Hey guys... Just bought an e30!

[Deah7]

I am in the process now of looking for a s50/52. The s52 seems much more common with lower miles so that is what I would like to go with. My question is if I made the engine OBD I would I still pass emissions if I kept my cats?

[Uber E30]

Emissions would be lest strict on an OBDI car. Note that this does not mean you will/wont pass either way.

[dashboardmonkey]

Welcome to R3V.

Andy

[Deah7]

Welcome to R3V.

Andy

Thanks man. I just want to go ahead and start pulling together parts but I have to know if I will pass first. Anymore help would be great. I have heard people SAY you wont but never seen any evidence. I just do not see why you would not. All they test is exhaust so as long as I have cats I cannot see why I would not pass but I have to be sure I can first.

[Van Westervelt]

I passed just fine running obd1 with cats. Then my cats fell off somewhere and I run a resonator. :)

Congrats on the car and welcome to r3v.

Remember USE the SEARCH button before making new threads, and you will be fine.

[MIKe30]

You don't have to go obd1. Stay obd2, and use that extra $1000 it would take to go obd1 for a motor refresh (even if it is low miles)..

[static]

S50us here, I've recently passed local emissions with flying colors with this guy welded:

http://www.car-sound.com/02product/universal/599spun.asp

also with new oil change, sunoco's 94 octane (that has like 10% methanol) and lots of hard driving beforehand to heat up the exhaust

[Deah7]

You don't have to go obd1. Stay obd2, and use that extra $1000 it would take to go obd1 for a motor refresh (even if it is low miles)..

I thought to do the swap you had to go OBD I? If I can stay OBD II I would but I thought that the electronics would not work for some reason. I have been a member of e46fanatics for a while and I know how to search and I have read alot about the swap trying to get ready to do it but I thought you had to be OBD I. Please clarify this for me.

[MIKe30]

I thought to do the swap you had to go OBD I? If I can stay OBD II I would but I thought that the electronics would not work for some reason. I have been a member of e46fanatics for a while and I know how to search and I have read alot about the swap trying to get ready to do it but I thought you had to be OBD I. Please clarify this for me.

Nope. To do the swap you can stay obd2 or choose to convert to obd1. Although many people bitch and moan when people don't search, it's not always a bad thing to create new threads even on old topics. New methods, ideas, and products are always popping up.

I'm still in the process of the swap myself, but it seems the majority USED to always convert to obd1. Mainly for two reasons: 1, the obd1 manifold which flows a lot better, resulting in a nice boost in power & 2, because tuning was much easier with a chip and almost impossible to get a good tune obd2.

Now, more and more peole are staying obd2 because we've realized you don't need to convert to obd1 just to use the obd1 manifold. Secondly, obd2 tuning is much more abundant now that the obd2 code has been "cracked" so to speak. And third, it's cheaper to stay obd2. Tuning will probably cost a bit more - but from researching it a few months ago, you still save when comparing to obd1 conversion cost. Some will even make the arguement obd2 electronics are much better and you can get a better tune out of it vs. obd1.

I'm doing obd2 s52 w/obd1 manifold. I know for sure there is an obd2 m52 on this forum, and I believe an obd2 s52. I'm sure there are many many more. In fact, there may even be a "who is staying obd2" thread around.

Hope that helps. If I'm wrong about anything, somebody correct me.

[Deah7]

Nope. To do the swap you can stay obd2 or choose to convert to obd1. Although many people bitch and moan when people don't search, it's not always a bad thing to create new threads even on old topics. New methods, ideas, and products are always popping up.

I'm still in the process of the swap myself, but it seems the majority USED to always convert to obd1. Mainly for two reasons: 1, the obd1 manifold which flows a lot better, resulting in a nice boost in power & 2, because tuning was much easier with a chip and almost impossible to get a good tune obd2.

Now, more and more peole are staying obd2 because we've realized you don't need to convert to obd1 just to use the obd1 manifold. Secondly, obd2 tuning is much more abundant now that the obd2 code has been "cracked" so to speak. And third, it's cheaper to stay obd2. Tuning will probably cost a bit more - but from researching it a few months ago, you still save when comparing to obd1 conversion cost. Some will even make the arguement obd2 electronics are much better and you can get a better tune out of it vs. obd1.

