Hi

As the title really, does anyone know how easy it is to convert a 3 series diesel from manual to auto and more importantly how much it would cost? Wife is on the phone to BMW as I type but I'd like unbiased opinions aswell and this is the place to get them.

Regards Mick

I converted a car from Auto to Manual once. It was a Manta and I got the bis from a scrappy for £50, and got £40 for the autobox. It all worked in the end. I wouldn't do it again.

What age is your BMW. I'd like to hear what BMW quote you (£4k is my guess).

Cheaper to sell the manual and buy an auto surely.

Matt

Hi

Beemer is four years old and BMW say it's not possible, but then again he's a salesman hoping to sell us a new auto.

Regards Mick

You know the BMW guy might not be wrong with all the electrics involved these days, it might not be possible on a fairly new car. I've seen it done on a Sierra before, and it was just a case of swapping over the flywheel and fitting the relavent clutch parts

Car worth about £8k, sell it and buy an auto of the same year.

By changing it you are going to reduce its sale value (as its history will look a bit murky), and it will cost you loads and loads of time and effort even if you can find a write-off for the parts.

If you buy and sell privately it shouldn't cost you anything.

Matt

Auto boxes are usually controlled by the engine ecu. Not always, but usually. Apart from all the other issues such as the oil cooler for the auto fluid etc etc etc.

John

Pretty sure the gearbox is controlled by the ecu as my e46 330d auto has a sport mode and I guess it changes map to achieve this?

You'd need:
Gearbox
Prop
Engine looms and mid car looms
Pedal box and M/Cs
Trim and gubbins fror the interior
Flywheel
Starter motor
Clutch assembly and slave
Gearbox mounts
Gearbox oil cooler (If fitted)
Possible dash clocks to suit harness
Pluss all the other fiddly bits!!
As said before. Don't bother!!

Hi,
I'd say it would be far from economic to do. Gearbox will be controlled by its own ecu, which will need to communicate with all the other ecus on the car via canbus network, such as ABS for road speed and engine for load info. If you could find all the right bits to swap over, most of the other electronics on the car would still need re-configuring for it to work. The dash is the main network gateway, with most of the info passing through it, again it will probably need configuring to communicate with the gearbox to pass on relevant info. ESP and stability control may also require different software because of the different characteristics of the gearbox.
David

Most people want to go auto to manual not the other way round!!!

I dont reckon you could do it unless u changed the car loom and ecu's etc which would be very expensive. Theres too much involved. The dash cluster would have to be changed to i would assume which in itself these days is an absolute fortune.

Sell it and buy an auto.

As already mentioned - the conversion won't be cost effective.

Technically it can probably can be done but would mean having a 3 series auto donor to take the stuff from...

By the time you've bought the donor and paid the hourly rates of specialist to do the work, you may as well have bought another car that was auto to start with....

Hi

Cheers guys, good advice one and all. Looks like we are going to have to bite the bullet and change the car.

Regards Mick