Ok... I'm really going to get on my project now... (lengthy) [Archive]

uflnuceng

08-26-2007, 08:07 PM

Introduction:

Ok... first I would like to kinda reintroduce myself as I have mostly just lurked over the last year. I bought a 1990 E34 535i 5-speed and made it my project bitch. It has thus far had:

Complete Engine Rebuild, ARP Head studs, forged pistons, multi layer steel headgasket, and a nice new paint job.
TCD Stage 2 turbo build done by Todd at TCD.
MegaSquirt ECU designed by Pete Florance of first 5's.
850i front brakes, 540i rear brakes... I thought I could put an E32 750iL master cylinder in it to improve the brake pedal but the bastard didn't fit, so I'm just going to put a new stock one in to replace the old one that has 274k miles on it.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0549.JPG

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0550.JPG

So the drivetrain is solid. I want to give a special public thanks to Jon K for putting up with my megasquirt questions at the late hours of the night, and for finally making a man outta me (and no... I'm not talking about that one time in the prison shower room). I had to diagnose some problems I was having with the megasquirt and after Jon guided me through what I needed to do, and finally told me to "man it up" I was able to diagnose my problem (faulty chip) and I learned a lot.

While the vehicle is not moving I have decided to continue with my interior project, which grows more and more interesting by the day. The car already came with a decent stereo system, but I didn't like the complexity of the install (RCA cables running everyone, some stereo equipment had been taken out as there were cables that just terminated with plugs I have never seen before, etc.)

uflnuceng

08-26-2007, 08:08 PM

STEREO UPGRADE:

As I said, the stereo that was in there was decent, but I wanted bluetooth hands free cell phone, sirius satellite radio, and a bit of a cleaner look and the greyness of the Alpine unit didn't do it for me. I then did my research and settled on Pioneer DEH-P9800BT. This thing has every feature under the sun and I like it.

I had the headliners redone in black, so I was able to run the handsfree mic and sirius antenna cable through the roof. I was going to run the antenna through the sunroof but it doesn't seem to want to close completely with the wire in the way.
My rear window is tinted so I'm going to have to put the antenna through the trunk, then up the window gasket to the roof, or something like that. Anyone had better luck running a satellite radio antenna on their E34?

Then the fun begins...

Whoever did the stereo upgrade before did some really weird ****, running RCA cables off the deck wiring harness when there were pre-amp RCA connectors already on the headunit. Whoever did it obviously had some money to spend, but I want to use the factory speaker wire harness to clean up the install. However, I can only find 4 of the 8 speaker wires I need. I'm going to tie the 8 OEM speaker wires into this Quad Phono Jack (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103425&cp=&sr=1&origkw=phono+jack&kw=phono+jack&parentPage=search).

The more and more I delve into it, the more of the interior I have to take out, so I'm just taking it ALL out.

I'm going to track the wires from the trunk back to the front of the car, cleaning out any clutter that I come across. I'm still going to use one set of RCA cables from the headunit to the back for the subwoofer.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0551.JPG

That little black 8-pin plug are the only stereo speakers I can find. It was tucked way up under the dash. I can only hope the other speaker wires were tucked away like that too.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0556.JPG

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0552.JPG

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0557.JPG

I'm also going to have to treat some surface rust, but for as expensive the materials were for the stereo upgrade, you would have thought the installer would have made it look cleaner.

uflnuceng

08-26-2007, 08:09 PM

No more factory amp... someone cut it out completely, and all I'm left with are some hacked wires that I'm going to have to follow all the way back to the headunit.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0558.JPG

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0559.JPG

Headlights:

Got some smoked Hella Ellips from Abraham Motorsports, and got rid of the Unitza HID crap that was on there and installed some H1s. Light quality and brightness is way improved over the Unitza angel eye projectors in my opinion, although I need to get the headlights aligned. Is this something I can get done at the dealership? I'm getting smoked hella fog lights coming special order later this summer. Abrahams is awesome:) .

Steering Wheel:

I want to get a multifunction steering wheel with a working airbag on my e34. I have only found limited information on this and some E39 steering wheels should be able to work. I'm going to have to play around with the wiring but there is a PAC (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-sZpGsFd4Pks/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?g=118900&I=127SWIPS) adaptor that will work with an E39 wheel and this Pioneer unit. I initially think I'm just going to have to get power to the wheel and the adaptor should take care of everything else. Anyone have any input on this? Are there E39 wheels with airbags that you know works on the E34?

uflnuceng

08-26-2007, 08:10 PM

Back to Black:

I already got new OEM carpeting, and with the luck I have had at salvage yards I'm probably going to see my friends at the stealership and order all new kick panels, center console, glove box, etc. I'm also going to order a uniform wood panel kit... just gotta find the one that I like. I talked with the people at EuroDepot and they said they can get me a complete set of new doors... at about $350 a pop. Oh well...

