wiring options?

[aznlonewolf135]

my car- '98 manual 318ti
donor '96 automatic 328i

would it be easier to get a DME and wiring harness from a manual '98 328i and realign EWS

or is the "extra work" (figuring out minor wiring differences and reflashing dme) worth saving few hundreds of dollars

[Shellback]

Best of luck with the swap.
Is there an additional DME for the auto tranny? Maybe all you need is the engine DME from the 328?
Also, as far as CA regulations, can you install an older engine into a "newer" body?

[zoner]

Originally Posted by Shellback

Is there an additional DME for the auto tranny?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Shellback

Also, as far as CA regulations, can you install an older engine into a "newer" body?

No. (Although, keep in mind that even a newer engine into an older chassis (which is allowed)- will require a trip to the B.A.R. Smog Referee to get it certified).

[Uber E30]

Originally Posted by zoner

No. (Although, keep in mind that even a newer engine into an older chassis (which is allowed)- will require a trip to the B.A.R. Smog Referee to get it certified).

Partially true and false. You can install an older engine in a newer car as long as they are the same version of OBD. In the Case of the OP both of the cars are post 95 making them both OBDII. You however can not put an OBDI engine into an OBDII car.

The OP needs to swap all of the necessary OBDII components from the original car (e.g. cats/midpipes, canister, stock headers, stock intake or CARB approved intake)

To the OP, the Auto harness is exactly the same as the manual harness with the addition of another cluster of wires. You can trace those wire back from the auto ECU plug and unpin/remove them essentially making your auto harness an manual.

EWS is something I dont have a good amount of knowledge on but to my understanding, the DME from the car doesnt care/know what tranny you have so a reflash wont be required. A tranny is either controlled manually, or via a separate ECU which you are eliminating, not the engine DME.

[zoner]

Originally Posted by Uber E30

Partially true and false. You can install an older engine in a newer car as long as they are the same version of OBD.

If you can provide proof of this, I'll stand corrected but I'm about 99% sure I'm correct. Information supporting my original assertion can be found here.

"Certification Standards Make sure the engine and emission control configuration on exhaust – controlled vehicles are certified to the year of the vehicle or newer, and to the same or a more stringent new vehicle certification standard."

Additionally, if the donor vehicle had things like a fuel tank with pressure sensor, vapor solenoid, different EGR system, etc., all of that equipment must also be installed on the recipient vehicle (as you previously mentioned). The same version of OBD doesn't matter- you can install an OBD-II engine into an originally OBD-I (or non-OBD) vehicle, you just can't do the opposite. When installing the OBD-II engine, all of the associated OBD-II equipment (diagnostic port, CEL, etc.) must also be installed and correctly functioning.

[Uber E30]

Ok allow me to help you, a 96 m52 is the EXACT same engine/ecu/emissions control as a 98 m52.

Originally Posted by zoner

The same version of OBD doesn't matter- you can install an OBD-II engine into an originally OBD-I (or non-OBD) vehicle, you just can't do the opposite.

How is this even relevant? Im talking about an older engine in a newer car... you are talking about newer engine in an older car. So yes, going backwards doesnt matter, but if you have an OBDII car, you HAVE to put an OBDII engine in there. I thought i made that clear:

Originally Posted by Uber E30

You however can not put an OBDI engine into an OBDII car.

Your own quote even confirms this:

Originally Posted by zoner

and to the same or a more stringent new vehicle certification standard

[zoner]

Originally Posted by zoner

The same version of OBD doesn't matter- you can install an OBD-II engine into an originally OBD-I (or non-OBD) vehicle, you just can't do the opposite.[/SIZE]

Meaning, you can install a 1996 engine (OBD-II) engine into a 1994 car (OBD-I), but you CANNOT, repeat: CAN NOT legally install a 1994 engine in a 1996 car, it doesn't matter if the emissions systems are identical between cars, or even if the 1994 car had a MORE STRINGENT emissions system- an older motor cannot legally be installed in a newer car.

Originally Posted by Uber E30

Your own quote even confirms this:

Yes, my entire quote confirms this; you left off the first part of the quote:

Make sure the engine and emission control configuration on exhaust – controlled vehicles are certified to the year of the vehicle or newer, and to the same or a more stringent new vehicle certification standard.

I know at least one person who has tried this- the moment the referee discovered that the transplanted engine was older than the chassis model year it went into, test was over; automatic fail. I, as well as another friend, have asked different referees on different occasions if it was possible to do this and the referees' answers were essentially what I have just explained. Now, that said, if you or someone you know has been successful at doing this, I'd be curious to know what the circumstances were. The example that you gave between M52 engines ('96 vs. '98) might be possible to sneak through because the engines and emission control systems are identical and you wouldn't even necessarily need to go to a referee to get it smogged- your average smog technician would not know the difference between the two engines, because they are exactly the same and would blow the same readings on the sniffer. But yes, technically that, too, is illegal if you put the '96 engine in the '98 car. My example was pertaining more to swapping an optional/performance motor, different (displacement, model number, or otherwise) than the one removed from the car.

[Uber E30]

Originally Posted by zoner

Meaning, you can install a 1996 engine (OBD-II) engine into a 1994 car (OBD-I), but you CANNOT, repeat: CAN NOT legally install a 1994 engine in a 1996 car

Ugh, 94's arent OBDII so obviously you cant do that.


I dont think you understand what certified means. An m52 is from cars untill 2001. When your car gets BAR'd you get them the model of the engine, they go to the computer and see what years that engine came from, and thats what its certified for.

[aznlonewolf135]

out of curiosity do they look at a serial or how do they "know" what year and model the engine came from...I am planning on sneaking my swap past a smog station anyways

but back to the original question...I am planning on getting my ews realigned and dme reflashed to a manual...

the (automatic) engine wiring harness comes with a big round connector that plugs into the automatic tranny in which my getrag transmission does not have a receptacle for...can I just tuck this plug away and not worry about it if the DME is reflashed to be a manual DME

[kendogg]

Originally Posted by Uber E30

Ugh, 94's arent OBDII so obviously you cant do that.


I dont think you understand what certified means. An m52 is from cars untill 2001. When your car gets BAR'd you get them the model of the engine, they go to the computer and see what years that engine came from, and thats what its certified for.

Incorrect. M52 is the original designation for the E36/E39 328 2.8l that was introduced in '96. Directly labeled the M52b28, there was also the m52b23, which was a 2.5l with crappy cams. The M52TU (Technical Update) is the dual-VANOS engine introduced in the E46 328i in late '99.

So, the question is, what the hell are you trying to do? There is NO reason that ANY E36 motor shouldn't pass smog without issue. So long as all the original emissions crap is installed, original to car DME/Harness is installed, no m50 manifold swaps done to an OBD2 motor, etc., there's no reason for anybody to even question it's not factory stock. Hell, swap a damn S52 into it and go get smogged like normal.

[aznlonewolf135]

that's what I thought would/should go down...however the original question was bout the wiring...