Auto - Manual Wiring dramas,running but badly..help! Sorted

[Jesus325iTouring]

Righty, I can see from searching it's been done a million times, but mainly just the gearbox swap.

How much aggro, work should i expect pulling an M20b25 including manual gearbox (mine) and stuffing it all back into a 320i auto Touring?

From what I can see, i'll need my prop, pedal assembly, clutch resevoir and obviously gear stick.

Do I need my diff?

What wiring would be involved, i've read something about something behind the glove box?

How long should it take and do I need any special tools?

Cheers

[Brianmoooore]

All plug and play. Just the physical problems of moving large lumps of metal around.
325 diff. would be desirable in the interests of fuel consumption.
Only wiring required is the addition of the reverse light switch wiring from the side of the gearbox to near the base of the gear lever inside the car, where it plugs into the existing wiring.
'Wiring' behind the glovebox is simply pulling apart two single pin plugs and sockets and then pushing together the two halves with black/yellow wires.
Only 'special tool' is something to lift the heavy metal.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Many Thanks Brian, what I wanted to hear.

Out of interest, regarding the diff, what driving difference is there with the 320 one?

[jimbom30cab]

Not sure the exact ratios but the auto cars have a taller diff such as 4.1:1

The manual box has overdrive I.e less than 1:1, I think it is 0.83:1

Which means keeping the auto diff will result in high cruising revs.

With a manual B25 , a good diff ratio is 3.64:1 which gives about 2750rpm at 70mph

However if the conversion is into a touring something like 3.91:1 might he better uf you carry a lot of gear about.

The manual box also requires a manual prop shaft.

Hope that helps

[Jesus325iTouring]

I'll guess I need to look at mine, all I know is, it's not an LSD, thanks for the info Sir, oh yes, will be carrying gear, and quite a bit of it all the time.
Will be all local work, I had "considered" leaving it auto

[Brianmoooore]

E30 manual and auto gearboxes both have overdrive top gears. The next gear down is 1:1 in both cases. The difference in ratio is because the 320 engine doesn't have much low down power, it develops less peak power than a 325, and it's an auto with a four speed box rather than five, all of which make the ideal ratio numerically higher than that for a 325 manual.
Standard diff. for a 325 manual touring is 3.91, but changing to a 3.73 was a noticeable improvement for my red one.

[HairyScreech]

A 320 to 325 is pretty simple.

As noted the diff, box and prop is different but that's about it.
The 320 diff will be quite fun until it goes pop (about 120mph top speed).

Some aftermarket exhausts are smaller bore but that is easily solved.

If your pulling one apart and scrapping it then you might be able to get a local miscreant to assist in exchange for some frag.

[Jesus325iTouring]

A 320 to 325 is pretty simple.

As noted the diff, box and prop is different but that's about it.
The 320 diff will be quite fun until it goes pop (about 120mph top speed).

Some aftermarket exhausts are smaller bore but that is easily solved.

If your pulling one apart and scrapping it then you might be able to get a local miscreant to assist in exchange for some frag.

Now there's a thought

Just bought this..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-320-auto- ... TQ:GB:1123

I intend pulling the engine & box out and putting in my engine and box, sports seats, BBS wheels and various other parts.

I have to accept i'm not likely to get around to welding up my Touring anytime soon, it's been sat nearly 4 years!

I need some kind of transport now the Transit is "resting" and as this was local, seemed a good idea

[Brianmoooore]

Looks a bargain from what can be seen in the pics. No visible sign of rust in the rear arches, sills, rear valence or tailgate.

[Jesus325iTouring]

That's what I thought Brian, ended up bidding blind mind, no idea if it had MOT either.

Just spoke to the owner a minute ago and it turns out it's got MOT until 30th Jan and yes, very good condition around the body and never been or needed welding

[HairyScreech]

There WILL be some areas that need attention, unavoidable at this age, that said it all depends where and how bad.

I thought my shell was totally solid until I spotted the sill was toast a few weeks back. The brown stuff is always lurking somewhere.

For less than £300 is worth a punt. Even if it only ends up a donor. How bad was your 325 when you took it off the road?

If you do a running gear swap then its a bloody good time to do subframe bushes etc and other renovation/upgrades.

[Jesus325iTouring]

There WILL be some areas that need attention, unavoidable at this age, that said it all depends where and how bad.

I thought my shell was totally solid until I spotted the sill was toast a few weeks back. The brown stuff is always lurking somewhere.

For less than £300 is worth a punt. Even if it only ends up a donor. How bad was your 325 when you took it off the road?

If you do a running gear swap then its a bloody good time to do subframe bushes etc and other renovation/upgrades.

How bad was mine, well, it's covered in yellow primer filler, the sills are both gone badly, wings and arches gone also plus it needed a lot of other work, this one is the donor for sure.
The new one i'm assured is good and solid, but we all know what could be hiding, I just have fingers crossed having not actually seen it yet!

As for addtional work, cam belt change and general engine service will take place before I fit my engine, the rest will be a case of suck it and see.

At this stage really it's case of getting the engine in ASAP so i'm mobile as i've no work transport other than the wifes Audi, the new Touring still has MOT which is a bonus, then the rest as and when required or apparent.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Right so I was aware of a black/yellow wire behind the glove box to modify, this would be easy if i could find it.

It would appear some bodgery has taken place with the wiring, I assume it's to do with some kind alarm system the car appears to have.