I also got an E46 cup holder, which is the best BMW has ever made... the new ones are absolute crap. I'm going to take it to a custom interior guy and get him to retrofit it into the center console somehow.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0554.JPG

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0555.JPG

Keyless Entry:

Bought the OEM keyless entry kit and somehow my car isn't pre-wired for it:( I am going to attempt to wire the car myself since the directions are actually quite detailed as to what wires are going where, and the Bentley manual has a detailed skematic as well. This is another reason why I am gutting the interior.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo_interior/IMG_0553.JPG

uflnuceng

08-26-2007, 08:22 PM

Anyway... sorry for the lengthy post that isn't really going anywhere. There are a couple questions I would like to get answered but I'm definitely going to work on everything I talked about and troubleshoot wherever it comes up. You'll be hearing a lot from me over the next few months so I just wanted to make myself known...

So... hello... again:)

Macv

08-26-2007, 08:28 PM

Damn thats looking nice. Swap you engines... ehh?

uflnuceng

08-27-2007, 08:26 AM

lol... not likely;-) Long live the M30, and once I get another 8 lbs of boost behind it (for about 15lbs of boost total) this bad boy is going to be flying!

Evan

08-27-2007, 09:43 AM

great setup... impressive

Bin_jammin

08-27-2007, 10:35 AM

Dave M

08-27-2007, 10:38 AM

[QUOTE=uflnuceng] although I need to get the headlights aligned. Is this something I can get done at the dealership?

Sounds like you'll have quite the beast when you're done. I can only provide direction with respect to the above question. Yes, you can get that done at the dealer, or, better yet, DIY with help from Daniel Stern's lighting page (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html). I used his procedure for my lights and it worked well. Probably takes an hour or so.

Dave M

repenttokyo

08-27-2007, 11:30 AM

I had the headliners redone in black, so I was able to run the handsfree mic and sirius antenna cable through the roof. I was going to run the antenna through the sunroof but it doesn't seem to want to close completely with the wire in the way.
My rear window is tinted so I'm going to have to put the antenna through the trunk, then up the window gasket to the roof, or something like that. Anyone had better luck running a satellite radio antenna on their E34?

do you live in a major urban area? I have my XM antennae on the rear deck of my car, and I had it like this in my Lincoln as well. Have you actually tested it out with the tint to see if it's a problem? In my experience, indoor antennaes work perfectly well in areas with terrestrial repeaters, and very well elsewhere.

uflnuceng

08-27-2007, 12:28 PM

do you live in a major urban area?

I live in rural SW PA, with lots of trees and during the spring and summer with all the leaves in the tree, and hence the water in the canopy, my signal can get really choppy. It improves dramatically during the fall and winter when the leaves come off the trees.

Have you actually tested it out with the tint to see if it's a problem?

No... I'll give it a try I guess... I just hate moving antennas around.

BMWDriver

08-27-2007, 12:43 PM

Jon K has an e39 steering wheel wired to his stereo, so I believe from his pictures (all hail Jon K and his mods!).

We're looking forward to your modding journey.

I kinda whish I had the dough. But then again, I find I'm dangerous enough with the stock 189 hp. I am somewhat content at just keeping it in shape, keeping to what I can do myself such as electronics and a bit of body work.

uflnuceng

08-27-2007, 12:58 PM

The speaker wires you're looking for aren't there. The factory setup used the (+) wires from the head unit only to save on wiring, and ran the grounds out of the amp. If you're going back to the factory setup with the factory amp, just run the (+) cables. If you're going with an aftermarket setup you'll have to run ground cables for each speaker. That's likely why you've got so many rca cables.

So what you're saying is the Bentley Manual is wrong? ::gasp:: Bentley shows the wiring diagram for 89-92 cars as having 2 independent wires coming out of the head unit. Weird thing is I found the twisted pair wires coming from the front into the trunk, so they have to be around somewhere. I'll let you know what I find. Man will I be pissed if they are not where I expect them to be.

uflnuceng

08-27-2007, 01:05 PM

Jon K has an e39 steering wheel wired to his stereo, so I believe from his pictures (all hail Jon K and his mods!).

He has an E46 wheel in his E34 now, and the airbag and multi-function buttons DO NOT work. Those are both musts for me.

We're looking forward to your modding journey.

Thanks:-) support is always a good thing.

I kinda whish I had the dough. But then again, I find I'm dangerous enough with the stock 189 hp. I am somewhat content at just keeping it in shape, keeping to what I can do myself such as electronics and a bit of body work.

The stock 535i, especially on a rebuilt motor, is a fantastic car and in and of itself is a great daily car, I just wanted a project car I could ask for a lot of HP out of, and the M30 is so superbly designed it is the perfect test bed for my mad scientist designs.

uflnuceng

08-27-2007, 01:16 PM

Wheels:

Also forgot to mention I'm getting 5 Style 5's (2 piece) wheels to replace the replica M parallels currently on the car. The current spare tire I have is the original 15" bottlecap and won't fit over the front brakes. Todd at TCD has referred to me as being "anal"... but since I'm probably going to help put a couple of his kids through college he gladly does what I ask... lofl.

