My DCT conversion to M3 GWS/FLASH

amg6975

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Oct 27, 2019
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Actually, it is another hardware solution, but what you are proposing sounds better.

Can you fill me in a little more? Via PM if you’d like. I don’t want to duplicate efforts if it’s not necessary. I’m still thinking I may just chuck a 3.08 in until I do the whole M3 swap.

My solution would take a bit of development so we’re probably a couple months out from anything solid.
 

amg6975

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Oct 27, 2019
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I’d also be curious to just sit on the PT CAN bus and as soon as I saw the RPM request packet just immediately write the same packet with a modified value and see if it would override the previous one in the ECM. Then it could just be plugged in anywhere and wouldn’t have to pass the rest of the bus traffic.
This could very easily be done with the Arduino some of you are already playing with.
 
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NoQuarter

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Nov 24, 2017
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Z4 35is, 535xi, X5 35i
I have my Z4 wired right now catching pt can traffic to try and figure out the tcu identifier.

Unfortunately I am laid up yet again this year - this time shoulder surgery in my dominate arm so the car is just sitting at the moment.
 

amg6975

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Oct 27, 2019
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I just had another idea that could blow this market wide open. I don’t think I’m 100% ready to go public with but if any of the main guys involved in this project want to talk about it, PM me.

I’ll need to figure out if my last idea about just “overruling” the TCU’s RPM request will work to know if my new idea will work.
 
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imad

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Oct 4, 2019
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Yeah, pass all other CAN messages through unchanged, hijack and modify the RPM request messages. A custom board, ideally with OEM male and female connectors, and maybe 100 lines of code.



I definitely think the MHD map modification would be a far better solution but it could be done cleanly with a custom hardware solution. The latency wouldn’t be an issue, CAN is very slow compared to how fast the messages could be passed through or modified and retransmitted. We’re talking micro seconds.
You mean the LC RPM request?
 
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imad

Specialist
Oct 4, 2019
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No. The RPM request for the next gear to handle rev matching
I can find those requests, as I am interested to adopt the dct on gts to 3.08. Not like I have an issue (3.15/3.08 difference seems to be within adaption range), but I am not quite sure my ina0s holds anything. More over, I can't test it, as its not something u can really *feel* during GTS up-shift (too fast), and down shift is really smooth, may be just sometimes it jerks, but I have never driven the stock DCT car.

Any idea how can I check if my manipulations are any good? I was thinking of MHD logging and seeing the RPM on the shifts, but that wouldn't be any reliable.

Guess I will just take it to the extreme values, like down-shifting drop to 900 rpm for sake of proof. Think the RPM back-feed (from DSC or KOMBI, whatever DCT cares about) should be hijacked too, as TCU won't see RPM's it requested, thus going all nuts.
 
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NoQuarter

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Nov 24, 2017
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I still have use of just one Arm and I want to swap out the shifter.

Does the parking cable get removed from under the car or is it done from the top?

I need to figure out what help to line up.
 

NoQuarter

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Got some help with the parking cable. It is underneath.

I have the shifter swapped over and wire work is next


20191120_190038.jpg


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20191120_200727.jpg
 

amg6975

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Oct 27, 2019
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Nice!

So I guess I didn't realize that the parking brake lock was actuated by the GWS. There's a LIN bus connection to the TCU for this, but I thought the GWS was sending the commands but it must be receiving commands from the TCU. Interesting.
 
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NoQuarter

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Nov 24, 2017
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Nice!

So I guess I didn't realize that the parking brake was actuated by the GWS. There's a LIN bus connection to the TCU for this, but I thought the GWS was sending the commands but it must be receiving commands from the TCU. Interesting.

I used some poor words here I think.
Not talking about the parking Brake.

I am referring to the parking lock of the transmission. When you hit P on the shifter or in the case of the M3 when you turn off the ignition.
 

NoQuarter

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Got the easy part of the pinout swapped over. Next is the extension for the parking lock connection and adding new wires for the drive logic button.

I'll also add in a semi-permanent pt-can connection for longer term easy data capture
 
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silverstreak18

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Jan 3, 2018
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To those of you who have successfully completed this conversion how is it driving with the final drive change to 3.15? What is highway cruising like? Taking off from a stop compared to stock diff?
 

amg6975

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Oct 27, 2019
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Got the easy part of the pinout swapped over. Next is the extension for the parking lock connection and adding new wires for the drive logic button.

I'll also add in a semi-permanent pt-can connection for longer term easy data capture

Awesome! One thing I just came across as I took things apart is the car is apparently super pissed if the Sport button is unplugged. Even with the key out and everything off it was beeping about a shifter issue. I have to investigate where that connection goes.

To those of you who have successfully completed this conversion how is it driving with the final drive change to 3.15? What is highway cruising like? Taking off from a stop compared to stock diff?

Curious as well, but I imagine it'll be fine. I just made a deal for a 3.08 I'm going to install until I do the full M3 conversion.
 
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amg6975

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Oct 27, 2019
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Pretty sure the sport button is wired to the GWS. Same with the drive logic button on the M

Yeah, that's true. I'm much farther down the hacking road now haha.

Also for the record here, the parking lock wires don't need to be extended, there's plenty of extra in the wire bundle next to the GWS. There's a couple Y connectors and some excess wrapped up in there since the trans or GWS is able to enable park.
 
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