converting 328is to OBD I

[DNRC]

does anyone know anything about this? When I was at the Varsity there was a kid from bimmerforums there and he said that if I converted my car to OBD I that I could take it to his friend's shop and have him tune the car to where I could have 220HP to the ground. idk but that sounds kind of crazy to me to convert a working OBD II vehicle to a older OBD I. How would the engine even run since the OBD I version of my car is pretty much the 325, different engines.

btw Phillip, here is the link to his thread that he was talking about
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=823495
so you can message him there if you need to

[v33_n0d3]

Just curious as to what OBDI has that OBDII doesn't.

[DNRC]

according to the guy I talked to, he said in order for me to be able to have my car programmed by this guy I would have to switch to OBD I. I could have sworn it was the other way around. I know on OBD I you have to replace the chip while on OBD II I can flash the ECU. It didn't make any sense to me, but it would be nice to have 220 HP

[v33_n0d3]

I guess I'm a little bit more curious as to how he can possibly get 50-60 RWHP out of a simple chip mod. This isn't a boosted engine.

If I were you I'd pass.

[DNRC]

supposedly this guy is the "best" at tuning BMWs and the guy claimed he managed to tune a 325 to have more power than a M3, I forgot how much HP gain it was, Phillip would know. He has his own dyno and he sits with the car fine tuning everything to make it "perfect." Right now I really want to keep my car OBD II, I really don't want to mess with the brains of the car unless they go bad.

[v33_n0d3]

BMW milked the ECU for 99% of it's worth straight out of the factory. Even Dinan quoted that themselves. That extra 1% wields "slightly" better throttle response and 5HP at best.

I'm calling complete BS on all these "claims". There's no way he can downgrade an OBDII car and have it magically sh*t out an extra 60 wheel horsepower. The only possible way of getting THAT much more HP out of your car is by boosting it.

[geegee]

In my experience with the 3 series cars from 1995 what youare being told is a pile of crap that is a mile high.Get yourself an M3.Good rubber burning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DNRC]

I'll let you know what he says when he contacts me.

I'm going to start saving up for a M3 when I get a new job in which I can afford to put money on the side, might buy my neighbors. It is in mint condition and always garaged next to his M5.

[Conehead]

Sounds suss to me. You would have to change the ECU, all the under bonnet connections, the sensors for all the accessories like ABS airbags and such, unless you got a purpose built conversion harness. I then doubt you would get the power gains tho. I think he is pulling your leg

Cone
XXX

[PhilipWOT]

I was waiting for this thread to show up! lol

[SCANDINAVIAN13]

There's no reason to downgrade to OBD-I. Just get a manifold kit upgrade:
Understeer has one (it's about halfway down the page):
http://www.understeer.com/onlinestore-engine.shtml

As for you horsepower freaks/speculators. Horsepower gains are on a percent basis. I have a hard time beliving a chip will bring somewhere around a 30% increase, much less anything more than 5%.
v33_n0d3 is right. BMW got as much as they could out of the stock chip, based on the recommended octane fuel use.

[DNRC]

I was waiting for this thread to show up! lol

you didn't think I was going to take that kids word without confronting others that actually know what they are talking about now would you?


What kind of increase would the manifold kit do?

[SCANDINAVIAN13]

It's mostly a gain in high-end power (the site claims above 5000RPM). I'm not sure about the rest, I've never had to look at it, as I have an OBD-I car already.

[PhilipWOT]

I think what he was telling us was somewhat legitimate. Not to the extent that he claimed, but legitimate nontheless.

And no- I haven't found out about the sets yet.

[jasonf860]

Yes, converting to OBDI in an OBDII car will yeild SOME horsepower with the m50 intake mani and the right tune, but it's not going to give 50-60 HP. Especially not in a 328. Zionsville motorsports has kits to do it. They get an additional 25 HP from a 3.2 M3, so your definitely not getting that from a 328. I'd say in the ballpark of 18-20 on a 328.

[PhilipWOT]

That sounds realistic.

[jasonf860]

and proof... and reasons why you would want to convert... for engine swaps of course! that 3.2 liter motor would be sweet in my 325.... I'd have a 332i! (I know it's been done already...)


Ben,
I gotta beg to differ with you on this one buddy ;) You can use a
complete 3.2 liter M3 engine with an OBD I conversion kit from ZA.
There is absolutely no need to remove the cylinder head. The 332is that
we built is an E30 chassis with a complete '96 M3 long block motor
installed. That includes the block and the cylinder head, which has
never been from the motor. With the right parts and a couple neat
tricks, this is not a hard conversion at all (the OBD I part anyway).
Also, the OBD I conversion has been dyno'd by ERT and the results show
that this mod alone adds ~25 HP to your standard 3.2 liter M3. So, not
only does it enable you to use the 3.2 liter engines in earlier cars
without OBD II, but it also allows a decent HP upgrade to folks with the
3.2 already installed in an OBD II equipped vehicle.

- -----------------------------------
Jason Lile
Zionsville Autosport
"BMW Parts Specialists"
1-800-BIMMERS
http://www.zionsvilleautosport.com
Administrator - BMW Parts Digest


And BTW, it's illegal on your OBDII car anyway.

[DNRC]

I told him it was illegal but he said if I write a letter to the people in charge of registration or w/e that I could tell them I switched to OBD I and they would register my car as OBD I

[jasonf860]

Nope, unless you register the car as a composite (1 car made from more than 1 car like most hot-rods) your SOL.

[PhilipWOT]

I told him it was illegal but he said if I write a letter to the people in charge of registration or w/e that I could tell them I switched to OBD I and they would register my car as OBD I

Yeah, I meant to tell you- that part was complete BS. I have alot of experience with motor swapping, and putting an OBDI engine in an OBDII car is big-time illegal.

[DNRC]

I knew I should have bought that 95 325 :slap: :rofl:

I'm not that worried about having a monster HP car, just for $500 I thought it would be cool to have that much HP increase. But my car is fine the way it is, would be nice to have a little bit more power though so I can outrun my friends Mustang that he constantly bashes my car with. When he drives my car he is in love with it but when we are in his car, he keeps going on about how much faster it is. I got him to finally shut up one time by telling him that he didn't have a chance against my car out on a track. I know a bimmer will easily destroy a Mustang on the track but on straightaways he takes off pretty quick and outruns me everytime filling up his pride. All though I was able to keep up with him one time when I knew he was going to launch it, I red lined the car every shift and was keeping up with him until we hit the speed limit and I let him shoot off, there are too many traffic cops in GA.

[SCANDINAVIAN13]

Why is it illegal?

[DNRC]

emmissions, when you have your vehicle tested they go by the year of your vehicle. Since I have a 96 they will know that my car is OBD II and the goverment is really strict about emissions and if I change it then it is tampering with the pollution levels of the car