Auto to manual swap problems

[Whatchamacallem]

Good evening folks. I have a 95 325i with a trans from a 98 328i. Ive been watching auto to manual swap videos religiously before i started the swap. so long story short, alls thats left to do is to put the exhaust on and wire the car to start. Again, ive been watching videos and following the directions to a T, but my car wont start. you guys have any wisdom out there? ive been battling this car for a week or so now, everyday walking away defeated....i want my car back.
I did the wiring to test the reverse lights, they worked, but when i went to put the harness on for the trans, the reverse lights didnt come on. I wanted to be able to start the car without using the clutch, yep, did that and it doesnt work. what am i doing wrong here??
any info given will be greatly appreciated.

[DEFKON99]

dont use the puter for the trans

[Richkid79]

At first I was doing the same as you, then I went to the local u-pull-it junkyard and got a 5-speed engine harness from a 95 325is for $35. Makes life much easier.

Check this DIY, hes swapped and still using the auto harness

http://e36-tech.com/DIY/5speedswap.htm

[DEFKON99]

lol thats my DIY , Damn its still floating around

[Richkid79]

lol thats my DIY , Damn its still floating around

Yep, Im sure youve helped many!

[DEFKON99]

Yep, Im sure youve helped many!

its my pleasure

[jc43089]

You say you want to start the car without the clutch pressed in but you have a 95? Have you looked at the ETM? It wasn't until later that the clutch switch prevented the car from starting, the switch was only there to disengage cruise control until a couple years later.

Google "Wedo BMW ETM" There are ETMs for each production year.

[Whatchamacallem]

hey guys, thanks for the insight. ive even followed your thread, DEFKON. step by step even before starting the swap. when you say dont use the computer for the trans, i assume youre taking about the DME. My 95 comes with 2 DME and they look different than each other. i watched a video and the dude took out the chip and plugged the DME back in. if i take my manual computer from the 98 donor, would it work then? or when you said dont use the computer, am i disconnecting one of them?

[Richkid79]

Keep your engine dme plugged in (the top one) remove/unplug the trans computer (the bottom one). The dme from the 98 will not work without re-aligning the EWS

[flyfishvt]

Keep your auto trans harness and leave the auto tranny computer plugged in. The ASC system is wired through it. The only thing required for your car to start is to bridge the 2 wires at the auto shifter console. Join the brown wire to the black/yellow wire. No switches or anything else is needed unless you want to install a clutch safety switch. With those 2 wires connected the car should start. If it doesn’t then pull your fuses and che k them.

[Whatchamacallem]

i went to VAC Motorsport today and they gave me an auto shifter assuming i didnt have the car in park before the swap. the only thing i would think that needs to be connected is the harness that i cut the wires off of for the reverse lights and the clutch bypass. you think if i plug this back in and move the shifter like its still auto (doesnt have the shift cable on it anymore) do you think that would work?

[Auto Parts Guy]

No. Do as flyfishvt says. I've done the swap on a 93 325i and a 97 M3, although I forget which color wires to connect to trick the car it's in P. If it doesn't work then you have other issues. The auto shifter won't do you any good. If connecting the 2 wires doesn't work, check fuses first, then make sure you have power at the starter.