Chip fitting guide ::: micro torx screws

General E30 related discussions -
Please put technical questions in E30 Tech Help forum below

Moderator: martauto

Post Reply
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Sat Oct 17, 2009 2:38 pm

Bent back the clips but the top cover aint goin nowhere while the yellow painted mini torx have it screwed to the plug :x

Is my ECU unusual or something? Any idea what size that is, its tiny....

Still, the K&N filter went in ok :mad:
Last edited by bpowell555 on Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rav335uk
E30 Zone Meets/Events Team
E30 Zone Meets/Events Team
Posts: 27985
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Mad mad mad
Contact:

Sat Oct 17, 2009 2:52 pm

Never heard that one before, all the ones i've done, bend the tabs back lift off and fit the chip.
What yrs the car??
Image
If you Got "Haters",Then your doing something Right!
CR24v??? Where's it all gone?? LOL
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:34 pm

1990 touring
:D
User avatar
chrisE318is
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:00 pm

Sat Oct 17, 2009 4:33 pm

my i.s had them dunno what size they were though, thought all ecu's had them
breaking 2 door dolphin grey tec 2
pm me
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Sat Oct 17, 2009 4:55 pm

Well, its a torx 6... and the chip aint on its own thing its soldered to the board with all the other chips --- any ideas? I could have tried to unsolder the chip but ideally I'd have access to the back of the board, and its all clipped in solid.

:(
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Sat Oct 17, 2009 4:57 pm

I'll post a pic later but right now I need to plug it in again and do some stuff....
hongkongfuey
Mad-tango-geezer
Posts: 3304
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: portsmouth

Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:25 pm

what car is it to start with? the chip you have will be a plug in one , no need to undo any screws or soldering
if there wern't people like me,
with cars like mine,
who would you put down to make yourself feel better?
User avatar
JWaller360
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 508
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: Rugby, Warks

Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:52 pm

Mine has tiny little torx screws as well! 1991 i.S
Image
Alyman
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1270
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Manchester

Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:54 pm

The I don't think the wiki guide mentions that there is usually a black plastic cover over the chip that needs to be removed before you can see the chip itself - maybe that's throwing you off?
hongkongfuey
Mad-tango-geezer
Posts: 3304
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:00 pm
Location: portsmouth

Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:37 pm

all have screws on the back of the ecu, they hold the board inside. The only ones not straight forward are the 320's as they are duel layer
if there wern't people like me,
with cars like mine,
who would you put down to make yourself feel better?
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:17 am

Image Image

Chip to replace is top right with the white label (I think....), definitely soldered on!

Cheers!

:cool:
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:21 am

Its not under that metal clip thing at the top is it?? 8O
User avatar
JWaller360
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 508
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2009 11:00 pm
Location: Rugby, Warks

Sun Oct 18, 2009 2:24 am

No, are they injector drivers?

I revise my previous statement, I took mine apart tonight, I just didn't have the balls to pry the cover off the first time! Thought mine is different to the case pictured, it was still just 4 bolts on the top cover :)
Image
romario
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 71
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Costa Del Bolton

Sun Oct 18, 2009 2:25 am

Torx T6 screwdriver. These are on my ECU too, a 1990 car also. The chip was not soldered on though.
magpie
Old Skooler
Old Skooler
Posts: 28035
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: Consett,Durham.

Sun Oct 18, 2009 2:34 am

that chip is not soldered in it will come out,try some long nose pliers.
Image
m52 b30 stroker 6-speed 318is Galvanizer
m42 touring
+ a yard full of scrap turds :)
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:46 am

I was hoping someone would say it was under the clip.... if I get the chance will take it out again and have another look - was sure it was soldered though :?
daimlerman
**BANNED**
Posts: 15968
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Grumpy Old Man

Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:51 am

Very strange,my ECU came apart just as the wiki guide,plonked Ant's chip in using a credit card to ease the legs in at one side.Well,we learn something new everyday here!
Youth is wasted on the young.
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Mon Oct 19, 2009 12:39 am

I guess with these 20-30 yr old motahs anything goes :D

... Will whip it out again fnarrr fnarr when I get a chance this week :cool:
Tyra
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 202
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:00 pm
Location: North Devon, UK
Contact:

Mon Oct 19, 2009 11:13 am

I had issues with my ECU aswell, although mine looked different again to your pic, mine was a double board :/

Ended up picking up a second hand ECU here on the zone and chipped that one instead LOL :mad:
Image
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:12 pm

Well its definitely soldered on. Had another go and a better pic on my phone and an electrical engineer mate had a look, recognised the chip as a dual in line http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_in-line_package

The type most peeps have is probably litterally a socket which BMW probably realised made upgrading the engine tune a bit too easy so pulled the plug on that with a drop of solder.

He suggested I could clip the 28 legs and solder the new chip on top. Or an engineering firm should have a special tool for softening lines of pins solder allowing the chip to be removed.

Pain in the ass, now my under steering cover is loose :x

Ho hum!

:cool:

edit: fook is it really a month since I last had a go? lol
1990 325i touring
She's a minter! Best 3 years of my life - bye bye baby :D
SPADGE
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 7373
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Milton Keynes, Bucks

Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:18 pm

Thats an ecu i havn't seen before.
Has the car come from overseas?
Engine conversions, Auto to manual conversions, parts, servicing etc etc... For anything e30 call 07718 901737
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:23 pm

Don't think so - Edenbridge pretty much all its life :)
1990 325i touring
She's a minter! Best 3 years of my life - bye bye baby :D
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:23 pm

Replacement ECU maybe?
1990 325i touring
She's a minter! Best 3 years of my life - bye bye baby :D
SPADGE
Married to the E30 Zone
Married to the E30 Zone
Posts: 7373
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Milton Keynes, Bucks

Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:33 pm

Could be a replacement as the stickers on it look different to all the ones i have seen in the past.
It's a 325i right?
Engine conversions, Auto to manual conversions, parts, servicing etc etc... For anything e30 call 07718 901737
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:44 pm

Yeah 325i.... was hpi checked winkeye

Funny google e30 ecu and the first link says this:


http://www.dtmpower.net/forum/e30-3-ser ... -help.html
e30 ecu help
Hey
I bought a performance chip for my 1990 e30 325i Convertible. I pulled my ecu out to install the chip when i had a problem. By the way my ecu is a 525 in pretty sure. My factory chip was soldered in.
1990 325i touring
She's a minter! Best 3 years of my life - bye bye baby :D
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:18 am

Just checked and my chip number is 1267356425 which is a 380
http://www.austec.co.uk/performance-tun ... ngine=2500
1990 325i touring
She's a minter! Best 3 years of my life - bye bye baby :D
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:24 am

aaaah should look like this :x :evil: :cry:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techart ... r/pic1.jpg

5% of 318s ECUs here are soldered, maybe the instructions should be updated to reflect this :roll:
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/pages/chip_id_new05.htm
1990 325i touring
She's a minter! Best 3 years of my life - bye bye baby :D
bpowell555
E30 Zone Camper
E30 Zone Camper
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:00 pm

Fri Nov 27, 2009 12:09 am

An update, never one to run from a challenge haha, I've bought a solder sucker and am looking to cut the chip pins and solder on a dip socket....
http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/297140 ... 18-10.html

Image

:beer:
1990 325i touring
She's a minter! Best 3 years of my life - bye bye baby :D
Post Reply