M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
FAQ / REFERENCE => How-To's => Topic started by: Zoso on March 10, 2006, 09:59:41 AM
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No 318 in the US ever came with the full OBC, but I've been enjoying one in my car for a few months now. It requires a bit of work and a special coding plug. As far as I know, I'm the only 318 owner to have done this.... for now :D
http://zoso.no-ip.org/318i-obc.html
OBC pages from owners manual (http://ee1394.com/bmw/docs/obc/obc_manual.zip) - 800k .zip
Interesting OBC tips (http://home.att.net/~ebaines/e28_obc.htm)
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I followed this and am now the second (? -- i doubt it) 318 owner celebrating his car's high gas mileage. I got my coding plug at zionsville.
Also, for anyone interested, I have a OBC-compatible turn stalk, and the wiring, horn, and relay box for the CODE featuer for sale!
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Febi-
How much were you looking to get for the parts? I've been trying to get things together for this for a little while now.
Zoso-
Many have said this before, but you're write-ups are first rate. Your OBC write up is what convinced me that this was doable.
Brian
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+1 on that... it's a very doable retrofit... I did it when I swapped my dashboard and it made it even easier.
m42_fan ygpm.
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I followed this and am now the second (? -- i doubt it) 318 owner celebrating his car's high gas mileage. I got my coding plug at zionsville.
how much did you pay for that coding plug? i need to order mine cause i just bought a full obc for my car as well. Also what p/n is the coding plug...i wanna make sure that i will be ordering the same thing :)
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Many have said this before, but you're write-ups are first rate. Your OBC write up is what convinced me that this was doable.
Brian
Glad I could help! I always love seeing writeups on the internet - combined with the Bentley, I know what I'm getting into before starting something. So when I do a procedure, I just snap a few pictures and writeup it up. It's the least I can do to give back to the E30 community.
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how much did you pay for that coding plug? i need to order mine cause i just bought a full obc for my car as well. Also what p/n is the coding plug...i wanna make sure that i will be ordering the same thing :)
Part number is 65 81 1 394 111. Bavarian Autosport got it for me for... I can't remember exactly, but it was either $23 or $32.
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wow that much for a little tiny chip?! lol i thought i'd be like $5 bucks..w/e ill order mine sometime this week.
thanks!
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awesome write up!- the car i hope to buy has the OBC hanging out by a few wires so i assume i will need to do this..
thanks again
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I've fitted an OBC to my 316i about one year ago. My only problem is the AVMPG+RANGE which isn't correct because the codeplug is for a 325i, but i'm waiting for my M42 swap to order the iS codeplug.
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Check out my OBC.....I'll do a writeup if anyone wants to know how to install one:
(http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNzc2MjQ2NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg)
......got it off ebay for $12.
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It takes me too long to read that clock. I'd crash the car before I figured out the time.
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It takes me too long to read that clock. I'd crash the car before I figured out the time.
......but it looks cool (you get used to it).
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Well, I finally got this one done this weekend. Went just like Mike's writeups said. I excersised my better judgement and decided to forgo the code junk. Just a couple of observations:
1) I screwed up. While I was in there, I replaced all of the small bulbs in the cluster (including adding one for my now-present foglights). I didn't have the right bulbs for the two big amber ones that backlight the cluster at night. Well, you can guess what happened. I'll be going back in there sometime in the next month or so to put those bulbs in. Thankfully only the one on the tach side is out--for now.
2) If you don't have a 21mm socket when you go to take off the wheel, an O2 sensor socket will work.
3) When I took the car out for a test trive this afternoon, I noticed something interesting. The values the OBC was giving me don't quite match up with what the cluster is telling me. Example: I'll set the max speed function to 50 mph. the alarm will not go off till the speedo reads ~55 mph. Same at 30 mph. In addition, the mpg function was showing that I'm getting 27-28 mpg with 90% non highway driving. By hand, I have been calculating 22-23 mpg. --Note: I do have the correct coding plug installed.-- I'm going to assume that the OBC is giving me the correct info, and that the cluster is just off due to age or something like that unless someone on here has any better ideas.
Comments? Questions?
BTW, thanks for all the help with the write up, Mike.
Brian
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Hey, as the E30 world's resident non-expert OBC go-to-guy... I added a link below zoso's writeup with some interesting tidbits about the obc (http://home.att.net/~ebaines/e28_obc.htm)...
I guess that tiny wheel... it's used to sync the OBC with exactly how much gas you have left in the tank. Kinda cool... who knew (obviously not me).
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Glad to hear you put my writeup to use! The retrofit really isn't that tough, is it?
The speed limit and the MPG have been right on for me.
