The Official S54 -> E36 Swap FAQ

[Shuasha]

With S54's becoming more available, and putting them into E36's becoming more popular, it's good to have a central place to store all the info. Please add info in the thread and I'll edit this post to get it all in one place. I'll add stuff I've found over the next few days.

Sections:
Wiring:

From HakenTT's post here: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=662840

Wiring the E46 S54 harness to the E36 late model chassis is not that hard. It was for me because I had to do it all without having any real information. It took me about a week to figure out where every wire goes and what it actually does. BMW is horrible on their wiring diagrams especially on E46, WDS does not tell you everything and most of the time it gives you wrong information. Now that I know exactly what needs to be done, I could wire it up in one day. I will post the wiring information here because I feel like community needs to know and to get some sense of wiring configuration for this swap for the first time. People who have done this swap don't want to share information on wiring, this is very common with bmw community.
The ECU harness will not be able to be moved to the passenger side original E36 location, one of the ECU plugs X60003 is too short, it would needed to be removed from the harness that is routed under the intake manifold. I did not want to make a mess, so I kept it in original condition and decided to locate the DME near fuse box like original location of E46. I will be doing many MSS54 flashings and testing so I wanted it in that location.
Harness comes with DME relay and Injectors relay and its own little fuse box. Power and ground is easy.
Thick red wires go to battery + and brown(with brown sometimes) goes to ground. I am eliminating X20 connector and wiring it all directly and using only the 16 pin diagnostic port inside the car. I am making this swap full OBD2 compliant
The main part of the harness is the connector X60004 it goes to the chassis, and you must get it from the donor car, has to be cut off. It is a black 40 pin connector that is 4th in line on the MSS54 DME. From other connectors only about 3 wires need to be connected.
X60004 connector pin out information with where to wire them on late model E36, a 1999 323is in my case:

1. Signal, terminal 61, [mss54 dme sends the signal for alternator charging lamp in the cluster, the alternator is controlled by the dme itself and not by a cluster. Wire this to pin 25 on the X20 connector]
2. Engine start signal feedback, connector voltage signal, terminal 30h [empty slot in my case, this is on early models, I did not wire this anywhere, but you can add pins to the x60004 connector easily]
3. SAP relay, [ if you want secondary air pump then this wire sends ground signal to the SAP relay, you will need to steal SAP relay wiring from your E36 harness, in my case I wanted this, because I am running catalytic converters, I am keeping my swap full OBD2 compliant]
4. Signal to electric fan [ fan is controlled by the mss54, on e36 fan is controlled by thermo switch and A/C relay, you won't be able to use this feature]
5. Ground [empty slot on my x60004, if you got the wire there, then ground it]
6. Starting signal [ wire this to pin 18 on X20 it signals dme that engine is cranking]
7. Ground for electronic pedal [ to pin 1 of E46 pedal connector]
8. Electric pedal [to pin 4 of pedal connector]
9. Voltage supply for electric pedal [to pin 5 of pedal connector]
10. Not used on USA models [fuel pump relay on EU models, this is regular relay not EKP, not sure if this will work on US mss54]
11. Oil pressure signal [to dash oil pressure light bulb, wire to pin 23 on X20]
12. Ground electronic pedal [pin 2 of pedal connector]
13. Electronic pedal [pin 6 of pedal connector]
14. Electronic pedal [pin 3 of pedal connector]
15. Sport button switch [ this wire receives momentary ground signal to turn on sport mode, I rigged my E36 ASC switch for this, you must wire it straight]
16. Sport button switch LED light [ mss54 sends ground signal to the 12v LED to indicate that sport function is turned ON, I rigged the ASC switch to work, all though you can barely see the light]
17. RPM signal to the diagnostic connector [use this as a RPM signal to the cluster if you don't plan on using CAN supported cluster out of Z3, to pin 20 on X20 connector]
18. Activation heating fuel tank leak module [I did not wire this yet because I can delete the evaporative system out of the mss54 and still pass emissions, you are allowed to have at least two uncompleted readiness monitors on E36, but I plan on wiring it, the late model E36 fuel tank should be good enough for E46 leak module to work, I plan on using muffler flap, carbon canister solenoid wires from X6031 connector so that I don't have to run wires directly to the spare tire location]
19. Not used
20. Activation valve for fuel tank leak module [optional]
21. Oil level signal for E46 instrument cluster [ no wiring option if E36 cluster is used]
22. Vehicle speed [wire to pin 9 on X20 connector, it is signal from ABS unit and mss54 needs it, this can also be deleted by mss54 programming]
23. Not used
24. Brake light switch S_BLS negative [I deleted this option from the mss54, it is only for cruise control that you won't be able to run on E36 anyway]
25. Not used
26. Terminal 15 fuse F29 [ wire this to switched 12v, pin 21 on X20 connector]
27. Data link steering wheel cruise control [no option on E36, must be deleted from the mss program]
28. Not used
29. A/C compressor relay control, [sends ground to relay, you won't be able to use this option on E36, because mss54 needs K-Bus information from climate control module, and E36 module can't do this, also A/C required pressure sensor and not pressure switch]
30. Fuel tank leak diagnosis module [optional]
31. Not used
32. TXD diagnostic signal K-bus line [ wire to OBD2 connector pin 7, X6031 pin 4]
33. EWS signal [rolling code signal wire from EWS, you won't be able to use EWS2 system. Get EWS 3.3 system or get ews delete program from me]
34. Brake light switch BLTS B+ [not required]
35. Not used
36. CAN bus HIGH signal to cluster[no use on E36 cluster]
37. CAN bus LOW signal to cluster [no use on E36 cluster]
38. Ground for radiator temperature sensor, located in lower hose [you could wire this and put sensor anywhere, but this is for fan control that you can't run on E36 anyway so best is to delete this from mss54 programming]
39. Signal from radiator temp sensor [optional]
40. Not used