I'm doing obd2 s52 w/obd1 manifold. I know for sure there is an obd2 m52 on this forum, and I believe an obd2 s52. I'm sure there are many many more. In fact, there may even be a "who is staying obd2" thread around.

Hope that helps. If I'm wrong about anything, somebody correct me.

Thanks man thats alot of good info. Do you have a build thread that I could follow?

[kronus]

If you do decide to go OBDI, user "Farbin Kaiber" has a pair of more-or-less complete OBDI swaps for sale for much less than $1000.

Welcome to teh r3vs.

[formula driver]

Nope. To do the swap you can stay obd2 or choose to convert to obd1. Although many people bitch and moan when people don't search, it's not always a bad thing to create new threads even on old topics. New methods, ideas, and products are always popping up.

I'm still in the process of the swap myself, but it seems the majority USED to always convert to obd1. Mainly for two reasons: 1, the obd1 manifold which flows a lot better, resulting in a nice boost in power & 2, because tuning was much easier with a chip and almost impossible to get a good tune obd2.

Now, more and more peole are staying obd2 because we've realized you don't need to convert to obd1 just to use the obd1 manifold. Secondly, obd2 tuning is much more abundant now that the obd2 code has been "cracked" so to speak. And third, it's cheaper to stay obd2. Tuning will probably cost a bit more - but from researching it a few months ago, you still save when comparing to obd1 conversion cost. Some will even make the arguement obd2 electronics are much better and you can get a better tune out of it vs. obd1.

I'm doing obd2 s52 w/obd1 manifold. I know for sure there is an obd2 m52 on this forum, and I believe an obd2 s52. I'm sure there are many many more. In fact, there may even be a "who is staying obd2" thread around.

Hope that helps. If I'm wrong about anything, somebody correct me.

Ive been reading a few of your posts mike and I have a question.

I was originaly gonna go obd1, but I have the entire car that the s52 is in so I KNOW it will be cheaper to stay obd2. But my question to you is...

Can I get more power by going all obd1? Im gonna do cams and software for it of course, may do some head work, and quite a bit of other stuff either way. May do a full rebuild. But my goal is max power, but still keeping it reliable. I dont mind spending the money to do the obd1 swap, do you think it would free up a couple more ponies? Thanks man...

[MIKe30]

Ive been reading a few of your posts mike and I have a question.

I was originaly gonna go obd1, but I have the entire car that the s52 is in so I KNOW it will be cheaper to stay obd2. But my question to you is...

Can I get more power by going all obd1? Im gonna do cams and software for it of course, may do some head work, and quite a bit of other stuff either way. May do a full rebuild. But my goal is max power, but still keeping it reliable. I dont mind spending the money to do the obd1 swap, do you think it would free up a couple more ponies? Thanks man...

To be honest, this is my first build myself. Somebody like Matt from TRM (The Racer's Market - a forum sponser, IIRC) who does, or at least sees, a lot of tuning would be able to answer that question. I don't believe you can get any more power by going obd1, from what I understand it just used to be easier to find people to tune it for you. OBD1 is a chip, OBD2 requires a reflash of your ecu. To have somebody that's not local tune your car is more of a hassle with obd2, whether or not it's worth it is debatable.

If I'm not mistaken, I remember reading obd2 electronics are much more powerful than obd1 - which makes sense to me since it came later... but I don't tune cars or build them for a living, by any means. I'm just somebody who reads a lot and remembers and is going through it for the first time myself.

PAGING MATT TO THREAD #1340383!!!!

maybe he will chime in :mrgreen:

[etxxz]

if you read my thread, all of your obdII questions will be answered. adv vs. disv. and even wiring diagrams (oh yeah, i'm not kiddin)

go fish ; /

you need not to reflash your obdII ecu. With the [upcoming] Shark Edit you can tune your obdII ecu much like you can the obdI with chips (TRM can help there)...then again shark edit is not cheap. i stayed obdII to avoid the cost and efforts of an OBDI conversion.

...BUT, before you keep going you should think about your goals first. Have i read the 24v thread? Can i do it? How much power? How much $$? How much time?