The only black/yellow wire I can find goes into a single black wire, there is also another black/yellow wire that is all wrapped up in the loom and seems to go into one of those relays on the left hand side.

Can anyone make any sense from the pics?

Same goes for the gear lever area, WTF are all these sockets with nowhere to go for?

Many Thanks

[BenHar]

The two whitish connectors are for window switches.

You need to take the centre console out and remove the mountings for the auto surround. The rear one should be replaced with the mounting for the manual console.

Or you could just use the manual console.

Ben

[Jesus325iTouring]

Thanks Ben, that'll be part1 cleared up

[Brianmoooore]

There should be two connectors like the one in your second pic., where a black/yellow is plugged into a black. I presume that where the other one should be is under the mass of blue PVC tape in the first pic.
Cut the black wire connected to the black/yellow in the second pic., leaving a few inches of black wire connected to the plug. Separate out the other black yellow from the mess, and find what's on the end of it. If there's still a plug that will fit the other black/yellow on the end of it, them discard the length of black wire with the plug, and plug them together. Otherwise, solder the end of the black/yellow to the length of black with the plug, insulate the join, preferably with heat shrink, and push the plug on the black into the black yellow where it was originally.
When that's done, the orange relay, and all the wiring that's connected to it, can be removed.

[Jesus325iTouring]

I'll have another look in the morning Brian, but I seem to recall, the black wire with the blue tape on it, connects too another black wire.
I might just have to cut open all the tape work to expose things better.

I'll cut it all open and post another picture.

Thanks for your help

[Brianmoooore]

There's a black/yellow coming from the left somewhere. It goes into the duct in the bulkhead, behind the relays, which goes up into the fusebox.

[BenHar]

This is what you are looking for. You already have the male plug on the left, just have to find the matching female one shown on the right. The wire goes back into the main loom to the fuse box so just clear all those other wires away from the main loom and you should find it. It should be near to where the one you have found.

I think Jim's picture shows the female plug on the right?

Ben

[Jesus325iTouring]

I can see in Will's pic, one of the black/yellow wires appears to have some black binding around it, maybe this is why I can't see mine, however, I shall be having a closer this afternoon when I get back from work.

Thanks for the help chaps

[Jesus325iTouring]

Right, in the picture there is a thick black/yellow wire on the right connected to a black wire with the spade connector.

The black one which comes from it goes through where i'm holding it and into the orange relay.

There is then another black/yellow wire coming out of the orange relay into that blue connector (doesn't look like factory to me) and black/yellow coming back out of it in goes off into the main loom.

Any ideas what I should do with this lot?





And an easy one, is this some aftermarket alarm/ immob thing? and can I just get rid of ti?

[BenHar]

Pretty sure you connect the black yellow going into the loom to the black yellow with the female spade connecter.

Black yellow going to the orange relay can be binned along with the relay.

Brian will be along to confirm.

Ben

[Brianmoooore]

Cut the black wire connected to the black/yellow in the second pic., leaving a few inches of black wire connected to the plug. Separate out the other black yellow from the mess, and find what's on the end of it. If there's still a plug that will fit the other black/yellow on the end of it, them discard the length of black wire with the plug, and plug them together. Otherwise, solder the end of the black/yellow to the length of black with the plug, insulate the join, preferably with heat shrink, and push the plug on the black into the black yellow where it was originally.
When that's done, the orange relay, and all the wiring that's connected to it, can be removed.

[Brianmoooore]

And an easy one, is this some aftermarket alarm/ immob thing? and can I just get rid of ti?

The wires connected to the black/yellows already go to this alarm, so one immobiliser circuit is already dealt with. There will probably be a second circuit that is immobilised, and this will typically be spiced into the plain green ignition feed (if you're lucky, at the plug provided) or the green/purple fuel pump feed.
The alarm immobiliser will also typically have connections to earth (one of the two studs where all the brown wires go), permanent live (red or red + stripe), the indicators (blue/black and blue/red) and the door pin switches.
All the latter bunch can just be cut and made good where they connect to the OE wiring, but the greens or green/purples will have to be joined together once the alarm wiring is removed.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Thanks for all the advise chaps, the lady does turn over now on the key

Whether it'll start yet I don't know, battery was to to flat, so is on charge for the night.

Fingers crossed, toes crossed, nuts crossed, hell everything crossed

[gooner1]

Thanks for all the advise chaps, the lady does turn over now on the key

Whether it'll start yet I don't know, battery was to to flat, so is on charge for the night.

Fingers crossed, toes crossed, nuts crossed, hell everything crossed

You and your crosses eh.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Ha ha, yeah seems to be a pattern eh??

[Jesus325iTouring]

Ok so she fired up this morning.

Tick over perfect.

However, when you try to raise the RPM the engine it sounds like it's stopping and starting in quick succession, and it back fired once.

Best described as BRUM BRUM BRUM BRUM

So what have I got wrong

[Brianmoooore]

Plugged the AFM in? Plug leads right order?

[Jesus325iTouring]

AFM plugged in, and i've not moved any of the plug leads.

[Speedtouch]

Perhaps the ECU just needs to learn the new settings - try letting it idle for 10 minutes or so, switch off, then use it throughout the rev range.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Tried that one Maurice, still no different.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Swapped out the ECU with the one out of my old Touring, happy days my 2.5 obviously didn't like the 320 auto ECU.

Why would that be out of interest?

[Jesus325iTouring]

Balls.. it's returned. Was fine for a while then after 10 minutes or so, it came back