Interesting about the speed limit. I have heard that BMW speedos can be off by a few percentages. The speed limit on my M3 is 140MPH, but it always kicks in at 136 or 137 :)
Regarding the MPG feature, try this. Get on a long flat road or highway and get it to 25MPG exactly on the dash then reset the computer and see how it matches. I'm curious if that'll match.
Do you have the stock cluster and the stock rear diff?
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Yep, cluster stock, diff stock 4.10 posi.
I'm leaning toward the cluster being off. A few months ago as a test I reset the odometer as I passed a milepost on the highway. It wound up being off by 1/2-3/4 of a tenth every mile. I don't remember if it was reading high or low though.
I'm going to try the fuel economy test like you said, might be a couple of weeks though, since I'm riding my bike to school now that the weather has warmed up.
Brian
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The speed @ wich the OBC beeps is your real speed. The speedometer has a 10% error. (eg. @ 200km/h is actually 180km/h, 200 x 10/100=20km/h wich is you speedo error@200km/h)
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The speed @ wich the OBC beeps is your real speed. The speedometer has a 10% error. (eg. @ 200km/h is actually 180km/h, 200 x 10/100=20km/h wich is you speedo error@200km/h)
I'd heard that BMW speedos were a bit optimistic but I always tought it wasn't more then 5 km/h...btw my car came with the 13 button OBC and I love it. L/100km is very useful, so is average speed and the speed limit for long trips.
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The optimism of the speedo depends on your tire size. ;)
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Part number is 65 81 1 394 111. Bavarian Autosport got it for me for... I can't remember exactly, but it was either $23 or $32.
ey mike, i finally got around to ordering the coding plug. BavAuto has em for $60 plus shipping..
Sooo i ordered from BMA. Cost me $52 shipped. Patrick is the man...
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In about two weeks i'm going to attempt to retrofit a full E36 OBC.(except the checkcontrol part which is a pain) :D
I've bought an E36 '94 M42 engine a month ago (to upgrade from my 316i) so i've practicly got the E36 electrics, ECU and everything. I'm 75% positive it will work. :D
I'll come back with detalis when it's done. ;)
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In about two weeks i'm going to attempt to retrofit a full E36 OBC.(except the checkcontrol part which is a pain) :D
I've bought an E36 '94 M42 engine a month ago (to upgrade from my 316i) so i've practicly got the E36 electrics, ECU and everything. I'm 75% positive it will work. :D
I'll come back with detalis when it's done. ;)
NICE! Come back soon lol...i was thinking about the compatibility issues but lets see how you manage!
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In about two weeks i'm going to attempt to retrofit a full E36 OBC.(except the checkcontrol part which is a pain) :D
I've bought an E36 '94 M42 engine a month ago (to upgrade from my 316i) so i've practicly got the E36 electrics, ECU and everything. I'm 75% positive it will work. :D
I'll come back with detalis when it's done. ;)
About to do a simular engine swap in a couple of months time. Whats the advantage of the e36 obc?
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the e36 obc has more functions...
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=156801&d=1150075977
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NICE! Come back soon lol...i was thinking about the compatibility issues but lets see how you manage!
Please do share your thoughts! Any comment/feedback is welcome. :)
Right now i'm thinking to replace my E30 instrument cluster with the E36 one. :D
The electrics isn't a problem, the physical part is the problem. I'm thniking of some sort of way to mould the E36 instrument cluster in the E30 dashboard.
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Just a though - take the innards of the e36 and put them in the e30 case... might work!
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Ok, gave up on the E36 instrument cluster. :D
Anyway, i installed my E36 OBC in my E30 yesterday...YES, with my M40 engine and it all works accuretly! :D Wohooo!
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Ok, gave up on the E36 instrument cluster. :D
Anyway, i installed my E36 OBC in my E30 yesterday...YES, with my M40 engine and it all works accuretly! :D Wohooo!
PICS!!!
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we need pics...
also, I think E46 gauges are the same diameter as ours, if that helps any (prolly doesn't, haha)
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Anyway, i installed my E36 OBC in my E30 yesterday...YES, with my M40 engine and it all works accuretly! :D Wohooo!
Way to go dude! New engine is in already?
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I'll take some pics today, the new engine isn't in, i hope to start the "process" at the end of the week. I still need the starter pinion. :( The OBC is mounted just for tests right now, it's in the final form. Anyway, i'll post some pics a bit later. :rolleyes:
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I know it's been a long time from "today" but my camera needed some "troubleshooting" and i hope i'm going to get the pics out tomorrow.
Sorry for the delay!:(
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I know it's been a long time from "today" but my camera needed some "troubleshooting" and i hope i'm going to get the pics out tomorrow.
