CA BAR question for those who passed with M6x

[Jean]

Hi,

What DME/ECU did you use to pass BAR?

Black label 404?
Stock auto chip or did you get it flashed with manual chip?

I know there are a couple guys in the bay who's completed the swap, it would be good to have this information clearly documented on what exactly was used to pass bar.

There are a few options out there as we all know, most common one is 404 Black label DME out of automatic 540/740 cars, another option is 404 silver label manual and that one is rare to even find (unless someone has the software from it and we can clone it?), another option is 484 with EWS delete from DUDMD on bimmerforums / eBay.

Key obviously is to not throw any codes, and I am hearing that if you just use a 404 auto dme you'll have a trans code.

So, let's get the details and help others on the forum doing the same thing swap :)

Thanks!

[Jean]

Example from another thread -


"3. Purch DME from ’95 540 manual- 6spd Bosch ‘484’ manual DME but HAS EWS.
Sent up to DUDMD . Installed EWS emulator.
RESULTS: NO CANBUS CODE
NO hanging idle almost no pop/crack on decel. Best drivability smooth power etc.
Passed Calif BAR YES !!
PROBLEM: ‘484’ W/ EMULATOR has FAILED 2x’s now . Approx 500 miles and EWS reappears . Just died 2x yesterday.

FIX 1:
Talked with DUDMD ,who has been helpful and prompt, sent DME back to him. He said emulator EWS number code/pairing? had changed somehow. He reset and returned. worked as before – until yesterday... after 1st failure I put spare 404 DME in trunk .
FIX 2:
I will call DUDMD next week see what’s what.

I don’t think the original EWS emulator was replaced- just reset-
I needed a quick turnaround on first failure due to my BAR appointment sched. So could be junk DME or Emulator. I may put together a 2nd setup for comparison longevity etc.

Again this setup, manual ‘484’ / emulator gave noticeably better drivability performance for me. /
Also checking into WAR chip application.

[Jean]

Update - this might be relevant for others. ProgRama sells rebuilt 404 DME's and they are currently on sale for $125 + $50 core. I went ahead to place an order and didn't see any way to specify Manual vs. Automatic version.

I ended up calling them and spoke with their tech, they unfortunately do not have an option to order Manual vs. Auto and basically are selling rebuilt ECU and it's on us to re-use or install whatever chip we want.

I was hoping I could specify manual version, but looks like this is a no go as well.

There must be someone out there with a stock 404 manual DME that we can get the chip cloned for this use?

Anyone, bueller?

[Jean]

Update - I spoke with Dinan, since they make chips for 540/740/840 cars . They have over 20 variations of their chip for our engines...and what they are looking for is not only the DME # (say for example 404) but ALSO they need the PCU and BCU codes read from the DME.

Now, it appears that someone with either AutoLogic or GT1 can change the PCU/BCU on the DME from Auto to Manual. This is a common thing to do when you are doing a manual swap on the 540/740/840 cars according to Dinan.

So, I think this is a good info and I'll be visiting one of the local BMW shops to see about having my 404 DME 1) read and 2) updated to "Manual" PCU/BCU per what Dinan told me is possible.

Has anyone else heard of this?

[LoneWolf]

Interested in this, never saw if jgood sorted his exhaust popping/cracking issue. Think I remember he thought it was related to the auto dme

[JGood]

Interested in this, never saw if jgood sorted his exhaust popping/cracking issue. Think I remember he thought it was related to the auto dme

My issue is based on the decel fuel cut and throttle tip-in, I have a hesitation and very loud exhaust cracking/popping when getting back on the gas after being in decel fuel cut. My lack of cat's might be exaggerating the sound, but the hesitation is definitely there. It's just a split second delay in response. My m20 and m30 with barn door style AFM's even react quicker haha. It seems that fuel is not turned on until the TPS is at 5% or so, and the engine is so damn torquey and responsive at low throttle opening, that when fueling does come back on, it's way too much, and the car is then accelerating more that I want it to. I try to lift just a bit, and it goes into decel fuel cut, and repeat the cycle. It does it with the stock chip and my Mark D chip.

It makes driving on long slight downhill stretches a complete pain in the ass... If I lift off the throttle, it goes into engine braking and fuel cut, which slows me down too much... Give it just a touch of gas to maintain speed, nothing happens... a bit more throttle, and I get the loud crack out of the exhaust, fuel kicks in, and I'm accelerating more then I want to be. I can't just drive with a slight amount of throttle input to maintain speed, like I can in every other car, ever.

I have a DUDMD chip for an m60b44 arriving tomorrow. That is based off of the 530i manual tune, with adjustments. Since there was very, very few 540i/6's that came with a 404, I'm hoping that the Mark D chip that I have just didn't have the decel fuel cut & throttle tip in settings adjusted to that of the manual chip, and this new tune will cure the issues. Fingers crossed.

[LoneWolf]

Thanks for the info. I hope to someday be diagnosing problems that occur when the car is driving, not on jackstands haha

[36brua]

My issue is based on the decel fuel cut and throttle tip-in, I have a hesitation and very loud exhaust cracking/popping when getting back on the gas after being in decel fuel cut. My lack of cat's might be exaggerating the sound, but the hesitation is definitely there. It's just a split second delay in response. My m20 and m30 with barn door style AFM's even react quicker haha. It seems that fuel is not turned on until the TPS is at 5% or so, and the engine is so damn torquey and responsive at low throttle opening, that when fueling does come back on, it's way too much, and the car is then accelerating more that I want it to. I try to lift just a bit, and it goes into decel fuel cut, and repeat the cycle. It does it with the stock chip and my Mark D chip.

