DIY - E36 window switch retrofit

[golde30]

IIRC, there was an extra brown wire on the switch that we did not connect. I am thinking now that this wire is the wire for the light.

yeah there was an extra wire for me too, i just connected the 2 brown wires together...

[BDSax]

i went through the shit load of e36 switch i have gotten and figured out what did what.

E30 Switch:

Window Up 1 - Black or (Black/Grey)
Positive (+) 3 - Green/Grey
Negitive (-) 4 - Brown
Negitive (-) 5 - Brown
7 - Black Yellow (i had this, it did nothing)
Window Down 8 - Purple

The e30 switch is very confusing...... there are tabs that come from the up and down leads and its always touching, im guessing it has more resistence the more it is pushed down.
I tried to go from Power (Green/Grey) to the down lead (Purple) and it blew the curcuit. so im guessing it controlls the amount of voltage? thats what im confused about.

E36 Blue Base:

Negitive (-) 1 - Black/Yellow
Window Down 3 - Blue
Window Up 4 - Black
Positive (+) 5 - Green/Grey
Negitive (-) 6 - Blue/Green

I think that the blue/green ground is the stupidest thing i have ever seen


There are 3 different White Basee switches that i had, please check your colors. the Numbers on the switches still all lined up.

E36 White Base #1:

Negitive (-) 1 - Brown
Window Down 3 - Black/Yellow
Window Up 4 - Blue/Green
Positive (+) 5 - Red/Brown


E36 White Base #2:

Negitive (-) 1 - Brown
Window Down 3 - Purple/Grey
Window Up 4 - Black/Grey
Positive (+) 5 - Red/Brown


E36 White Base #3:

Negitive (-) 1 - Brown
Window Down 3 - Black
Window Up 4 - Green
Positive (+) 5 - Red


I havent tried hooking up any switches yet, but i tried the Green base switch. it didnt work except the bulb lit up.
Every switch i went through had a blown bulb. so if your bulb isnt working its because its blown. im going to change mine to LEDs, i think these little POS bulbs suck. i will be installing mine soon. i hope this helps some people

[BDSax]

First Open up the switch. should look like this




Yes, that black thing in the middle is the bulb.




Bulb should look like this..




POS Bulb




Rip out the old bulb




Tear out the plastic bulb holder with a pair of skinny needle nose




All I had was whire LEDs and some old resistors around. bend your led - lead like so. it will fit on the top bar going acrossed. the positive will hook up on the bottom part.



Solder on your Resistor on the + (down below) then solder on the - (up top)



Make sure the Positive and negitive on the LED isnt touching anything. Tie the other end of the Resistor to the positive of the LED. Make sure you snip your ends so nothing touches.



Mine will shine White, but i dont care, i think it should look good at night. Ill take a pic at night when its in the car.

[BDSax]

I think the white leds look better than the orange.






and to clear things up, you can use the switches any where. i made a tail and it works everywhere and plugs right in.

[dude8383]

holy shit man, thats awesome! i may consider doing the whole LED replacement.. it looks relatively simple. Is the rocker switch fragile or can it be taken apart easily?

[BDSax]

its easier to take these e36 switches apart then it is the e30 switches.

[moatilliatta]

this could change things big time... what if we do led's in the insturment cluster????////

[BDSax]

man, im thinking about it. LED's never burn out, and they are brighter!

[Addiction2E30s]

Finished mine up the other day. I have not seen any pics of this done in a vert or 4 door, so thought I would post my pic. I had to use a center console from an e30 w/o power windows. The original console had the switches to close together, the e36 bezels would have overlapped.

[VAPORBLADE]

I pulled some yellow base e36 window switches from a 318ti today - will these work for the swap?

Thanks,
Josh

[BDSax]

as long as they arent a 1 touch. if it has a really small connector, then its not good. they just blow the fuse

[VAPORBLADE]

They have a pretty small connector...I will take a pic...

[BDSax]

doesnt sound good. i tried to hook them up and they would just blow the fuse. maybe is a resistor is hooked up.

[VAPORBLADE]

Here is a pic - if this one will not work, it will be posted now anyway! LOL EDIT: part # 61 31 8 368 941

[BDSax]

nope, you need the large base switches. usually found on the sunroof. and sometimes the rear door on the older e36s. i may try hooking them up with a resistor. that may work.

problem is that is you touch just the wires together to try an make the window go up and down, the fuse blows. its weird. so the switches that work must has resistence or something