Sorry for the delay!:(
its all good, just get the pics and we'll be cool ;)
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I have to ask - why? The E36 OBC is just slight better than the E30 OBC buy you really don't gain anything but a longer display and a funky looking install.
(As you can tell, I'm not a fan of modding just for the sake of modding :))
With that said, I'm looking forward to pics!
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Finally, the pics. The OBC install isn't in it's final form, i'm waiting to get my engine in and then i'm going to make a nice frame for it. Also since the pics have been taken i fixed the display as well. :D
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I have to ask - why? The E36 OBC is just slight better than the E30 OBC buy you really don't gain anything but a longer display and a funky looking install.
(As you can tell, I'm not a fan of modding just for the sake of modding :))
With that said, I'm looking forward to pics!
You answered yourself. :) The E36 OBC IS better than the E30 one. It's got lots of more functions than the E30 one. I've got both, so i know. :D I've retrofitted a CheckControl, too. I haven't made it 100% functional (rather like 60% of it works) because i don't have all the sensors from the 6cyl (like the oil one, for ex.) + it's cool, when i get in my car it looks like a spaceship with all the buttons. Ha!
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love it!!!
(don't know why, exactly, but I love it and salute you!!)
how deep is the E36 OBC unit? is it DIN sized?
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It's not deep at all. I had mine (my E36's) out at one time. It's about as deep as it is tall - maybe a little deeper than tall.
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I'll take a pic tomorrow and write the dimensions. ;)
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Did anyone keep the information on the swap? The link no longer works and I need to swap my 13 button into my other 318is. Thanks
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Did anyone keep the information on the swap? The link no longer works and I need to swap my 13 button into my other 318is. Thanks
Funny thing is, I'm looking to do the same thing! I just scored an OBC from a friend and now I have no directions. :(
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:(
Funny thing is, I'm looking to do the same thing! I just scored an OBC from a friend and now I have no directions. :(
Same here! What happend to the link?
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:(
Same here! What happend to the link?
heh, me too.
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really nobody with the original document? :(
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Hey Vladi,
Do you have any further updates to a completed install w/ the E36 OBC AND the overhead "check panel" you were working on? Did you ever get the overhead check panel completely working - if so, how?
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I'm looking to do this mod on my '98 e36 318iS..and the link's GONE...
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Part number is 65 81 1 394 111. Bavarian Autosport got it for me for... I can't remember exactly, but it was either $23 or $32.
Looking for a coding plug. Can you give me a link or a contact?
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OK, I'd like to keep this alive and have a couple more questions. BTW, the writeup from Zoso is amazing, but there are some things I think that are missing.
So then as I'm doing this (I have the dash removed currently, so I have MUCH easier access to wiring), and as I removed the parts from a car in a yard, there is some stuff missing.
I'll reference the pic from Zoso's site (sorry if this is bad form- let me know and I can put it on my own pic hosting site if needed).
(http://zoso.no-ip.org/images/318i-OBC/08-parts.jpg)
In this pic, you will see a green plug just above the chime pretty much smack dab in the middle of the pic. This goes to a "relay box" according to realoem (#7 in this pic)
(http://longtallsallygs.smugmug.com/Cars/318is/21/660564231_Bdkuf-L.png)
This relay box is not included in the write up. I got the box and am putting in. I've not a clue what it does, but am putting it in. Also, there is a plug that looks like it connects to the cluster as well. It is a black connector with 2 wires and they look like they should go into the plug that you have to add when you put in cruise control.
I think this back plug goes to the cluster b/c of its shape, and that there are no other wires of this nature with open plugs, and with how the wires are routing, it should go to the cluster.
Finally there are 2 other single wires, one with a green plug and one with a white plug that definitely go into the junction block that are not explained. I've gone ahead and connected them all there and will take a couple pics tomorrow to show what I mean.
Any ideas?
Edit: As I check a little further, the relay box may be the security system that can be programmed through the OBC. Any idea how it works?
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OK, I searched on R3V and found my answer- that the black box is for the CODE function; a rudimentary security system. I think I'm going to try to get it to work as I think I'm there, but need to confirm. The only remaining plug is the one that I think goes to the cluster...
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Wow - great work so far!
You're right about the CODE function. IMHO they're not that effective, I'd skip the relay install completely.
I don't know if this was mentioned, but keep an eye out for the stalks from an airbag car if you're keeping the stock airbag wheel. They're bent differently to clear the bigger steering wheel. I took my 'bagged wheel out & swapped all three stalks with the non-airbag car.
