fault...) Dealership can't do this. Not normal dealerships at any rate. The factory software they get is NOT capable of the stuff required to do the recoding and there is NO factory authorized refit procedure. Period.

If a dealer 'can do it' it'd only because they have some master tech who's a bit of a hacker and has the 'unapproved / unofficial' tools we have. There are some rare dealerships like that I guess but 99% of the 'sling cars to hairdressers and charge them as much as we can for oil changes' dealers will be clueless on this.

I'm even quite sure they might tell you "oh yes we can" but I also can tell you they'll be happy to have you bring the car in and futz with it for a day or two before saying "oh we didn't realize we can't do this". Its NOT a hard job but it is WAY off the 'officially permitted procedures' chart.

I appreciate the help! Great post!

My pleasure. I love having set the information free (used to be closely kept secret by a few Indy's who tried to keep it to themselves).

I have plenty of computers. Do you have a link to the cable/software I should be looking at? I'll dig into it when I'm back in my office tonight.

eBay - find a "BMW K+DCAN cable". Some are better than others but they're dirt cheap. Some of the ones with poorer PCB layout can overheat if used for a longer period and then will shut down or at extremes even burn out. I have handfuls of them just in case but truthfully haven't burned one out in a few years.

For software, google "Mike's Easy BMW Tools Package".

How computer friendly are you? The only difficulty once you get the software setup is that the menu interface on some of this software is a bit arcane and clunky.

Stuff like: "what, why do I click 'DONE' on this menu when I'm really not even close to done, I really only just started?!?" or "wait... last time I was on this menu there was (was not) another choice there!? how did it come and go? wait now this list from clicking button X has differnt stuff on it!?".

As long as you get comfortable that some of the steps to follow are semi-arcane like that (aka clicking "done" when you're only "done" with a first pre-procedure) the rest of it is pretty easy. And if you own a BMW post 1990's then having the software is an awesome thing to have anyway - even if you aren't doing a swap.

BTW, to work w/ your E36 you might want to also order an OBD to 20-pin adapter (should be like $6).

You might also want to look at some PASoft BMW Scanner packages on ebay, that software is non-factory but has a slicker interface for reading codes and unlike the BMW stuff, won't throw error codes up at you in German that you have to then translate on the side. It will NOT REPLACE all the functions of the BMW software however so it's an "also" not an "either" in this case. You need the first cable and software to do some of the recoding for sure.