Official Automatic to 6-speed Swap

288364 Views 446 Replies 100 Participants Last post by oijuma, 1 mo ago

TitaniumCranium

Discussion Starter · Sep 6, 2010 (Edited by Moderator)

First off, I would like thank Neil1138, ivegotissues666, and xmltok. Without their DIY’s and information from posts I probably wouldn’t have decided to do this. My intention with this DIY thread is not to dwell on what has already been covered but to share my experience, reinforce things I found necessary, point out differences in my conversion, and above all explain the wiring piece well.

Second, if you are fairly skilled mechanically, can assemble Legos, and have a desire to solve complex puzzles, you will probably do well at this. While you don’t have to be an OCD perfectionist, it might help.
Before you get started there are several things you must do, no matter whether want to or not. If you plan on doing this yourself you must research realOEM.com and find out mechanically where all these pieces are and why you need them. As model years progressed, some parts on the cars also changed slightly so the parts required may be slightly different from one build to another. Know your own vehicle well prior to starting.

Overall once I got started this took me 4 days. I did all the work myself, with a few emails with knowledgeable members.

All the photos for this are in my media library here: TitaniumCranium

321 - 340 of 447 Posts

m3buzz

· #321 · Jul 5, 2015

TitaniumCranium, you are the best - thanks so much for doing this! I put the dash back together yesterday, but put a length of wire/loom behind the dash from the cluster to that fuse block. After reading more of your earlier posts, I did figure out by color/wire description what specific little module I was looking for, and I left that loose from the main block until was sure and can get back in there to attach it. I pulled the connectors for both the pin 7 and the blue/yellow x428 connection from the donor car, so I have the right parts in place to make this work!

I understand I need to get the coding done before this will actually tilt the mirror, and the cable I have (which works on my 2011 X5) doesn't seem to want to connect to the E46. I also have an Autoenginuity scan tool, and between that and the simple Peake reader, I can see the ECUs and get simple fault codes, but the cable I bought to do the coding won't connect. (yeah, it's from ebay...but it looks exactly like the one linked to in the bmwcoding.com forum

). So I may not be able to test it until I get the right cable...
Thanks again for ALL of the amazing information throughout the years that this thread has been active! It made the difference between not attempting the job and getting it done!

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robin325ci

· #322 · Jul 6, 2015 (Edited)

Rich-330ci said:
Well back from the Nurburgring and decided to have another look at the software and hey presto! it works!

i now have working cruise control cut off and no rev's hanging on gear change!

pretty much did what Robin325ci did although when i tried to clear the fault (217 CAN timeout EGS1) it wouldn't clear, tried to clear adaptions too but wouldn't work until i went into the DSC module and deleted the fault showing, once i did that the fault in the DME disappeared on its own and the adaptions worked fine!

so everything works fine now as it should! i also replaced the accelerator pedal with a manual spec from an M3 which feels nicer somehow!

Glad you got everything sorted out! :thumbup: Did you notice anything different after you swapped the accelerator pedal? Right now I'm trying to look for a solution to the jerky feeling I'm sometimes experiencing right after shifting to second gear from first, or when accelerating in second gear at low rpm. I would sometimes get a rocking or "head-bobbing" sensation when applying light throttle in second. Trying to figure out if it's the DBW gas pedal, or maybe some backlash due to worn subframe bushings. Engine and tranny mounts, guibo and center bearing, and the three diff mount bushings have all been replaced when I swapped to manual. I also put a new fuel pump in, deleted the CDV, and have a brand new clutch and flywheel. Subframe has no tears or cracks. I do hear a clunk at the rear sometimes when shifting. Any ideas?

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Rich-330ci

· #323 · Jul 7, 2015

robin325ci said:
Glad you got everything sorted out! :thumbup: Did you notice anything different after you swapped the accelerator pedal? Right now I'm trying to look for a solution to the jerky feeling I'm sometimes experiencing right after shifting to second gear from first, or when accelerating in second gear at low rpm. I would sometimes get a rocking or "head-bobbing" sensation when applying light throttle in second. Trying to figure out if it's the DBW gas pedal, or maybe some backlash due to worn subframe bushings. Engine and tranny mounts, guibo and center bearing, and the three diff mount bushings have all been replaced when I swapped to manual. I also put a new fuel pump in, deleted the CDV, and have a brand new clutch and flywheel. Subframe has no tears or cracks. I do hear a clunk at the rear sometimes when shifting. Any ideas?

Cheers!

the biggest difference i noticed between pedals is the manual pedal is stiffer to press (not too stiff but feels more like an actual cable throttle now), my auto spec was ridiculously soft - basically no feel to it at all with the auto pedal!

i know exactly what you mean with the kangarooing effect going from first to second sometimes, it's rare it happens but is annoying when it does! i assumed it was down to the DMF to be honest, was hoping if i convert to a solid flywheel that would help with that, i've also removed the CDV during the swap and already replaced most bushes on the back end too.

bprinsloo

· #324 · Jul 9, 2015

Wiring

First of all. Great thread Titanium. One of the best out there. Gave me the confidence to do my swap. I am almost done I am just getting to the wiring now. I don't mean to hijack here, but....

