e36 M3 6500 rpm Blues

[328 Power 04]

Yea, always being cyl 5 does not add up to my theory.

I can send you a DME programmed to your car, for reasonable cost.
Do you have any specific BMW diagnostic equipment for ews align? Otherwise I can send it with ews deleted.

[PT356]

328 Power 04,

Not sure what you mean by EWS align? But I am interested in the DME. Do not have any specific diagnostic equipment.

Thanks
Phil

[shadowpuck]

EWS - anti-theft system built into the vehicle. you cannot swap DMEs on an EWS car (as a general rule) without some tweaking. either the DME has to be coded with EWS deleted, or the two (DME and EWS) have to be "aligned" with proper gear - and, IIRC, a used DME cannot be re-aligned (going off of memory so i might be wrong on that last point).

[tiMASTER]

Used DMEs can be aligned. Mine was. No problems there. If you have the skills and equipment to do it.

[shadowpuck]

again, i'm not an expert on that portion - so, just to make sure i understand this (and to clear up my statement) - a used DME would need to be virginized before alignment with EWS, yes?

[tiMASTER]

If you get an appropriate DME for your engine, all you need to do is EWS alignment. If you have a modified engine, you would need a tune of some sort to optimize it for your engine. From what I have learned from Abel, any appropriate DME will allow it to run without a proper tune, but it won't run its best.

I suggest you contact him via PM and carry on from there. He is friendly and VERY knowledgeable on the DMEs as well as custom tunes.

[bmwdirtracer]

Hmm, I'm thinking that this is an EWS 3 car. You can't put a used DME for an EWS 3 (or later) car into a different car, and just realign the two. Sometime around '98, BMW switched from EWS 2 to 3. At that point, a used DME needs to be virginized, before it can be aligned. This is done by knowledgeable and well equipped specialists. The alignment of the EWS and DME, (after the DME is virginized) can be done by most professional level BMW diag computer systems.

In example, I have BMW's own ISTA D and ISTA P, and Autologic (the absurdly expensive and vastly capable top of the line pro system), and a top-quality Launch, available for my use; none of them can make an EWS 3 car run with a used DME from a different car, unless someone like Abel either virginizes the DME, or makes it stop looking for a code from the EWS. (Deletes EWS). Personally, I'd much rather leave the EWS system intact, on any street-used car.



And that's why I send all my computers, and those my shop needs, to Abel. He has perfectly dealt with quite a number of situations for me, all of which were, theoretically, impossible.

Also, I'd like to note that Abel has taught me quite a bit, and amazingly, some of it has stuck......

Case in point:
This week, '02 Mini Cooper S (computer systems pure BMW).
Car was towed from another shop, who had thrown a starter at it, and an alternator (?!?) at it, then sent it to the dealer, who threw a new key at it, and then said it needed an EWS and a DME, and maybe a wiring harness.
It was then flat-bedded back to the other shop, who ordered and installed a new EWS module, which they called "the solenoid under the dash").
Two weeks later, they sent the car to us, and I was told none of the history.

Launch said the two computers didn't match, and that they couldn't be aligned, and the code was "wrong code from EWS"
ISTA said " communication between EWS and DME", and the test plan said " REPLACE DME", after various testing.
Autologic showed the EWS was coded as an Auto trans; luckily, Abel had told me about this before, and I changed the EWS coding to a manual. Still, no start.
Rehooked to ISTA, I see that the EWS was manufactured in December '16.
Customer didn't know the shop had replaced this, with a dealer supplied new unit. I called the shop, and they told me they had replaced this, and, no, they did not have any BMW computers.
DUH.
So I programmed and coded and aligned that brand new EWS, using ISTA-P.

NOPE. "WARNING" was showing, that alignment could not take place, because DME was not new.

So I went in to ISTA - D, and told it to align the DME and new EWS, and it said "OKAY! You can start the car now!"

And I did.


Yeah, baby!

Thanks, Abel.....I may not have needed to call you, (this time), but it was damned sure your teachings that let me send this car home, after the dealer said it needed an EWS, a DME, and a wiring harness.

