Z3 saved but_ help, questions remain.

[Gjay]

Hi All,

A few years ago, I bought a really straight 1997 Z3 roadster, manual 5 speed, at a wrecker's auction. Only problem was that the 2.8L engine had been cooked due to highway debris ripping the radiator open the owner trying to drive home, ..... as they usually do.
At the next auction, I bought a wrecked 2004 330i M auto (with low Kms) and spent the next 6 weeks making a new wiring loom, swapping the motor, DME and EWS etc etc.
The Z3 now has a new and somewhat faster life.

However, the car now has among other things, no traction control or cruise. I can live without them; but, the temperature gauge refuses to budge. I’m guessing that it relies on L-Line data. Everything else on the cluster works although the airbag light has a faint glow. I would appreciate any suggestions or work around solutions.

Luckily I have some electronic experience, however, my pdf. workshop manuals are limited. Bentley's E46 was only useful for the ECU pinout and BMW's Z3 disc has 340 pages of excellent electronic circuits but no explanatory notes. I now assume that the Z3 uses K and L-Line data; the E46 only uses K-Line. Correct?????? Thats the problem?????

Thanks for looking. G

[dbarton62]

Post this on the Z series forum. Lots of swaps been done over there.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/f...-(E36-7-E36-8)

[328 Power 04]

The e46 uses canbus, and takes temperature data from the dme.
Best bet is to upgrade cluster to the E46 based ones 1999++ and wire it in correctly. Don't forget to wire in the clutch switch to dme, as it contributes to driving behavior/revhang, etc.

[Gjay]

Ok excelent, thanks for that, I wasnt aware that the later cluster was E46 based. Will chase up a cluster asap. It is already wired .

Interesting about clutch switch, at the time of the swap there was online chatter about high idle speed, so I had a cunning plan to bridge the TMC wiring and effectively stay in neutral. As it turned out, just unplugging the TMC module solved both idle speed and driveability.

One other quick question. With a radical motor / ECU change, how is DSC retained? The original ECU in parallel or other means???????

[328 Power 04]

If you want DSC, you'd have to transplant it completely from the newer Z3s.


You will be surprised of how differently it will behave when putting in a functioning clutch switch.

[Gjay]

Thanks Mate.
She shall have a clutch switch.
DSC hmmm not yet, I enjoy the drift too much.

Cheers Gary