I have a 2001 330Ci (Prod 01/08) and seem to have found something unique. I cannot find anyone else with the same setup my car has. Under the dash there are already two connectors that plug right into the clutch switch. Sure enough, I went to the ECU module and there is already a wire in Pin 23 (I'm 100% sure its the correct one too). The EWS also has a wire in pin 8. I also verified that the wire colors match the ones that will plug into the clutch switch (Blue with brown stripe for ECU and blue with black stripe for EWS).

Has anyone else encountered this? I have a feeling I'm going to be able to plug them in and start the car without having to do any wiring (other than reverse).

I need a new battery so that's why I haven't tried to start it yet. I will post an update when I do.

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TerraPhantm

· #325 · Jul 9, 2015 (Edited)

bprinsloo said:
First of all. Great thread Titanium. One of the best out there. Gave me the confidence to do my swap. I am almost done I am just getting to the wiring now. I don't mean to hijack here, but....

I have a 2001 330Ci (Prod 01/08) and seem to have found something unique. I cannot find anyone else with the same setup my car has. Under the dash there are already two connectors that plug right into the clutch switch. Sure enough, I went to the ECU module and there is already a wire in Pin 23 (I'm 100% sure its the correct one too). The EWS also has a wire in pin 8. I also verified that the wire colors match the ones that will plug into the clutch switch (Blue with brown stripe for ECU and blue with black stripe for EWS).

Has anyone else encountered this? I have a feeling I'm going to be able to plug them in and start the car without having to do any wiring (other than reverse).

I need a new battery so that's why I haven't tried to start it yet. I will post an update when I do.

Hmm. Definitely sounds like your car already has wiring for the clutch switch, though I'm not sure the right wire will be at the ews module since the automatic normally uses that for the park/neutral switch. But maybe whoever ordered your car switched from manual to automatic mid production

bprinsloo

· #326 · Jul 9, 2015

TerraPhantm said:
Hmm. Definitely sounds like your car already has wiring for the clutch switch, though I'm not sure the right wire will be at the ews module since the automatic normally uses that for the park/neutral switch. But maybe whoever ordered your car switched from manual to automatic mid production

That's a good possibility.. The only reason I think the EWS is the correct wire is because it is blue with a black stripe and on the clutch switch there is also a wire that is blue with a black stripe. I could run a continuity test it's just really difficult to get in there and do so..

TerraPhantm

· #327 · Jul 10, 2015 (Edited)

bprinsloo said:
That's a good possibility.. The only reason I think the EWS is the correct wire is because it is blue with a black stripe and on the clutch switch there is also a wire that is blue with a black stripe. I could run a continuity test it's just really difficult to get in there and do so..

Yeah it does sound like your car may be prewired. I just don't know how your car would be starting without at least also having the auto harness connected to pin 8. Unless the EWS just figures out the park/neutral status from the K-bus when the auto is connected. Which is very possible.

bprinsloo

· #328 · Jul 10, 2015

TerraPhantm said:
Yeah it does sound like your car may be prewired. I just don't know how your car would be starting without at least also having the auto harness connected to pin 8

Yea I'm pretty lost on the whole thing. I have a few small things left to complete (manual radiator exp tank mount and some fluids). I'll buy a battery tomorrow morning and post how it goes!

If anyone else encounters a condition in which their cars appears prewired for both transmissions I would love to hear about it!

Also, is the exhaust hanger that bolts onto the tranny necessary? It didn't have anything there before. So why now?

genuity

· #329 · Jul 12, 2015

bprinsloo said:
Also, is the exhaust hanger that bolts onto the tranny necessary? It didn't have anything there before. So why now?

It is there to help prevent the clockwise (from perspective of standing in front of the car looking at the hood) torquing of the transmission. The weight of the manual transmission compared to the engine is too light. The automatic one was much heavier. Without it, the right transmission mount will not last as long as it should. For around the first two years or three years after I did my swap, I had an aftermarket catback, which prevented me from using the bracket. I also bought new (Rogue) transmission mounts when I did my swap. Probably no less than 6 months later, upon routine visual inspection, I discovered microfractures in the right transmission mount. The left did not have them. I later dumped my catback to return to the factory setup so I was able to use the bracket.

Nicolas76

· #330 · Jul 13, 2015

Hello everyone.

I have a 330cd e46 M57N with a GM transmission. 05/2003
I put a 6-speed manual transmission but i can't start my car.
I read this thread and saw this:

" For people wanting to merely start their car after they do the swap, or in the case that they don't have a clutch switch/clutch switch module yet, you can take your automatic transmission harness (body side obviously) and run a wire between pins 2 and 8. This will ground the neutral safety switch and allow your car to start. I noticed that this was mentioned in Jared's thread but the pictures were down and have been for some time. Here is the included diagram showing where pins 2 and 8 are. They should be labeled with tiny numbers but in the event that they are not "

does anyone have the diagram ?

My car is blocked on S .

Can you also help me with pin 23 and EWS. My DME is not the same.
where is the EWS?

