M30->Pre-facelift C101 wiring

[Ziggy]

The minor mods to the C101 connector for an m30 conversion aren't quite the same for a pre-facelift car. Apparently in a facelift car it's a case of swapping pins 3 & 8 (engine loom), & connecting pin 15 (body loom) to the starter motor. The problem is that on a pre-facelift car, pins 3, 8 & 15 aren't present in the body loom.

So has anyone done the swap in a pre-facelift car? If so, care to enlighten me?! Cheers

[Ziggy]

Is anyone aware of someone else who's put an M30 in a pre-facelift car? I'm struggling to think of any!

[jaffro]

are you useing the m30 engine loom

[johnl320]

Heres some pics of mine, everything works except economy gauge which will be sorted soon.

Pin 1 blue alternator wire







Feel free to ask any questions about any of the wires

HTH

john

[Ziggy]

Standard m30 engine loom, standard pre-facelift e30 body loom at the moment...

So what did you have to change to get the heater / windows working (unloader relay) John? Any other changes? Any idea on how you're gonna get the swingometer working? Hardly important, but would be nice!

Cheers!

[johnl320]

The heater is working without any changes to what you see here, I've not gone through the c101 plug for the rev counter, I tapped into the signal wire on the engine side of the loom and link it straight into the clocks.

I'm still doing my homework on the economy gauge, Will let you know.

I don't have electric windows, they're too heavy

john

[johnl320]

By the way, my base car is a 316 (carb) auto so they're may be some differences on the c101 but I doubt there is many.

john

[jaffro]

only asking because i will be useing a 325 engine loom

[johnl320]

Pin 3 on the M30 loom is fuel rate ( black and white )

I'm going to splice onto this wire and bypass the C101 socket (engine side) run a wire along the engine loom through the bulkhead with the ecu wiring and plug it into the C104 connection which is a loose three pin connection with a Black wire ,a white and I think a green. The white one is the fuel rate intput to the clocks, my old ecu loom had a plug for the C104 connection.

I've used this same method to sort out the rev counter (c104 black wire) and it works fine

HTH

john

[johnl320]

Bump for Ziggy, don't think he's read it

john

[Ziggy]

Cheers John!

Would we be talking about this mystery connector that went into the m20 loom under the dash?
That would explain a lot! Any idea what the 3rd wire is?

& does your heater fan work with the doors shut / engine running?

[johnl320]

Yeah baby!! Thats your c104 plug. I'll try and find out what the green one is.

john

[Ziggy]

Yay! Been puzzling over what that was since page 6/7 of my conversion thread! Just wish I'd kept the plug off the m20 loom before I sold it - probably been binned now as it was going to get swapped for a facelift loom

Any unloader relay issues John?

[johnl320]

Not to sure about the green one. I thingk thats a Brian Moore question.

john

[johnl320]

Mine doesn't Have leccy windows ( saving on weight lol) I was in the fan system a couple of weeks ago changing the resistor pack cos I only had full speed working. I tested the system but now you've got me thinking was the door open or closed.
I'll test it tomorrow and let you know.

john

[Ziggy]

Mine doesn't Have leccy windows ( saving on weight lol) I was in the fan system a couple of weeks ago changing the resistor pack cos I only had full speed working. I tested the system but now you've got me thinking was the door open or closed.
I'll test it tomorrow and let you know.

john

Nice one mate - the unloader relay stops the non-essentials running while cranking the motor over (not really a problem if that doesn't happen!), but you have to sort it out (on the facelift loom anyway) to get the windows & fan working with the doors shut & engine running. Needless to say that would be an issue!

[johnl320]

One way or another we'll muddle through it with Brian Moore shaking his head and tutting at the complete lack of electrical competance on display.

john

[Ziggy]

It's a lack of knowledge of E30 electrics rather than general understanding, that's my problem! But hey, every day's a school day...

[mincedbeef]

I've done this conversion on my 87 cab, i used engine and loom from a 87 e32 735i and the c101 plug into the e30 loom and the engine ran fine. That plug in the above picture with the black,yellow,green wires are for the eco metre and rev counter. It took me a while to figure it out but the black wire on that 3 pin plug under the dash i wired into pin 16 of the m30 loom and when screwed together to the e30 loom it should pair upto a blue and green wire. The eco metre is the yellow and white wire of that 3 pin plug under the dash and that goes into the m30 loom on pin 3 and pairs up with a black and white wire on the e30 side. The pin holes of the c101 plug are numbered on both sides so you know whats what.
I got the c101 pins from bmw and they was only a few pence. Look at this link as the part numbers for the pins are on there.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=12&fg=31

If you need anymore help with anything drop me a mail as i made alot of notes when i was doing it.

