What's the Deal with E36 vs E30 window switches?

[StereoInstaller1]

The etk would be a good place to look

well duh, thanks.

[Van Westervelt]

I have auto roll down, and up, on all 4 windows with my alarm. :)

[Jand3rson]

For those wanting to do this, here's mine and Andrew's write-up on how to do it yourself.

http://www.strictlyeta.net/technical/e36switches.html

[CabbE30]

Does anyone know if this will work for the e30 switches? The e36 ones?

[mikeedler]

sure that would work.

but......

I think what you all are forgeting is the child safety crap built into the system. The window will stop rolling up if there is too much power required to roll up the window-- the way it shuts itself off when it is up.- in the BMW orig. system- so to use the e36 system you will need quite a bit.

[bernzpeed]

Wow, this has turned out to be a great thread of information. So in the write up it didn't say anything about replacing a control module. So the e36 switches are good installed by itself Bec. Of the mouse click feel but it doesn't have the auto down or up unless I have that control module???

[DaveSmed]

One touch windows are easy, and super cheap if you have access to a junkyard.

Find a late 80s to mid 90s higher end GM car, like any Cadillac, Buicks, and stuff like Bonnevilles, etc. and pop the drivers door panel off. Feel around for this:



And pull it out. (Depress the tang by the connector in the photo and yank) Go find another one and do the same thing (they are in the drivers doors only, but you can install it on any window)


The module has four wires, and gets installed to the wiring by the window switch.

The module's pink wire gets spliced into the switch's green/gray wire

Cut the switch's (violet, violet/gray, violet/white, or violet/yellow, depending on which window) and connect the module's brown wire to the switch side, and brown/white wire to the car side of the cut wire.

Splice the module's blue wire into the switch's (black, black/gray, black/white, or black/yellow, again depending on window) wire.


Now you have one touch on E30, E36, or any other random switch you want.

[Anguz]

went to the junkyard yesterday and pocketed e36 switches w green base and harness

[Nairb]

A new r3v and e30 standard mod is born.

[ck_taft325is]

One touch windows are easy, and super cheap if you have access to a junkyard.

Find a late 80s to mid 90s higher end GM car, like any Cadillac, Buicks, and stuff like Bonnevilles, etc. and pop the drivers door panel off. Feel around for this:



And pull it out. (Depress the tang by the connector in the photo and yank) Go find another one and do the same thing (they are in the drivers doors only, but you can install it on any window)


The module has four wires, and gets installed to the wiring by the window switch.

The module's pink wire gets spliced into the switch's green/gray wire

Cut the switch's (violet, violet/gray, violet/white, or violet/yellow, depending on which window) and connect the module's brown wire to the switch side, and brown/white wire to the car side of the cut wire.

Splice the module's blue wire into the switch's (black, black/gray, black/white, or black/yellow, again depending on window) wire.


Now you have one touch on E30, E36, or any other random switch you want.

I'll be the skeptic and say it: I want a vid.

[e30jan]

If anyone has a set ill buy it. Need two e36 switches

[nando]

One touch windows are easy, and super cheap if you have access to a junkyard.

Find a late 80s to mid 90s higher end GM car, like any Cadillac, Buicks, and stuff like Bonnevilles, etc. and pop the drivers door panel off. Feel around for this:



And pull it out. (Depress the tang by the connector in the photo and yank) Go find another one and do the same thing (they are in the drivers doors only, but you can install it on any window)


The module has four wires, and gets installed to the wiring by the window switch.

The module's pink wire gets spliced into the switch's green/gray wire

Cut the switch's (violet, violet/gray, violet/white, or violet/yellow, depending on which window) and connect the module's brown wire to the switch side, and brown/white wire to the car side of the cut wire.

Splice the module's blue wire into the switch's (black, black/gray, black/white, or black/yellow, again depending on window) wire.


Now you have one touch on E30, E36, or any other random switch you want.

that's fantastic! got a part #, schematic or wiring diagram? I bet it's something similar to what's built into the motor on the early E36.

the best part is it uses a weatherpack connector, so you can wire this as if it were stock..