EKP-modul [regulated fuel pump relay must be used, the E36 relay will not work properly, I installed the ekp relay inside the E36 fuse box]
EKP pin 1 [pulsating signal from mss54 connector X60002 pin 11 then to X6021 pin 1 black/violet (black 4 pin connector), I just wired this directly]
EKP pin 2 [to fuel pump, pin 13 on X20 fat green/purple wire]
EKP pin 6 [battery +12]
EKP pin 7 [ground]
EKP pin 8 [switched +12, DME relay X6021 pin 2, white/red wire]
X60002 pin 20 [signal from gear recognition switch, this is for cruise control, you will not be able to wire this to E36, it needs to be deleted from the mss54 program]
X60002 pin 12 [ecu box cooling fan negative trigger, if you plan on installing mss54 dme in stock e36 location than you could mod the cover so that dme can be cooled via fan, this is something that I don't use so I just deleted the E-box cooling fan out of the programming]

Black 8 pin connector:
Pin 1: starter cranking, fat black wire [connect to pin 18 on X20]
Pin 2: power for oil level sensor [connect to switched 12v, pin 21 on X20]
Pin 3, 4 ,5, 6 [are all empty no wires]
Pin 7: gray wire [unknown, seems to go nowhere in the harness]
Pin 8: yellow/black wire goes to X60003 pin 19 [unknown, I can't find any information about this wire]
That's about it when it comes to wiring.
DME Mss54 or mss54hp has to be reprogrammed for proper operation because some of the components must be deleted from programming. Contact me via private message if you need this service, most of the tuners don't even have a test car to test the dme, I do have one and know what exactly needs to be done.

Required and optional programming:
Anti theft module delete, brake light switch delete, cruise control delete, CAN bus delete, E box fan delete, radiator sensor and fan delete, A/C delete, clutch gear recognition delete, steering angle sensor delete, DSC delete, emissions components delete…..etc.

Headers/Exhaust:

Most S54 headers seem to fit just fine, including OEM. Ebay Supersprint knockoffs run around $150 and work fine, but may require some blowtorching and hammering to fit right.

DME software requirements/vendors:

If you're using the stock DME, you have to disable lots of parts of the software. Several companies do this, such as Bimmerworks/Epic and Markert Motorworks. There are several members that can do it for you for a low price and there is even a thread discussing how to do this on M3forums. http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=423771

The other option is a stand-alone engine management product.