Good luck dude!

[Ziggy]

Excellent stuff - thanks Mr Beef! Was that the total of the wiring mods you needed to do then? Nowt with the unloader relay like on facelift cars?

[mincedbeef]

No thats it really. They where the only problems i had.
All the eletrics for the inside of the car like windows, heater ect have a different loom and run off the ecu in the glove box i think. I'm not 100% but i think the ecu on the drivers side just runs the engine.
The best option i found for a fan is the electric fan out of a vhauxhal vectra and with a bit of trimming to the outer plastics and making up some brackets to hold it in place it fit perfectly in front of the rad

[Ziggy]

Curious... does your heater fan go off when the starter motor's operating then?

Rad fan's all sorted (just got to wire it this evening, having found out how the fusebox connections work)... as is pretty much everything else actually!

[mincedbeef]

I don't think so.
What do you mean by that? When the engines running the blower stays off?
I got a adjustable temperature switch off ebay cheap for my rad fan.

[Ziggy]

On a standard E30 (facelift anyway - I can't remember what my car did as I haven't driven it in 3 months!), the electric windows, mirrors & heater fan are cut out when the starter motor is cranking the engine over, so that it gets as much power as poss to the starter. On the facelift loom, you have to run a wire from one of the pins on the C101 to the starter motor, or the fan/windows etc won't work with the engine running! The relevant pin isn't there on the PFL loom though, so I know the solution won't be the same - just don't yet know if the problem's there in the first place...


Temp switch for my fan came on my E28 rad Just had to find out where to put the relay in the fusebox, & how to get to the back of it!

[mincedbeef]

I do seem to remember having that problem on mine when i first pugged the looms together but can't remember how i sorted it. It may have been the earth to the engine but not too sure.
Have you got the engine earthed properly? Have you had it running yet?

[Ziggy]

Would have made life easier if I'd found this sooner!
http://dbrt.id.lv/C101_Pinouts.xls

No mention of the unloader relay connection in the PFL C101

Not had it running yet - in theory I could have done, but maybe I'm just scared!

[johnl320]

Just tested my fan with the doors shut Ziggy and its fine Good call with the c101 pinouts link, very handy. I'm picking up a 635csi radiator tomorrow to replace my very tired looking e34 one. Hopefully get the centre bearing too. Have you actually had it running yet??

regards

john

[Ziggy]

No - I'm scared!

Will do as soon as I've got the exhaust manifold back on - must remember to put some fluids in it first!

[johnl320]

Shit yeah my diif and gear box are both dry, I bled my brakes last week after replacing every pipe and overhauling the calipers. I was sure I was gonna get a leak somewhere. Not a drop, pure luck I reckon.

Good luck with starting it, you've got to run with the exhaust off first Its m30 tradition.

john

[mincedbeef]

Yes indeed it is.
I drove my up and down my garage block with no exhaust on it and it sounded like a top fueler! Bad ass!!

[Ziggy]

Yes indeed it is.
I drove my up and down my garage block with no exhaust on it and it sounded like a top fueler! Bad ass!!

Just seen your under-the-bonnet pic on another thread - how did you secure the facelift header tank?

[mincedbeef]

It was a bit of a nightmare job but i got the later header tank from a breakers and took of the plastic clip that hold the top of the tank to the inner wheel arch also then just made up a U shaped bracket drilled a few holes in it and bolted 1 end of the bracket to the plastic lip on the under side of the tank and the other end of the bracket to the inner wheel arch to hold it in place. Its nice a solid and works well.
If you want any pics of anything i've done on mine i'll be going to my garage sunday and i'll take a few.

Cheers
Gary

[Ziggy]

Cool I've got to make a similar bracket for mine... Pics of that, the routing of the pipes to the header tank, and your washer bottle (what's it from btw?) would be useful! Cheers

[mincedbeef]

No problem, I'll get some pics up sunday night.
The washer bottle was off a new shape corsa and i fitted the e30 washer pump and level sensor to it.

[Ziggy]

Nice one I'm probably going to put a washer bottle where the battery currently is, but it's good to have options!