Sorry for the mistakes , I'm french...

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bprinsloo

· #331 · Jul 13, 2015

Well, my car fired right up! I got really lucky and didn't have to do any wiring (besides reverse lights). So if anyone encounters the same situation, just verify the pins in the ECU and the EWS match the ones on the clutch switch connectors and the car should start with no problems.

Thanks again TitaniumCranium and everyone else for helpful input/ comments!

bprinsloo

· #332 · Jul 13, 2015

Nicolas76 said:
Hello everyone.

I have a 330cd e46 M57N with a GM transmission. 05/2003
I put a 6-speed manual transmission but i can't start my car.
I read this thread and saw this:

" For people wanting to merely start their car after they do the swap, or in the case that they don't have a clutch switch/clutch switch module yet, you can take your automatic transmission harness (body side obviously) and run a wire between pins 2 and 8. This will ground the neutral safety switch and allow your car to start. I noticed that this was mentioned in Jared's thread but the pictures were down and have been for some time. Here is the included diagram showing where pins 2 and 8 are. They should be labeled with tiny numbers but in the event that they are not "

does anyone have the diagram ?

My car is blocked on S .

Can you also help me with pin 23 and EWS. My DME is not the same.
where is the EWS?

Sorry for the mistakes , I'm french...

I can't speak to the difference in your DME, but the EWS in under your dash. Its a white box to the left of the clutch pedal.

Check www.bmw-planet.com/diagrams/release/en for wiring diagrams. Search for the same module TitaniumCranium reference in his DIY. Good Luck!

Nicolas76

· #333 · Jul 14, 2015 (Edited)

thank you , I'll try this. I just need to understand the diagram.

After some research on wds,i find this:

Plug X 60002
PIN 23 A : signal activation , main relay. DME relay.

Plug X60004
PIN 33 E : Signal Electronic vehicule immobilisation
Electronic immobiliser control unit

Some Help please?

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bprinsloo

· #334 · Jul 14, 2015

Nicolas76 said:
thank you , I'll try this. I just need to understand the diagram.

After some research on wds,i find this:

Plug X 60002
PIN 23 A : signal activation , main relay. DME relay.

Plug X60004
PIN 33 E : Signal Electronic vehicule immobilisation
Electronic immobiliser control unit

Some Help please?

Can you post a picture of your DME? What is different about the DME on your car? The location? The pin count? Give as much information as you can about that area.

The electronic immobilizer control unit is the box under your dash to the left of the clutch pedal. Take a picture of that connector and post that too. The more information you provide, the more someone will be able to help you.

TerraPhantm

· #335 · Jul 14, 2015 (Edited)

So there are a few differences in your case compared to an M52TU or M54 manual swap.

1) The DDE (for diesels, it's called a "Digital Diesel Electronics" instead of "Digital Motor Electronics") software is different; you have to reflash your DDE with WinKFP to ZB# 7793920
2) Since your car is Euro-spec (like all E46 diesels), there is no clutch interlock. You won't have anything going to pin 8; instead you have to recode the EWS module to disable the park/neutral switch

You still have to wire up the clutch sensor to the DME for cruise control and so it knows when it's in gear. From what I can find in the WDS, Pin 2 of the clutch module goes to X2412 (58 pin connector) Pin 50 on the DME.

bprinsloo said:
Well, my car fired right up! I got really lucky and didn't have to do any wiring (besides reverse lights). So if anyone encounters the same situation, just verify the pins in the ECU and the EWS match the ones on the clutch switch connectors and the car should start with no problems.

Thanks again TitaniumCranium and everyone else for helpful input/ comments!

Awesome - lucky that your car was sorta prewired. I'll stick with the theory that it was changed from manual to auto mid production.

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chanman1029

· #336 · Oct 27, 2015

for those whose cars would not start, what did you do to get it running? mine will not start and I desperately need it to. all my wires are correct and we checked voltages on them and they all seem to work. however up by the dme I don't think we got a signal from that wire, but I cant remember. pls help!!!

Nicolas76

· #337 · Oct 27, 2015

Hello,
My car start when i plug together the two wires in the ews. The biggest.

j4ke

· #338 · Mar 4, 2016

6 speed in 325i auto?

Has anyone done this swap from a 325i auto? I just bought a complete 6 speed setup from a ZHP off of eBay (don't have my hands on it yet), and after I bought it I read something that insinuated that the ZHP/M54B30 flywheel might not fit or otherwise be appropriate when bolted up to an M54B25. Does anyone have any experience with this? If not experience, insight? This will be going into my 2004 325iT that currently has the auto trans.

I naively assumed that this howto would probably carry over exactly to my setup, but upon closer inspection, it seems that putting a 6 speed manual into a 325i is quite rare. Most examples are 330i's. And most 325i manual swaps are 5 speeds.

zander271

· #339 · Mar 4, 2016

J4ke, it should bolt right up

chanman1029

· #340 · Mar 4, 2016

I did a 5spd in my 325. Check the part numbers for the flywheels on real oem, if they are different do some further research to see if they are interchangeable, which they probably are.

321 - 340 of 447 Posts