The wheels are going to be powder coated semi-gloss black in the middle, polished aluminum lips. 245/40/17 Falken tires all around.

BMWDriver

08-27-2007, 01:22 PM

(...) the perfect test bed for my mad scientist designs.

Ooh ! Does it mean we'll see a lot of explosions and sorts? :p

Gosh, passion sparks interest in all of us. Now you're turning me on... as far as cars are concerned of course !

My M50 is not too torquey at start - below 1500 rpms. But once it goes, sky's the limit (chip's the limit). Oh well, it still beats the hell out of having a Toyota Tercel / Honda Ricer Civic.

uflnuceng

08-27-2007, 01:30 PM

I would have loved to find a clean M50 powered E34... would have thrown a turbocharged OBDI 2.8L in there faster than... well... pretty damn fast.

repenttokyo

08-27-2007, 02:09 PM

Bin_jammin

08-27-2007, 02:39 PM

So what you're saying is the Bentley Manual is wrong? ::gasp:: Bentley shows the wiring diagram for 89-92 cars as having 2 independent wires coming out of the head unit. Weird thing is I found the twisted pair wires coming from the front into the trunk, so they have to be around somewhere. I'll let you know what I find. Man will I be pissed if they are not where I expect them to be.

Stupid question, are you sure you didn't find the twisted pair going from the trunk to the front? They're twisted pair running to the speakers, but they're singular from the head unit back. Of course, they might twist the wiring running from the head unit to the amp, but there shouldn't be any negative leads for speaker wire.

uflnuceng

08-27-2007, 03:03 PM

Stupid question, are you sure you didn't find the twisted pair going from the trunk to the front? They're twisted pair running to the speakers, but they're singular from the head unit back. Of course, they might twist the wiring running from the head unit to the amp, but there shouldn't be any negative leads for speaker wire.

If you look at the picture carefully with my hand holding the wire, there are yellow/red and yellow/brown coming out from the a/d/s crossovers to the speakers in the front. The wires that I am holding are twisted pair yellow/red and yellow/brown that I just cut and are going nowhere. My assumption was that those were the wires coming from the front of the car(i.e. would have been input into the factory amp), and the ones coming from the cross overs were going to the speakers (and would have been the wires coming out of the amp).

I'm going to take out the seats and carpeting tonight to see where they go.

UPDATE: After looking at the wiring diagram (http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/upgrade/stereo_wiring.htm) it looks like the same colored wires went to various front speakers, i.e. Y/R and Y/Br left woofer as well as the left mid-range. So that is probably why I'm seeing multiple wires of the same color. Does this mean I should just clean up the wiring but use the already installed 3-pairs of RCA cables? They seem to be of high quality and shielded well enough cos I never hear engine whine, just cuts out from time to time which may be a problem between the amp and the cross overs.

Bin_jammin

08-27-2007, 11:35 PM

If you look at the picture carefully with my hand holding the wire, there are yellow/red and yellow/brown coming out from the a/d/s crossovers to the speakers in the front. The wires that I am holding are twisted pair yellow/red and yellow/brown that I just cut and are going nowhere. My assumption was that those were the wires coming from the front of the car(i.e. would have been input into the factory amp), and the ones coming from the cross overs were going to the speakers (and would have been the wires coming out of the amp).

I'm going to take out the seats and carpeting tonight to see where they go.

UPDATE: After looking at the wiring diagram (http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/upgrade/stereo_wiring.htm) it looks like the same colored wires went to various front speakers, i.e. Y/R and Y/Br left woofer as well as the left mid-range. So that is probably why I'm seeing multiple wires of the same color. Does this mean I should just clean up the wiring but use the already installed 3-pairs of RCA cables? They seem to be of high quality and shielded well enough cos I never hear engine whine, just cuts out from time to time which may be a problem between the amp and the cross overs.

If it's cutting out it might be the amp clipping. Does your amp have enough ventilation?

uflnuceng

08-28-2007, 06:50 AM

No it didn't... it was under the floor mat in that little nook in the basement.

I'm going to be doing something to fix that because i know the amp needs proper ventillation.

ILoveMPower

08-28-2007, 08:34 AM

Wow, very impressive car! It looks like our cars were twins when they were bone stock, thats Islandgrun correct?

You've pretty much done/planned everything I dreamed for my car to be one day, I have a lot of respect for your attention to detail and clean choices in style/function. Great car and I can't wait for the finished product

Cheers,
- JK

uflnuceng

08-28-2007, 12:56 PM

Yep... same color car... and thanks for the compliment. I do work hard at getting the details done right, sometimes it just doesn't come out the way I planned :)

uflnuceng

08-28-2007, 02:10 PM

Regarding my steering wheel swap... I'm looking to follow these installation guides:

E39 M-Sport Steering Wheel Retro-Fit (http://www.bmwdiy.info/msport-wheel/index.html)

Steering Wheel Retrofit & Upgrade (http://home.earthlink.net/~frankie66/cars/diy/E36_steeringwheel.html)

As long as I get an airbag that is single stage I "should" be able to get this thing working. The real treat will be in wiring up a PAC SWI-PS (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-8gIGaEAKJuZ/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?i=127SWIPS) so that this all actually works.