[nando]

found the part #:
25614182

[TexasTerp]

^^ That GM Setup is by far the best way to get one touch (if it works!) I really hope to grab some of these and see how it ends up working!

yes, I'm sure - the early "control module" (I think it's called a comfort relay) is just an on/off relay - it decides when the power window system has power, but doesn't control the windows directly. if you could use the E36 motor in the E30, you could use the wiring/switches and just hook the window system power directly to switched 12v instead of going through the relay.

one touch will definitely not work without modifying the motor. the early E36 motor has the one-touch circuitry built in. may be the later style will work but it's abouit 10x more complicated, the early system is pretty close to the E30 except the extra motor circuitry and switch differences.

Yeah, I'm not thinking clearly. I have a later model (small base) one touch system. The 4drs are not all one-touch in mine, only the fronts with green bases, the white base are standard touch. You're right in that the later model is more complicated because it uses a General Control Module (below) that is used for more than just the windows.

This is a shot of the one in my car (blew a transistor which is why I was getting intermittent voltage).



The green input plug I know controls the windows. I believe the yellow plug does as well, but I'm starting to think that is not the case as the two door still has the yellow input plug. I don't know what the black input plug controls (haven't looked at any wiring diagrams). The rear plugs are for the windows: black for front, white for rear. The 2 door version only has the black plug for the fronts.

If it is the case that the green plug is the only one controlling the windows, would it stand to reason that one could decipher which wires go to which switches and subsequently use the module for a one touch system?

So that would be the E36 with the "big wire" switches, like 5 or 6 wires, not the small base like I have, right?

Do we know the changeover year?

95 was the changeover year (I have small bases, EWS yet full OBD1 in an 04/95 build.)

[StereoInstaller1]

^^ That GM Setup is by far the best way to get one touch (if it works!) I really hope to grab some of these and see how it ends up working!



Yeah, I'm not thinking clearly. I have a later model (small base) one touch system. The 4drs are not all one-touch in mine, only the fronts with green bases, the white base are standard touch. You're right in that the later model is more complicated because it uses a General Control Module (below) that is used for more than just the windows.

This is a shot of the one in my car (blew a transistor which is why I was getting intermittent voltage).



The green input plug I know controls the windows. I believe the yellow plug does as well, but I'm starting to think that is not the case as the two door still has the yellow input plug. I don't know what the black input plug controls (haven't looked at any wiring diagrams). The rear plugs are for the windows: black for front, white for rear. The 2 door version only has the black plug for the fronts.

If it is the case that the green plug is the only one controlling the windows, would it stand to reason that one could decipher which wires go to which switches and subsequently use the module for a one touch system?



95 was the changeover year (I have small bases, EWS yet full OBD1 in an 04/95 build.)

1. The GM system WILL NOT do a proper "one touch" using the BMW 1T switches: there is no way to toggle it on the 2nd click. The GM module also will not trigger from an alarm without the use of a 2nd module.

2. Aftermarket window control modules also will not operate with the 1T window switches, you have to use the "big wire" switches, which are not as reliable as the late "small wire" E36 switches, however you do it, you will not have proper 1T switching like a late E36 has.

3. The comfort module from a late E36 plugs into a huge circuit board with roughly 9 billion connections. Good luck adapting that, or finding a way to reliably attach wires so it could be adapted to the E30.

If your car has individual plugs that connect to that board, please let me know. I will find another and hack its guts out.

I really do wanna see that, but damn what a hassle. I have held one in my hands. It is gonna be a bitch. That "Comfort Module" is one of 2 or 3 modules on that board...



I think you guys who want 1T would be best served with DEI modules. They are overpriced and failure prone, but still, they are the easiest option to get 1T and can be triggered by a separate switch to do all 4 up/down, or controlled through an alarm.

Here is a .PDF of the installation instructions for the DEI 530T:http://www.directed.com/guides/manua...N530T_1-00.pdf. $60 at Frys.com, controls 2 windows up AND down. If you have a 4 door, you will need 2 modules.

You still will not have proper 1T as BMW uses on late E36s, but it works and is fairly simple to install. You can use E30 switches, big base E36 switches, Jetta switches or small base E36 and 2 relays per window.

Personally, I am holding out. I have my Scytek modules which give me temperature venting and I love that. I will find a way to get the proper "2nd click" 1T operation working. It is 100% superior to any of the aftermarket systems, best window controls there are.