Anyone done Sport Automatic -> Manual conversion?

[ethrty]

Hey guys!

-----Quick Intro!!-------
I am a very big E30 enthusiest down here in New Zealand,

Have owned about 20 E30s over the years, never any prefacelifts including M3, but every other poison! ALso plenty of E34, E36 as well, and a couple of E32 boats.
First love was a 320i converted to M52, LSD, MTech2 kit etc etc
then 325i 318i etc
before settling on the next project which was a 316i Manual Coupe.
Then a few others again, While building up an E34 Touring with a V12 swap.
But now back to E30s again (still have the E34 V12 though, just a finished project), and current weapon of choice is an E30 325i Convertible in Calypsot Red. Also have an E36 Compact racecar with an M50 swap.




Its in very good condition, and intention is to keep it that way.
Mods:
- Delete rear high stop
- Tech1 rear wing
- iS front lip
- Tech2 Steering wheel
- Ebaich Springs, Bilstein Shocks
- Genuine Borbet Type A wheels with custom made Flatcaps (half finished in photos) 16"
- Continental ContiPremiumContact2 Tyres (oversized, think it looks better)
- Painted Rocker cover
- All new warning stickers under bonnet to replace heat cracked ones, bonnet foam also replaced etc.

-----Question Time!-------

This 325i Convertible has the sport automatic transmission with the Sport, Economy, 3-2-1 switch in the center console, same as E24 E28 etc. and is electronically controlled, has a little TCU (AEGS) mounted in the boot/trunk/whatever-you-guys-call-it!



Have done manual conversions 3 times before in the E30 chassis alone, this will be the 4th. Usually its just a case of shorting the wires underneath the gear selector to think the car is in Neutral and away you go.
However, i suspect there is more to it using the Electronic Sport Box.

Has anyone done a manual swap to a car equipped with this box, and if so can you let me know what else i need to be doing, if anything?

Yes searched. And searched. But cant find any hits down here in NZ!

Cheers,
Andy

[Brianmoooore]

First of all, you do NOT "short the wires together underneath the gear selector" to defeat the starter inhibitor on a properly done conversion. There are connectors in the glove box area which are simply plugged together, and the surplus loom removed entirely.
Absolutely no difference in doing the conversion with the EH box, other than there's a loom and an ECU to remove as well. There is an electrical connection to the engine loom to unplug as well, which goes to a different TPS on the throttle body from that fitted to manual cars. This TPS has two parts - one part is similar in action to the usual one, and the other half is a potentiometer, which will then be unused. You can't easily swap the TPS for the manual one, because the plugs are different.
I was going to say that there's another current thread on here where someone wants to change a manual 325 to an auto, and to suggest you get together, but I see you are in the antipodes, so it might not be practical.

[ethrty]

I will be leaving all looms in place so that the Automatic can be put back in the future. Usually i cut the connector off another auto shifter and short them, and then clip it into the loom side, i am strongly against cutting any body looms.

Didnt notice any difference in the TPS from standard one, but just looked now yep different circle connector to usual one.

Where does the AEGS loom connect into the Engine Loom?

By the way the ETMs that i have, none of them have the AEGS information in them, but i dont have one for 1991 car, the one i have is for 1989.

Thanks so much for your help!

[ethrty]

cheers for help

[ethrty]

IIRC the loom connects in the steering column area, there is a largish rectangular plug there. I did a few manual conversions on these quite a few years ago now so memory is a bit fuzzy..

As Brian says, it is no different except for the additional loom/ECU in the boot/TPS.

I have never come across a wiring diagram for the e30 ETC, and I have one for a 1990 convertible, but it is the same unit as used in the e28 (ZF4HP22EF), so use that ETM as a point of reference.

To disable the auto start inhibitor, get in behind the glove box and find the heavy black/yellow wire, it will be split to go through the inhibitor loom. Just disconnect the 2 black/yellow wires from the inhibitor loom and reconnect the 2 plugs.

i am planning to connect them together by making a new blanking plug with a U shaped wire connecting one pin to the next, and clipping that in under the shifter console. I hope you understand what I mean.

Where in NZ are you? I am ethrty-andy on Bimmersport if you are a member there! I am sure you figured that out from my name on this forum though!

[Brianmoooore]

To disable the auto start inhibitor, get in behind the glove box and find the heavy black/yellow wire, it will be split to go through the inhibitor loom. Just disconnect the 2 black/yellow wires from the inhibitor loom and reconnect the 2 plugs.

i am planning to connect them together by making a new blanking plug with a U shaped wire connecting one pin to the next, and clipping that in under the shifter console. I hope you understand what I mean.

That will work, but leaving a totally unnecessary relay permanently powered for no reason is bad engineering practice, especially when BMW have provided a simple alternative in the form of the male/female plug pair with black/yellow wires mentioned above.

[ethrty]

To disable the auto start inhibitor, get in behind the glove box and find the heavy black/yellow wire, it will be split to go through the inhibitor loom. Just disconnect the 2 black/yellow wires from the inhibitor loom and reconnect the 2 plugs.

i am planning to connect them together by making a new blanking plug with a U shaped wire connecting one pin to the next, and clipping that in under the shifter console. I hope you understand what I mean.

That will work, but leaving a totally unnecessary relay permanently powered for no reason is bad engineering practice, especially when BMW have provided a simple alternative in the form of the male/female plug pair with black/yellow wires mentioned above.

yep i understand, im just about to go to bed then when i get up straight into it tomorrow!

[ethrty]

awesome, almost finished the car on Sunday, only two jobs left to do were to bleed the clutch and make sure starter motor was on nice and tight, both really two person jobs.

My father came around just before and helped me do those two things, and I now have a 5 speed E30 325i Convertible!

Would just like to confirm for anyone reading this thread at a later date, one only needs to remove the AEGS Module (Transmission Computer) from the boot area, and connect two wires in behind the dash to make the vehicle start and run like a manual.
From there, you can either proceed to delete the Automatic loom entirely, or just leave it in there like I did. (Removal will be time consuming and for what benefit really, not like it weighs anything. I just left it in there)