We'll see...

More to come.

Update: Just ordered a steering wheel from TheEuroDepot.com that I think will work well. It will atleast let me check wires, slip ring fitting, etc.

uflnuceng

10-22-2007, 07:38 AM

Finally! Had a chance to get into my car this weekend. Took a couple pictures, but I'll have to wait to post them cos they are at home. I've pretty much decided almost the entire interior has to go. Took some nasty pics of the carpeting that is just as funky as it gets. I read up on Uber Soldat's Interior Swap (http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=23181), so I have an idea as to the fun that is in store for me.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to place down some dynamat... anyone have any experience with this?

BigKriss

10-22-2007, 09:21 AM

wow, i just noticed this thread. can you post more pictures of the turbo setup. why does your water/air intercooler look different than this one, does the e28 and e34 and different types?

http://www.turbochargingdynamics.com/tcd_pics_Duke001.jpg
Your's looks different???

uflnuceng

10-22-2007, 10:52 AM

Yeah... different types. I would have liked to have had that one but for some reason that can only be used on the E28.

clevertd

10-22-2007, 08:59 PM

Damn, I've had your site bookmarked for a while now. I was wondering what happened to that E34! Nice car.

uflnuceng

10-23-2007, 07:09 AM

More of the interior is coming out... fun times... atleast most of the stuff is easy to disassemble because the nuts and bolts are all clean. I want this steering wheel, but since my steering column has the nut instead of the bolt, I guess I'm going to have to play with swapping the steering column to a later version. I spent awhile diagnosing the situation and it looks doable... I'll let you know how it pans out.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r20/E34MGERM/1XXL.jpg

attack eagle

10-24-2007, 06:01 PM

uflnuceng

10-24-2007, 08:19 PM

bubba966

10-24-2007, 08:40 PM

Thanks AE... I've seen some installs where everything but the windows is covered with the Xtreme stuff... do I have to go all out or not at all, or can I just cover the areas that would naturally create noise (driveshaft tunnel, above differential, etc.)

My experience with the Xtreme is that the more you have on there the better. But you certainly don't have to go all out.

You might want to put two layers of it over the hot or noisy areas as it'll deaden the sound and cut the heat a lot better with two layers.

If I ever pull out my seats and carpet I'd put two layers of Xtreme over the tranny/driveshaft tunnel to cut down on the heat.

And I'll second the above poster in the "stick with the Xtreme and don't bother with the other Dynamat products" opinion.

Turbo Ready

10-24-2007, 08:45 PM

Hi Jared,

Browsed this thread before and just realized that this is you, small world :D

Gives me another place to bug you :) Project looks awesome.

We started stripping a 90 e34 535i five speed 3 weeks ago, my buddy pulled the speakers last night but we probably can still trace wires if you like.

Still have to take pics of the drive shafts to show you what I have.

attack eagle

10-24-2007, 09:40 PM

e34s are pretty well dampened, they could use some on the doors, and on my touring the roof and sunroof. I do not know how sedans are but on mine most noise comes from the roof and the hatch. floors are relatively quiet thanks to the thick closed cell padding and heavy "rubber" backing

take a listen and you can probably tell where you get the most road noise from.

Sam-Son

10-25-2007, 12:52 AM

uflnuceng

10-28-2007, 11:59 AM

Yes... I stole it from you :)

Sam-Son

10-28-2007, 12:08 PM

Yes... I stole it from you :)
Hey no problem you have good taste;)

uflnuceng

10-28-2007, 12:53 PM

Ok... I don't have my handy notepad with me so I thought I would make a list of **** I need to do, and you guys can comment on it if you see a better way of doing it. This is the current state of my interior (actually, I finally got most of the carpeting out):

http://www.jaredsquires.com/host/heater_core1.jpg

Replace disintegrating foam on top of heater core.
Split new carpeting part way down the middle to slide it under the sides of the heater core.
Vacuum interior, search for rust, treat it.
Repair drain plugs where some idiot obviously tried to jack car up at. Treat for rust.
Run RCA cables for stereo down side under OEM cable cover.
Swap out steering column with later "nut style". Calling Euro Depot, $125 shipped. Will have to swap over key lock from current column.
Swap wiring harness and stuff from old dash to new dash.
Order new dash, interior parts, M-Tech 3 steering wheel with airbag, etc. from BMA Parts. Steering wheel was about $1045, Dash is about $300, other stuff equally expensive. Seat belts, kick panels, glove box, etc. etc. I may call Euro Depot and see if they can't cut me a deal using new and used parts.
Get some Dynamat Extreme and replace some of the older material, mostly in rear seat area and driveshaft tunnel. Do I have to get this online, or can I pick it up at a best buy or circuit city?
Call Euro Depot and order the "pre-wire" for the keyless entry. Will cost $200-300 for it, or I could try and wire it myself.
Need to order new door seal trim, etc. from BMA or Euro Depot.
Order a Bazooka Powered Subwoofer (http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=51000&i=204BTA6100&tp=114) from Crutchfield (anyone have a better idea, I'm looking for small cheap bass). I just want something that accepts RCA jacks, 6-8 inches, clean sound.
Need to order bracket for euro rear bucket seats. Seems to have some special thing that holds the back seat arm rest in place or something. I might try a test fit later today just to see how its supposed to go together.

