FULL OBC Conversion DIRECTIONS HOW TO

[.Tom.]

hi, I need some help on this conversion. I followed the directions on pelican.
I completed all the steps, Except for the zke control(dont care about code)and the turn stalk(dont have 1)

My problem is that nothing works on my 18 button OBC, not even the clock.
all it does is illuminates(even with the headlights off), it shows no numbers or anything the screen just lights up orange. nothing happens when you push any of the buttons.
Any ideas? mabie a bunk OBC? any help is appreciated

[geiz]

hi, I need some help on this conversion. I followed the directions on pelican.
I completed all the steps, Except for the zke control(dont care about code)and the turn stalk(dont have 1)

My problem is that nothing works on my 18 button OBC, not even the clock.
all it does is illuminates(even with the headlights off), it shows no numbers or anything the screen just lights up orange. nothing happens when you push any of the buttons.
Any ideas? mabie a bunk OBC? any help is appreciated

Aye, doesn't sound good ... my OBC clock runs with the black connector fitted and only the +12V on the white connector as I can remember. Maybe defective OBC?
But Check your wiring 101 times, or ask someone else to check, af fault is easy to make.

[.Tom.]

BAD OBC
Thanks to Kim and Tim for Letting me try theirs out

[johnf]

Have you tried coding it with the DIS tester?

[Mminehan]

I did my 18 button upgrade the other day. All went well including RANGE and CODE funtions.

A few points:
1) The BLUE instrument display plug was missing the needed pin so I had to make one from a spare connector.
2) The WHITE instrument connector already had the 3 wires/pins needed, so didn't need to add one.
3) The big yellow connector for the EWS (and not ZKE) behind glove box as pictured in a previous reply was missing the needed pin. Fashioned one out of a MOLEX connector.

The whole procedure took about 2 hours. The hardest part was getting the damn instrument cluster out and in without removing the steering wheel.

Now I just need to calibrate the fuel consumption feature, which will take a few cycles of filling and driving till empty.

[328Limo]

I just bought the full (18 button) OBC and tried it in my car with only the black connector. The car was equipet with the 11 button OBC before.

When I turned the ignition on the OBC was totally dead. Isn't the clock and Check Control supposed to work without the white connector on the 18 button OBC? Is mine defect?

[johnf]

You might expect it to work like the other multi-information displays, but for some odd reason the OBC takes its power off a couple pins on the second connector you don't yet have.

[Lys]

Hi, I'm new on this forum, I'm Italian...so sorry if my language is not good...

I'm installing the 18 buttons OBC on my 98 E36 convertible, these are the connections made by now (in green the connections made)
the elec scheme is from bentley manual.


But at the moment the OBC works only as in the picture


the big display doesn't work and the hour and date are impossible to setup!
the X1070 pin 14 is not connected yet...may be the reason??? or my OBC works bad?
I don't know where i can find the VIO/WHT wire from fuse45 to X1070 pin14!

p.s. My OBC is from Canada, may be different from european version ?

please help me
cheers

Lys from Italy

[Lys]

someone who can help me?

many thanks

[tdwyatt]

Lys, was the car originally set up for 18 obc or the 11 obc?

[Slick Willi]

someone who can help me?

many thanks

go back and check all connections im sure u have tho lol but i had a problem like this when i was installing it and it turned out i had a loose wire i believe it was a power wire that was loose on the pin cuz u have to bridge over the power wire to the other connector.... once all connections are complete and work solder them and electape it if neccessary check connections with a multimeter i have pics and a partial write-up on my install cuz i got lazy, pm me if u need help

[Lys]

hi guys, thanx!

originally I had the analog clock, so only 3 wires was presents!
I tested the OBC in another car (with 18 obc) and fortunally it works.

tomorrow I'll try to do connection to VIO/WHT wire, i think it's the reason...I hope...

all the connection made by now are well solder and insulated.

328i bmw i'm going to write u a pm for your pics and write up, them could help me.
thanx

[RedNosePit]

Nice write up!!!

I am not in the market to do this now but I can totally apperciate the effort!


Mike

[souroull]

i did this last week
took me roughly half an hour, but i didnt install the turn signal stalk (useless anyway)
i just wanted to note that theres a huge amount of unecessary info here, making people think that this is super hard and time consuming... bull if you ask me.
heres a quick DIY

1) Remove instrument cluster (unscrew 2 bolts on, pull it back, its tricky to get it completely off but its not absolutely necessary) (5 minutes?)

1.5) disconnect the blue and white connector from the back of the cluster (and the small black one too) (5 minutes, its tight back there. sore fingers,but not if i wasnt playing master-tech know it all.)