It makes driving on long slight downhill stretches a complete pain in the ass... If I lift off the throttle, it goes into engine braking and fuel cut, which slows me down too much... Give it just a touch of gas to maintain speed, nothing happens... a bit more throttle, and I get the loud crack out of the exhaust, fuel kicks in, and I'm accelerating more then I want to be. I can't just drive with a slight amount of throttle input to maintain speed, like I can in every other car, ever.

I have a DUDMD chip for an m60b44 arriving tomorrow. That is based off of the 530i manual tune, with adjustments. Since there was very, very few 540i/6's that came with a 404, I'm hoping that the Mark D chip that I have just didn't have the decel fuel cut & throttle tip in settings adjusted to that of the manual chip, and this new tune will cure the issues. Fingers crossed.

Hi JGOOD- Please post up your results with dudmd, My experience didnt turn out too well. He installed and ews emulator in a m62 manual dme I had. It failed, sent back up to him for repair and never got it back and no communication.
I tried sssquid m6ob44 tune but it gave me an immediate chk engine lt. Jay tried a couple of versions but lt persisted no ck lt w/ stk chip
hope his tune works !

[JGood]

Hi JGOOD- Please post up your results with dudmd, My experience didnt turn out too well. He installed and ews emulator in a m62 manual dme I had. It failed, sent back up to him for repair and never got it back and no communication.
I tried sssquid m6ob44 tune but it gave me an immediate chk engine lt. Jay tried a couple of versions but lt persisted no ck lt w/ stk chip
hope his tune works !

Yeah, I don't anticipate this chip doing anything with the canbus error code, I'm almost certain I'll still have that. Which doesn't bother me, I'm in PA.

I did buy one of his normal m60 chips back in 2011-2012, when I first did my m60 swap. I spent a year diagnosing a stalling issue, finally traced it back to that chip. He refunded me at that time. I figure there are so many people running his m60 404 chips with no issues now, that if I end up with that problem again on a completely different tune (this is now based on the 530i manual tune), then there is something else wrong with my car, or at least something unique to e30's, maybe the VSS input or something.

[Jean]

Update - I am working with someone else on procuring a stock manual 540i non ews chip for 404 DME. I have a manual and auto harnesses on hand, so my plan is to use a manual harness with a manual chip and that should not throw any canbus/trans errors. Backup plan would be to use the auto harness with auto 404 dme and trans computer plugged in as well for BAR.

[delamaize]

I have the Decel Pop also, and I'm using a 404 DME, I don't know if it's an automatic or manual one though, As I bought it off Ebay. The motor came from a late 94 540i automatic. I am using the Auto harness, with all the Auto bullshit removed. The only code I am getting right now is 1263, IIRC that is because I don't have the tank purge valve. I'm also interested in what is causing the pop and how to fix it. I'm mostly worried about damage to the motor from the pop.

[Jean]

JGOOD - looking forward to your update with the M62B40 chip .

I have the Decel Pop also, and I'm using a 404 DME, I don't know if it's an automatic or manual one though, As I bought it off Ebay. The motor came from a late 94 540i automatic. I am using the Auto harness, with all the Auto bullshit removed. The only code I am getting right now is 1263, IIRC that is because I don't have the tank purge valve. I'm also interested in what is causing the pop and how to fix it. I'm mostly worried about damage to the motor from the pop.

Run the last 7 of the VIN on the DME on realoem.com and it will show :) I am betting it's out of an automatic.

[delamaize]

JGOOD - looking forward to your update with the M62B40 chip .



Run the last 7 of the VIN on the DME on realoem.com and it will show :) I am betting it's out of an automatic.

Thanks, I'll check when I get home from work tomorrow, and I'll report my finding.

[JGood]

Holy shit. Over 5 years and 40k miles now that I've been dealing with this, and it's finally fixed.

Got the DUDMD m60b44 tune, which he based off a 530i manual trans factory tune, with adjustments.

No more cracking/popping, no hesitation, more power, no canbus check code! Running a 404 DME from an automatic. There is one code, which I've always had, it's for the evap purge valve, as I'm not running a charcoal canister. But I previously had it all hooked up and that code cleared.

The car is an absolute dream to drive now. I was going to just go around the block to test it, I ended up tearing up some back roads for almost an hour because it was such a pleasure to drive. I guess I had just gotten used to the other tune.

Big thanks to DUDMD, and thanks to Jean for blowing up my inbox with questions, as that's what got me thinking about this again, and finding the thread on bf.c where they mentioned he was using a manual trans tune as a base. Jean, I'll keep checking for that code over the next few days to make sure it doesn't come back. But previously, it was there prior to even starting the car up after reconnecting the battery. So I think it's good to go. It must be something in the tune itself.

[delamaize]

Huh, So I wonder if it is the manual tune then. It's strange that I have never got the canbus codes. The only codes I have ever had was O2 sensor codes, until I got them wired up right, and the 1263 Purge valve code.....

Looks like I may need to start looking for a Manual tuned chip.