Main thing is I need to get this started quick before I forget how everything goes back together :D

Project is making good progress, especially considering the fact I only have 1 day a week to work on it. You guys have any other insite? Comments? Critics?

Thanks

bubba966

10-28-2007, 01:19 PM

You don't have to buy the Dynamat Xtreme online as most places that sell car audio stuff will have it.

But on eBay you can get the really big packs of Xtreme for a lot less $ than buying retail. You can usually get the biggest box of Xtreme on eBay for about $100 shipped. Which is less than half the retail cost if I recall correctly.

And if you need to order new OEM parts, you might want to check at www.mileoneparts.com . They're the cheapest source for dealer parts that I've found, have excellent service, quick & cheap/reasonable shipping.

uflnuceng

10-28-2007, 01:25 PM

bubba966

10-28-2007, 01:35 PM

Ebay Item (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DYNAMAT-10455-XTREME-BULK-PACK-SOUND-DAMPING-CAR-KIT_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ38655QQihZ004QQitem Z140169923440QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW)

Is this what you are talking about?

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. There's two different #'s for the bulk packs. This is #10455, and I think there's a 90455 or something like that.

Basically it's 9 sheets that are 18" x 32" in size.

That's by far the cheapest way to get the stuff, as I swear that size box retails for $250.

$117 is a little higher than I recall it being. I bougght mine for about $95 shipped, but that was a couple of years ago so it might cost a bit more now.

bubba966

10-28-2007, 01:36 PM

Forgot to say that the bulk packs have different Dynamat item #'s, but are the same thing.

bubba966

10-28-2007, 01:44 PM

Never mind the item #'s for the bulk pack as it seems they now only have #10455.

And the price has gone up as the retail for the bulk pack is now $270. Guess $117.79 shipped is the current good price on it.

And be sure that when applying it you get it where you want it first as once it's down, it doesn't come off without a lot of effort.

uflnuceng

10-28-2007, 02:10 PM

Thanks...

Yeah... I'll be meticulous putting it down. Everything is going to be cleaned up before I even start applying the Dynamat.

Now do I need to put it down everywhere, or can I be a bit more selective about where I put it.

bubba966

10-28-2007, 02:24 PM

You don't need to put it down everywhere as the E34 is already fairly well sound insulated. If I was you I'd mostly use it for heat sheilding purposes, and then if you have any left over use the rest for sound deadening purposes.

And I'd put two layers of it down where you can. I'd bet that two layers of Xtreme over the tranny/driveline tunnel, over any exhaust, and possibly up the firewall would do wonders for keeping the heat out. Would probably be quieter as well...

jakewied02

10-28-2007, 02:35 PM

ThoreauHD

10-28-2007, 03:10 PM

Yea, they couldn't fit dynomat in my car. They said it already had it OE.

uflnuceng

10-28-2007, 06:32 PM

So, i'm putting a pioneer deck in tomorrow.. your post is a big help and if you give the bazooka tube the OK I'm probably gonna pick one up myself. I'm finding them on craigslist list for 30-80 bucks for some of the older models. Can that be powered off some fuse from the back seat? or what'd you have in mind..

I was going to run it off of a power block splitting power from the battery to the sub and the amp.

So I'm wondering exactly how you're ending up running the signals to the back. Am I correct in understanding the RadioShack RCA jack mentioned earlier will pick up the RCA cables from the deck, then hardwired the other side to the factory cables running to the trunk?

My year E34 is missing the "-" speaker wires behind the head unit, so I just ran shielded RCA cables down the passenger side of the car to the amp in the trunk. I have 3 pairs of RCA cables, 2 going to the speaker amp, 1 going to the sub when I get it. If it had been the other way around I would have just used the stock wiring.

I'm assuming you've replaced the factory amp? what kind? Probably not factory speakers either?

My stereo was already modified when I bought it... I think I'm like the 4th or 5th owner. It has ADS front component speakers, Pioneer rears, has an Alpine V12 4 channel amp and had an Alpine head unit. The weird thing about the setup was that it took the head unit amplified signals to some kind of converter and then hooked it up to RCA cables. There are RCA cables on the back of the head unit though?!?!?! Someone had more dollars than sense. I'm cleaning up the installation and using a Pioneer deck that has bluetooth on it.