Anti-Lock Braking:

From HakenTT's post here: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...4&postcount=10

I made a plug and play adaptor for (non ASC) ABS unit from 1996 328i to plug into my late model 1998-1999 E36 ABS/ASC-T 55 pin connector.

ASC-T system will apply rear brakes if the rear wheels are spinning, that is something you don't want if you plan on racing. I am not but I had to do it because I did a S54 swap.

Wiring:

55 pin abs/asc connector 1998-1999 models to 41 pin connector 1996 ABS
-----------------------------
55pin - 41pin

1-17
2-na
3-26
4-9 (I used ign cut off signal green/white wire from DME then wired it to "abs pump on" signal on the ABS relay, so that I don't have to run wire directly)
5-na
6-na
7-28
8-na
9-na
10-14
11-36
12-na
12-1
14-na
15-32
16-na
17-24
18-39
19-41
20-na
21-na
22-22
23 all the way down to 28 will have no connection
29-13
30-16
31-na
32-29
33-na
34-42
35-19 and 8
36-27
37-40
38-na
39-24
40-2
41-na
42 to 44 no connection
45-35
46-34
47-15
48-37
49 to 51 no connection
52-23
53-na
54-25
55-39

thats it, and it works, keep the existing relays. The ASC-T switching valves have two more ports for the rear wheels, I wired them in the series as you can see on the wiring pinout, please use wiring diagrams if you plan on doing this.



Intake/MAF:

You can use the stock intake tube and cut out the MAF housing from the stock airbox if you like. Others either make their own or buy an aftermarket cold air intake. The actual MAF sensor isn't a bad thing to replace when doing this job and can be had cheaper if you find the VW equivilant using Bosch part number 0280218062. Make sure to get a real Bosch one, there are lots of knockoffs on Ebay for cheap that may not work well.

Cooling:

Most people go with the stock S54 overflow tank or the Euro S52 setup next to the battery connector.

For the radiator, an S54 MRoadster/Coupe fits right in.

Oil Cooler - OEM will bolt to the stock S54 MRoadster radiator, or you can custom fab your own.

Transmission/Clutch/Driveshaft:

The stock E36 I6 transmissions bolt up to the S54, you can also use the E46 6-speed if you like. Clutch-wise, the main difference is the hub sprocket size in the E46 transmission. (You need the clutch disk from an E46 M3 if using an E46 transmission)

Driveshaft: If using the E46 6 speed transmission, you'll need to use an E36 auto driveshaft. The E46 one from the M3 won't bolt up.

Bearing replacement info:

It's a good idea to replace the rod bearings while the engine is out. Most of these engines have 70k+ miles and may not have had the bearing recall done. On my 1/2003 build date engine with 80k miles, all of the piston side bearings were showing copper. You can go with OEM shells, or get any of the modified ones from VAC motorsports or Bimmerworld. Here's the procedure to follow: http://members.roadfly.org/kmurph/BearingsSB.pdf

Part numbers: 11247835440 and 11247835439
Note: There was a kit that included the bearings and oil pan gasket for cheap (11410395192). It is NLA from the dealer.

Important info: If you go with OEM rod bolts instead of ARP, there is a different procedure for installing them depending on when your car was built. Read that PDF carefully before taking things apart.

VANOS refresh:

Air Conditioning info:

Emissions:

While technically not following the letter of the law, you can potentially pass an OBD2 test with the right software.

Physical Engine Swap

To make life easier, disconnect your steering column from the steering rack, that gives the room you need to get the oil pan behind the rack. The M50 based engines have really short exhaust headers which leave lots of room to maneuver around the column, but the S54 ones are much longer and really get in the way. It's a good idea to take off the air intake shelf that sits above/behind the engine to make more room too.

Power Steering Pump

I had to swap over the stock E36 power steering pump, the banjo bolt fitting on the S54 pump was a different size.

[Zodiacbw]

Air Conditioning and CEL: You can either build your own controller that interfaces to the body harness and CAN bus from the ms54 or just hard wire the AC (you will have idle problems and CELs hard wiring it). I sell ready to go boards for this.

[wanganstyle]

what makes this official? S54 swap is old hat; no large collection of misc hearsay will ever replace actually just doing the swap.


Bolt in the s54, wire up whatever DME you desire to use.