[tiMASTER]

I am also a student of Abel, but third generation "wrench" as well...

And I can say, from first-hand experience, that a 1999 M roadster DME can be used, and have EWS aligned in a 1998 318ti to run an S52.

Abel just recently did a DME swap (well, I did the easy part and he did the software) from a 1998 or 9 (not sure) M3 and also did some other things for me while he was in there. No issues there either- started first try and ran like a sewing machine.

EWS 3 may have began with the E46. However, I know of several S54 powered E36's and the E46 DME was used. Perhaps EWS was disabled/bypassed hardwire but there sure are a lot of them out there now. I don't have first hand experience with that swap, I have just seen several.

[shadowpuck]

to follow up on my own point - i certainly apologize as i may have introduced incomplete information to the discussion.

that said - i do think the main point i was trying to convey was that without a certain level of intervention - one couldn't just randomly swap in a DME as a troubleshooting test and expect useful results. the level of that intervention may, in some instances, only be possible with techniques that are outside the "normal" practices supported by BMW tools and software.

that's what i was trying to say - but, it wasn't very clear!

now, back to figuring out why this m3 wants to throw a MIL just when it's having fun!

[328 Power 04]

Anything with an MS41 (M52 single vanos, S52US) can be re-aligned with EWS.
It actually goes up to 2000 year model with the Z3M.

[tiMASTER]

And if you do a hard-wire bypass of EWS you can swap dmes around.

[328 Power 04]

Well hard wire will allow cranking, but dme still may refuse to fuel and spark.

[bmwdirtracer]

Anything with an MS41 (M52 single vanos, S52US) can be re-aligned with EWS.
It actually goes up to 2000 year model with the Z3M.

Thanks for clearing that up, Abel. I knew the date was about correct, but hadn't realized that the S52 equipped cars carried the EWS 2 system with them, because of the older DME, while the M52 TU cars of the same year switched to the rolling codes in EWS 3, where EWS delete had to be done within the DME. So, I'm assuming that the M62 cars were all EWS 2, and the M62TU cars were all EWS 3 rolling code cars? (Just remembering the '98 740i DME/EWS you did for me).

[PT356]

I am pretty certain that I have solved my random misfiring issue by installing a re-worked DME. I purchase the DME from Abel and also had him load his engine tune for stock engines. I disconnected the battery and had the new DME installed in around 30 minutes! Hooked the battery back up and the car fired up first try. After a nice warm up I got the car into 3rd gear and shifted up at 6700! WOW!....before it was a bit of a struggle to get to 6500. The car has been transformed and feels like what I imagined an e36 M3 should feel like! Driving the car to work this morning the engine ran much smoother that it ever has. Previously there was always a bit of stumble when shifting up at lower RPM's that is now completely gone. I look forward to getting more familiar with the car's new personality!

Thanks Abel for providing this excellent service to the BMW community by offering a DME replacement option. Also thanks a bunch to all the others that have followed this thread and have made suggestions on how to solve this problem and pointed me towards Abel.

Best,

Phil T
Santa Cruz, CA
'98 M3/4/5 w/81K
'65 Porsche C Coupe Vintage Racecar

[328 Power 04]

That's good to hear! Let me know how it works out for you after a week or so.
The tune is good to 7000 rpm (as is the engine), and it will work well with minor mods, if desired.

I tested this latest version of my tune on an M3 a bit (I'm always finding new things to improve), and it worked really nicely. It should have reduced any rpm rev hang between shifts too.

[thejlevie]

Ina addition to what other Tech experts have said, When you replaced the VC gaskets did you also replace the valve cover grommets and check the coil boots of for oil or cracks?

[bmwdirtracer]

Many thanks, Phil, for the update, and for your persistence. Every now and then, some car just refuses to be cured by the "usual" items, and it really is a bad computer....just like my M5 ended up being.

And after you've tried all the usual culprits, you have to go with whatever's remaining.

Thanks, Abel, for yet another rescue!