I bought one of those big boxes of dynamat xtreme, so I'll be playing with that later this week.

jakewied02

10-28-2007, 08:07 PM

My stereo was already modified when I bought it... It has ADS front component speakers, Pioneer rears, has an Alpine V12 4 channel amp and had an Alpine head unit. The weird thing about the setup was that it took the head unit amplified signals to some kind of converter and then hooked it up to RCA cables. There are RCA cables on the back of the head unit though?!?!?! Someone had more dollars than sense. I'm cleaning up the installation and using a Pioneer deck that has bluetooth on it.

Like a mini DirectBox, eh? Yea, to look right past the preamp outputs and throw in something like that is something else... Wish I had the kind of money to just leave it somewhere and say "make it sound pretty"

So I'll be replacing the rears.. are you still using the door-trim speakers? cause i thought the factory amp had enough outputs for all the factory speakers but cutting down to a four-channel amp would force you to eliminate something. unless my brain isn't working tonight.. which is likely

uflnuceng

10-28-2007, 08:40 PM

Looking at the wires in the trunk I'm pretty sure the tweeters in the doors are not being used, but that is fine... they don't really add much to the experience.

winfred

10-28-2007, 09:05 PM

i beg to differ, the highs help out at least in everything i listen to and i remember the tweeters being pretty good in my 535, the higher the frequency the more directional it is, a woofer can be almost anywhere a mid needs to be in the right part of the car and a tweeter just about needs to be pointed at you

I'm pretty sure the tweeters in the doors are not being used, but that is fine... they don't really add much to the experience.

jakewied02

10-29-2007, 12:03 PM

i beg to differ, the highs help out at least in everything i listen to and i remember the tweeters being pretty good in my 535, the higher the frequency the more directional it is, a woofer can be almost anywhere a mid needs to be in the right part of the car and a tweeter just about needs to be pointed at you

I agree that they certainly would help rather than hurt, especially because quality isn't as relevant concerning tweeters, (at least in comparison to a midrange) .. but has any one made the effort to power them in an after market system? And if so.. how?

attack eagle

10-29-2007, 12:43 PM

well I'm running all the OEM speakers off an 80w x4 (@4OHMS) amp.

If you had an aftermarket system and still wanted to keep the oem tweeters, just leave a speaker level signal to the amp, disconnect the remaining speakers, and wire them separately to an aftermarket amp.

uflnuceng

10-29-2007, 06:44 PM

Remember, I'm just piecing together a bizarrely pieced together aftermarket system. I understand component speakers and the like... I'm not that much of an audiophile so the tweeters, which are not being used at the moment, won't really do much for -->me<--. Its just funny... whoever did this had mega money invested, but didn't do it quite right. I'm just piecing together the rest of the system and going from there.

The OEM amp was removed... no evidence of it except for a bundle of cut wires where only some of the speakers are being powered by this 4 channel amp. Again, I'm just going to clean it up and then I'll be going to a pro car audio shop to have them fab me up a woofer box since I have decided against the bazooka box. I'm going to get like a 10" sub going through the rear armrest.

Nick from Euro Depot got back to me today... I should have everything I need soon.

uflnuceng

11-03-2007, 08:16 PM

Wow... interior is looking completely bare. Pulled the drain plugs out (the ones in the floor pan) that some PO must have used as jack stand points. Going to finish treating the areas with Rustoleum (no rust, just a precaution) and I ordered new plugs from the dealership. I lucked out and found a guy who has a pristine black interior that I am buying off of him. The Euro Depot still haven't gotten back to me yet which has severly pissed me off...

Anyway, after I finish the drain plug project, I'm going to finish running the RCA wires on the driver's side of the car, since the power goes down the passenger side, and then I'm really going to take the plunge...

OEM Keyless Entry Retrofit

I have spent the evening reading over Bently Manual wire schematics, taken a pre-emptive look at the wire colors in my car and think I should be able to track most of them down. I'm going to take a lot of pictures and do a little write up about it for anyone else who has a non-pre-wired E34 who wants to install either the OEM kit or one of the aftermarket ones that hook up to the OEM harness. I just have to track down 13 wires, and all but 4 of them I found just poking my head around rear power distribution block (under the LH rear seat).

I'll let you know how the install goes when I can, but is it safe for me to try the central locking when most of my interior is missing? No airbag, no dash, no gauge cluster... would that end up giving me fault codes or something? I have a Peake Research tool thingy that I think would be able to reset any code... anyone have experience with this?