What is so hard about this that it requires an OFFICIAL status?

[Shuasha]

Way to get tied up in labels. It's just a one-stop shop for the info instead of reading through 20 threads on 5 forums. I'm trying to make life easier for people doing this project.

[wanganstyle]

Way to get tied up in labels. It's just a one-stop shop for the info instead of reading through 20 threads on 5 forums. I'm trying to make life easier for people doing this project.

Honestly you are not; have you actually done a s54 swap???

[Shuasha]

Currently doing one, hence the frustration. Go elsewhere to troll please.

[vanishm3]

Go elsewhere to troll please.

THANK YOU

good information thank you very much

[Spec3HOR]

THANK YOU

good information thank you very much

I would have to agree. Why the negative bashing? Thank you OP for the consolidation of information.

[vollosso]

If the info was around a year ago id be s54 instead of going turbo :/.

Good info OP. Keep this whole and put the pictures through BFC so they always are there.. So its valuable for future.

[mlg2ca]

REALLY good info ! Thank you. Am planning to do a swap in slow time next winter.

[Kaiv]

what makes this official? S54 swap is old hat; no large collection of misc hearsay will ever replace actually just doing the swap.


Bolt in the s54, wire up whatever DME you desire to use.

What is so hard about this that it requires an OFFICIAL status?

I think the OP is just trying to gather together whatever he finds on the subject.

But I see where you're coming from though. Some people almost need a full parts list and a DIY before they start any project lol

[Shuasha]

Added some things I learned from my swap so far.

[mindstorm00]

The swap is pretty straight forward it self! But, there are a few tricky and annoying situations people doing the swap might run into.

Transmission/Clutch/Driveshaft

If using 6 speed from e46 m3, You cannot use the e46 m3 driveshaft like ''my dumbass'' tried to do! It will fit on the car, guibo bolts will be fine, but 6 driveshaft won't '' they will align but not bolt''
Using the euro evo shifter linkage seems to work but shifter will not sit centered! At least this was my case using oem evo linkage :/
E46 m3 slave cylinder as said by many, won't work.

e36 m3 e46 m3 e36 325i



Power Steering Pump

You can swap to e36 pump as an easy fix, or over do it like me and run the lines to an extra transmission cooling radiator, with custom fittings...

[GG///M3]

What makes it more difficult to do this swap into a obd1 m3?

[Shuasha]

I'm not sure that it is, besides adding an OBD2 port somewhere.

[SneauxM3]

I'd say it makes it easier, look at the wiring diagram above and it tells you right there. There are a handful of items that will not be needed in an OBD1 car, and then adding a diagnostic port isn't too difficult since it's already on the other harness. Just pin your connections correctly as would any wiring project.

[auaq]

So here has done it on a OBDI chassis?

[Shuasha]

Lots of E30's have done it, not sure about OBD1 E36's.

[auaq]

Lots of E30's have done it, not sure about OBD1 E36's.

Right, I meant on E36's with OBDI.

[sh1ftgear]

I will be doing my obd1 e36 m3 in the next month or two . I ll have pictures and info to add

[auaq]

I will be doing my obd1 e36 m3 in the next month or two . I ll have pictures and info to add

Good luck! I'm actually searching around to purchase an E36 to do this swap. I found one that I'm interested and is a 1992 325i 5 speed. Hoping to do this in the future.

[SneauxM3]

Mine will be ODB1, but I haven't wired up my harness yet. Waiting for my bentley manual on E46 to show up, and trying to hunt down a Z3 harness if I can before going through the lengthening of the oem E46 harness

[mindstorm00]

Mine will be ODB1, but I haven't wired up my harness yet. Waiting for my bentley manual on E46 to show up, and trying to hunt down a Z3 harness if I can before going through the lengthening of the oem E46 harness

Z3 m harness?

[Shuasha]

Z3 m harness?

You can just order one from the dealer or online, cheapest I could find is $350/380 and it has to come from Germany. Even sites that say it ships in 2 days are wrong.

[SneauxM3]

The Z3M with S54?

Usually see them going for around $3-400....but I have seen them at $200 as well. Which is what I am hoping to find, but now that it's become known you can save a lil leg work using the Z3 harness, their prices have gone up.