You're right about the speedo connector too...for the instant MPG/fuel consumption function. Just calculates vehicle speed vs injector duty cycle, I suspect. It might not be very accurate unless you reprogram the little EPROM chip with M42 data. It's not very accurate even when it's in the right car...while it's out swap the backlight bulbs...
Might be an external power. The pinout on that unit should be posted somewhere, but I have yet to find it myself.
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So I did a good bit of searching last night on the CODE function and it is just like what Dave said, a security system. Briefly, the way it works is to enter a code on the OBC while the key is in the "on" or "ACC" position and then pull it. It is supposed to kill the fuel pump as a security measure. It resets each time it is used and isn't that great b/c if you disconnect the battery for a period of time, it is reset anyway.
However, I'm still going to see if I can get it to work.
On that plug that goes to the cluster, any idea which one it should go to? As Dave said about the calculations, but wouldn't that be done with the main plug going to the center of the cluster?
One last question; there is a 318is in a local yard that I'm going to today. Will the coding plug from the CLUSTER work for the OBC? This will save me a good bit of $$$ as well as time from having to take the HVAC panel out again.
I've got all the stalks, as I read that elsewhere and am putting in a- albeit pretty wasted- Mtech 1 steering wheel. (I'm even debating trying to recover it myself).
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I took a couple quick pics of where I plugged the CODE relay box into the junction block...
(http://longtallsallygs.smugmug.com/Cars/318is/IMG6363/715227922_EMquB-L.jpg)
(http://longtallsallygs.smugmug.com/Cars/318is/IMG6362/715227838_g2wqh-L.jpg)
This is the relay box.
(http://longtallsallygs.smugmug.com/Cars/318is/IMG6364/715228039_5mPjm-L.jpg)
(http://longtallsallygs.smugmug.com/Cars/318is/IMG6365/715228133_ZXp97-L.jpg)
Here is the part that stinks; this is one place I just realized that I actually clipped a wire, and it is one of the wires to this plug. The other one goes to power (the white plug from above). Grrrrrrrrr..... Well, while I'm at the yard, I'll be looking at another one and seeing if I can either get the whole harness again, or see what that one plugs into and know what to splice.
My guess is that one might be the fuel pump, but I think this the one to the cluster, so I'm not certain of this. Ideas?
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The code plug from the cluster absolutely will not work in the OBC. Great minds think alike...although they're likely the same data, the chip is different and so is the cartridge & the interface.
That plug on the bottom does look like the cruise control plug...I'll bet it goes to the cluster.
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The code plug from the cluster absolutely will not work in the OBC. Great minds think alike...although they're likely the same data, the chip is different and so is the cartridge & the interface.
That plug on the bottom does look like the cruise control plug...I'll bet it goes to the cluster.
DAH! I just got back and was feeling rather smug... Oh well.
So on the mystery wires going into the firewall, I checked 3 cars that had the 13 button OBC and traced the wires to the engine bay in each, and each one was either clipped or unplugged from something. I am starting to think that this goes to the horn- or a horn- right on the strut tower as there was one there. Depending on the year of the car, the plug was either 2 spades (to slide over a blade connector) or a single plug with the female end of round connectors (looked a little like an ellipsoid light plug).
The final plug (the black one with 2 wires that looks like it should go to the cluster) is still a mystery as the cluster was gone in each of those vehicles. I am certain, though, that it is not for the cruise, as I've already got that all set and it is a similar plug, but just from the cruise computer- this one comes from the "relay box". I do know one of the wires goes to the junction block and the other (plus what I think is a ground) are what go into the firewall and engine bay.
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So I called Bav Auto (and for the first time actually spoke to kind of a jerk- strange as they have always been very nice and professional) to inquire about the coding plug. BTW, the price has gone up now and it is $63.95!!!!! They say it won't work on a US spec car and I don't really want to throw the $$$ away. So are we certain that Zoso is correct that it is part # 65 81 1 394 111??
Thanks! The dash should be back in by the end of this week with no cracks, full OBC, power sunroof, cruise control, maplight mirror, and a killer new Kenwood head unit. WOOHOO!!!!!
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Yes, the part number is good.:)
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So I called Bav Auto (and for the first time actually spoke to kind of a jerk- strange as they have always been very nice and professional) to inquire about the coding plug. BTW, the price has gone up now and it is $63.95!!!!! They say it won't work on a US spec car and I don't really want to throw the $$$ away. So are we certain that Zoso is correct that it is part # 65 81 1 394 111??
Thanks! The dash should be back in by the end of this week with no cracks, full OBC, power sunroof, cruise control, maplight mirror, and a killer new Kenwood head unit. WOOHOO!!!!!
We need to find someone that'll burn those chips. Can't be too hard...they're pretty similar to the ones in the DME. I wish I knew more about them!