Paul in NZ

11-03-2007, 09:12 PM

i think you should be alright,but i am biased as I have an early car too and would like to get keyless....It might pay to isolate the airbag system if you are going to be playing withthe battery,and try to ensure all the loose wires arent touching things they shouldnt

uflnuceng

11-04-2007, 09:24 AM

minor snafu I just thought of on my current road trip. I am missing the door lock check status solinoid. Im going to call the dealership and see if I can't find one and see what I can do with it. Initial wiring will proceed as planned when I get home later this morning.

uflnuceng

11-07-2007, 01:16 PM

Well... I called the dealership regarding the box and it is part number 61 35 8 356 510... and it is $315.99! I called Nick at The Euro Depot and he has one E34 coming this week with keyless entry on it. He is going to take a bunch of pics and cut it all out for me so that I can splice it into mine. Should cost me about $100.

Now is just a waiting game for some parts to arrive. I'll let you all know how its going the more I get into it.

permit

11-18-2007, 01:00 PM

Keep updating Jared! :)

uflnuceng

11-18-2007, 03:36 PM

LOL... worked on the car all day today. Have pics that I will post after dinner...

Box of interior goodies got shipped from Cali on Tuesday... freight... i wonder how long it will take to show up. I would love it if I had the stuff before thanksgiving, then I could take a long weekend to put everything back together and still get some driving time in before the idiots at PennDOT start spraying that salt all over the place.

uflnuceng

11-18-2007, 07:34 PM

Windshield Washer Reservior

Well... from what I hear every BMW is better with some 2002 parts in it. I'm having issues with my generic windshield washer reservior not firing off the steering column switch. I think because a simple motor works off a power supply and a ground, where as the OEM BMW washer motor seems to be in relay with something. I need to move the washer reservior to the otherside of the engine bay, and this setup on the 2002 might do the trip. Anyone have any input? Real OEM Part Diagram (http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=2552&mospid=47140&btnr=61_1130&hg=61&fg=45)

http://www.munichmotorworks.com/images/SantaFe/b2002%20engine3.jpg

Fixing the Drain Plugs

I asked the wife to take some action photos of me, and I think she pretty much got my thinning hair... sigh

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/interior/cleaning_plugs1.jpg

Anyway, if you have been reading from the beginning you know of my delight when I took the carpeting out to find that 3 of 4 drain plugs in the floor pan had been popped out, and all 4 had obviously been jacked up on... some people shouldn't be allowed to touch a car. Fortunately there was no rust to speak of, but I bought 4 new plugs, cleaned the drain plugs, and primed them.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/interior/new_plugs.jpg

Theses are how the new plugs come from BMW. They have a silicon gasket on them which doesn't seem to be on the original ones.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/interior/clean_plug.jpg

uflnuceng

11-18-2007, 07:37 PM

The drain holes need to hammered back down, but I wasn't going to leave exposed sheet metal so I used Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer to cover it up.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/interior/primed_plug.jpg

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/interior/primer.jpg

Ran wires for stereo...

I also planned how I was going to run my RCA wires which actually took me some time. I have 17' Stinger RCA cables (6 channels) and a 19.5' iBus cable so that I can relocate my siruis radio tuner in my trunk (the cable that came with my kit was only like 2'). Even with that, it wasn't long enough to follow the OEM wiring harness which follows underneath the steering column, back against the firewall, and then down the driver's side of the car. So I am bringing it down the driver's side, but inbetween the HVAC ductwork that goes underneath the seat.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo/sirius1.jpg

Also, whoever installed the stereo, once again, had more dollars than sense because even though he tied down the ground at only one spot, he shaved the paint off all over the damn place. So I primed all those bare spots as well.

http://www.jaredsquires.com/ndp/images/tcd_535i/stereo/trunk1.jpg

And yes, I see the surface rust in that little part of the trunk. Not sure how it got there, but its not as bad as it looks in the picture. I had to recharge the batteries on the Dewalt so I'll take care of it tomorrow.

DaveCN

11-19-2007, 03:33 PM

WooHoo!

Jared - looks good so far!

What color green is your e34?

uflnuceng

11-19-2007, 03:38 PM

The one and only... Islandgrün, Metallic

DaveCN

11-19-2007, 03:41 PM

The one and only... Islandgrün, Metallic

:p Oxford Green Touring here. And after i 5 speed swap it, a turbo may be in its future.

uflnuceng

03-30-2008, 08:14 PM

Oh... my... god... never again will I tackle another car project like this one. Of course I say that now, but I'm already thinking of other stuff.

Anyway, it has finally been warm enough and business has calmed down enough so that I could get to finishing my car interior swap. My wife likes to steal my camera so I have to wait till tomorrow to get it back. OEM carpeting went int, seats went in, routed wiring for stereo.

I had to give up on the steering column swap. The two are so similar but the minor differences are a big deal. Plus, that anti-theft fracture bolt is the biggest pain in the ass. I still think it is doable, but I am going to have to give it to someone more familiar with BMW electronics than me. Its just three wires that are different. The same exact color, but they go into different holes on the plug. If I send my car off to Korman for a refurbish like I have been thinking I'll tell them to get it done no matter what.

I want to bea the crap out of Nick at The Euro Depot... never sent me any of the stuff I asked for. I still want to get my non-prewired keyless entry car, prewired, but the OEM unit is over $300 and doesn't include the wires, whereas a salvage shop can send me the unit plus enough of the wires for me to track it down.