2)TAP 3 wires off the white connector (go to ratshack and grab a box of tap connectors. slip the original wire in one end, and the new wire to the other end, you're done), (5 mins each, and that includes a cigarette(for each))

3) Insert the pin in the blue connector. (5 mins, needs a good push and be careful, not that anything bad can go awfully wrong but yeah)

4) Tap the power and ground wires from the original OBC harness to the new one (um... not even 2 minutes)

5) run the wires from behind the cluster down to the OBC. (5 minutes, its kind of tight but nothing out of this world)

6) Connect the 4 wires you just run down to the new obc harness (5 minutes including trying to get the gf to hang up the darn phone)

So, we're at 6 wires out of 8 on the new harness. 4 behind instr. cluster, 2 from the original OBC harness. The other one goes to the EWS (bored to do it, dont know how long it'll take, its just the CODE function), and the other one is the turn signal stalk. (useless, you must remove the steering wheel, and buy an extra 25 bucks part)

refer to the DIY for wire coloring. if you're having any trouble figuring it out post up and i'll tell you the colors

[Lys]

now my OBC works!
I connected the VIO/WHT wire and ...BAM! now the big display turn on!

this wire, if u had the analog clock, is behind the dash board under steering wheel.
finally I found it!

[metaljij]

Hello, guys great subjects ur talking about. But can anyone help me fix my 11 button OBC on my 325 92 BMW???
no failure message can be displayed and the the check light in the gauge panel does not light. and thank u for ur help

[docjavier]

It is 10:21pm and I just finished with the 18 Bottons OBC conversion. I had some problems looking for the Pin # 15 on the yellow conector, and after a few hours, I figured that my car has a dam blue connector. I put in the wire on # 15 and connected it to the GRN/BLK wire of the white connector and BAMMM!

Working properly, I need to play around with it tomorrow.

I just wanted to give a big thanks to all you that help with the write ups and updates.

[Binkie]

i did this last week
took me roughly half an hour, but i didnt install the turn signal stalk (useless anyway)
i just wanted to note that theres a huge amount of unecessary info here, making people think that this is super hard and time consuming... bull if you ask me.
heres a quick DIY

1) Remove instrument cluster (unscrew 2 bolts on, pull it back, its tricky to get it completely off but its not absolutely necessary) (5 minutes?)

1.5) disconnect the blue and white connector from the back of the cluster (and the small black one too) (5 minutes, its tight back there. sore fingers,but not if i wasnt playing master-tech know it all.)

2)TAP 3 wires off the white connector (go to ratshack and grab a box of tap connectors. slip the original wire in one end, and the new wire to the other end, you're done), (5 mins each, and that includes a cigarette(for each))

3) Insert the pin in the blue connector. (5 mins, needs a good push and be careful, not that anything bad can go awfully wrong but yeah)

4) Tap the power and ground wires from the original OBC harness to the new one (um... not even 2 minutes)

5) run the wires from behind the cluster down to the OBC. (5 minutes, its kind of tight but nothing out of this world)

6) Connect the 4 wires you just run down to the new obc harness (5 minutes including trying to get the gf to hang up the darn phone)

So, we're at 6 wires out of 8 on the new harness. 4 behind instr. cluster, 2 from the original OBC harness. The other one goes to the EWS (bored to do it, dont know how long it'll take, its just the CODE function), and the other one is the turn signal stalk. (useless, you must remove the steering wheel, and buy an extra 25 bucks part)

refer to the DIY for wire coloring. if you're having any trouble figuring it out post up and i'll tell you the colors

Exactly. This is how easy it really is.

[taseal]

if i could fricking find an OBC and the harness i'm gunna attempt it too :

[Binkie]

if i could fricking find an OBC and the harness i'm gunna attempt it too :

Try emailing somebody parting out an e36 car on ebay. When i did my conversion, i emailed 2 people, both said they would sell me one... 12 bucks shipped.

[Lys]

Hi, the check control on your 18 OBC works?

mine not, there's a text like this "see user manual..." (i'm translating from italian "vedere libretto uso")
i connected all the wires as '98 electrical scheme.
my car is a '98 318.

[Lys]

another question please,
how can I know if my car has check control module? someone has some photos or knows where finds it?

thanx

[shoulders]

I am just about to do the conversion on my 318is(M44). has anyone managed to match up all the wires up. and is it possible to retrofit the check control system.
I am certainly going to look at it as i want all the functions available from the computer.

Instructions for retro fitting the CCM would be brilliant.

Thanks

[Slick Willi]

another question please,
how can I know if my car has check control module? someone has some photos or knows where finds it?

thanx

your obc may need to be calibrated at the dealer, but it should work now that your unit is powerd up im guessing there is something amiss

[johnf]

The official expression is the OBC may need to be "coded". I got into a terrific argument with one of the Meister about needing to do that and had to code my new OBC with their DIS tester while he wasn't watching.

I am just about to do the conversion on my 318is(M44). has anyone managed to match up all the wires up. and is it possible to retrofit the check control system.

Yes and yes, however, I decided adding check control was more trouble than it was worth. For a start, you need to change the rear tail light assemblies and run wires under the carpet from the dash to the tail lights.