I replaced the heater core without draining the engine coolant like bentley said. It was pretty easy to do. Noticed that the engine has green anti-freeze in it... going to have to swap it out for OEM blue stuff and distilled water.

As long as my car starts this week (please God!) I am going to head out to TCD and finish getting the car boosted up to 15-18psi from the current 8psi. What's that? Gas is almost $4/gallon... I'm fine with that.

Again... sorry for the delays in updates... more good news to follow.

attack eagle

03-30-2008, 08:35 PM

man the lower column swap is easy as pie, takes under 90 minutes start to finish... most of which is spent undoing the bolts and putting the column back in single handedly. I've had mine in and out 3 times so far.

If you are having a hard time getting the safety bolt out ,just grind the head off, or grind a slot into it so you can use a screwdriver, pliers etc.
.take the middle shaft off by undoing the upper bolt and knocking it down off the splined shaft, and you have easy access to the bolt. (see my thread on bf.c for pics.)
there is no real tension on it, and you can undo it with your fingers after 1/8 of a turn

it isn't too hard to swap pins around if that is all that is holding you up as well...

believe shogun mentioned using a cut down telescoping antenna to unclip them, and I've done it with a pick tool.

BigKriss

03-31-2008, 07:18 AM

Are you selling your e32 750 master cylinder? I know one guy who got it to work on a e34 535i.

Bruno

03-31-2008, 08:19 AM

Looking good, I won't go turbo and megasquirt until next year.

That is one crowded engine bay...

uflnuceng

03-31-2008, 02:55 PM

Attack Eagle Were you swapping out different model steering columns? If I had a dremmel or more cutting tools I probably could have gotten the bolt off (idea was to make slit and screw it off), my main concern was just the slight electrical differences between a 1993 telescoping steering wheel and a 1990 regular steering wheel. The electronics for the contact on the airbag ring is a different connector between the two of them. So that meant all the plugs on the 1993 column had to be used, and because there are three wires that are in different places on the plugs that connect underneath the dash I am a little concerned by it. I'm just assuming the splines on the shafts are the same for all model years because that lower part of the column is the same part number for all model years.

BigKris He probably got his to work because he had the right master cylinder. I have a Girling and the E32 750 is an ATE. Parts are quite incompatible.

Ross

03-31-2008, 03:20 PM

Are talking about the two anti-theft bolts that have the heads snapped off?
These are easy to remove. The torque required to break off the heads isn't much so they are not very tight. Knock 'em loose with a sharp chisel, tapping around the edge.

uflnuceng

03-31-2008, 03:31 PM

Find me a chisel and hammer that will work. I got a metal chisel (i.e. for use on metal, not wood) and hit it with a 2lb sledge hammer... didn't even make a dent.

uflnuceng

04-05-2008, 02:19 PM

It started!!!!! Thank you God it STARTED!!!! First try starting it fired right up... new OEM battery. Let it run for awhile and it ran steady rpm the whole time... no leaks from the new heater core or anywhere else. Now that it runs I guess I really do need to finish putting it back together.

uflnuceng

04-08-2008, 10:18 AM

Dashboard went back in last night, gauge cluster is working, car still starts and its looking much better. Reminder that the top of the steering column cover has to go on first, then the dash, then the gauge, then the steering column and airbag. I'm a little confused because I thought I did everything right but I still have a flashing SRS light. I'm hoping my Peake Reset Tool will fix it.

Here is a list of stuff I'm adding to my list of things to do, most you won't care about but it helps for me to keep all of this in one place.

Saftey stuff:
* Install new seat belts.
* Swap master cylinder with one less worn.

Electrical Stuff:
* Install stereo harness and check it for correct operation.
* Install switches before assembling the rest of the interior to make sure its all working.
* Check windshield washer switch for proper operation. The TCD kit caused the OEM washer to be removed. I installed a cheap aftermarket kit but it wouldn't work off the plug for some reason. I tested my old washer motor on a 9v battery and it works fine. I'm going to play with this and see if I can't get the aftermarket kit working off the OEM plug. Windshield washers are required to pass inspection in most states, and it is required in PA.

Doors/Keyless Entry:
* Fix central locking and driver side door lock which sometimes doesn't work (feels like it spins a bit). I did some searches on the forums here and will check the wires for cracks first, then start replacing stuff. I may replace all the door latches just because 274k miles is a bit much.
* Still waiting for a salvage yard to get back to me with the info on the door check module I need to complete my keyless entry system. I still can't bring myself to drop $320 on a new unit and not have any idea how to wire it.
* Replace cracked gaskets around door handles.

Body:
* Get quote for buffing up paint job, etc.
* Order and install non-euro bumper trim. My euro trim, for some reason, won't stay on and comes off when I go through a drive through car wash. I'll get smoked markers from Abraham Motorsports to match the rest of the stuff.