OBD-II emissions checks with a LS swap?
03-23-2014, 01:27 PM
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OBD-II emissions checks with a LS swap? Hello all,
I have a 2002 BMW 325i that while it runs strong, has pretty much zero power upgrade potential beyond an overpriced supercharger. It's at 150,000 miles and is in need of some new sensors, a starter, and a cooling system rebuild, so I've been thinking about taking advantage of the newly available mount kits and making the jump to LS power.
My problem is that I'm in one of the few counties in Ohio with "E-Check" emissions testing, and being a 2002 model it's all about the plug test. There used to be a visual check to ensure the cats were there, but now they have self-test stations where most OBD-II vehicles can be scanned entirely by the owner.
I've read that some of the tuning tools can change the VIN stored in the ECU, so I'm thinking that getting the GM ECU to report the BMW VIN would make everything happy, but I'm hoping someone here might have experience to confirm or deny this. Both whether it's even possible to put a non-GM VIN in a GM ECU and if this is enough to pass a plug test.
I'd like to hear from someone who's dealt with e-check specifically, but any experience with OBD-II tests on a swapped vehicle in any jurisdiction would be interesting.
I have a 2002 BMW 325i that while it runs strong, has pretty much zero power upgrade potential beyond an overpriced supercharger. It's at 150,000 miles and is in need of some new sensors, a starter, and a cooling system rebuild, so I've been thinking about taking advantage of the newly available mount kits and making the jump to LS power.
My problem is that I'm in one of the few counties in Ohio with "E-Check" emissions testing, and being a 2002 model it's all about the plug test. There used to be a visual check to ensure the cats were there, but now they have self-test stations where most OBD-II vehicles can be scanned entirely by the owner.
I've read that some of the tuning tools can change the VIN stored in the ECU, so I'm thinking that getting the GM ECU to report the BMW VIN would make everything happy, but I'm hoping someone here might have experience to confirm or deny this. Both whether it's even possible to put a non-GM VIN in a GM ECU and if this is enough to pass a plug test.
I'd like to hear from someone who's dealt with e-check specifically, but any experience with OBD-II tests on a swapped vehicle in any jurisdiction would be interesting.
03-23-2014, 03:59 PM
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my 97 240 with ls2 passed nys plug in with not issues. dont know if the archive the vin or not.
your big problem is gonna be making an ls work in a e46. its got a very involved bus system.
your big problem is gonna be making an ls work in a e46. its got a very involved bus system.
03-23-2014, 05:32 PM
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Good to know on the plug test.
As for the car's buses, I'm aware of that and have found two possible solutions so far.
The first is to do a hybrid installation where the BMW "DME" remains to operate the gauges, ABS, and air conditioning. From what I've found I'd need to install the BMW temperature sensor and add a 60-2 wheel + sensor on the front of the crank for the tach signal, and the rest just works.
The second is to remove the DME and insert my own signals on to the CAN bus. Someone on one of the BMW forums has reverse engineered the bits that depend on the DME and has developed Arduino code to run them without it from either analog or OBD-II inputs. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...an-bus-project
I think I'd prefer the first option, at least to start, then I'd consider removing the DME down the line after testing the third-party solution.
As for the car's buses, I'm aware of that and have found two possible solutions so far.
The first is to do a hybrid installation where the BMW "DME" remains to operate the gauges, ABS, and air conditioning. From what I've found I'd need to install the BMW temperature sensor and add a 60-2 wheel + sensor on the front of the crank for the tach signal, and the rest just works.
The second is to remove the DME and insert my own signals on to the CAN bus. Someone on one of the BMW forums has reverse engineered the bits that depend on the DME and has developed Arduino code to run them without it from either analog or OBD-II inputs. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...an-bus-project
I think I'd prefer the first option, at least to start, then I'd consider removing the DME down the line after testing the third-party solution.
03-23-2014, 07:55 PM
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yeah its been dont. just annoying.
also, i will admit i havent looked into it in a few years. i bought a really clean 01 sedan with a blow engine to swap 3 or 4 years ago and the knowledge just wasnt there/worth it to me at that point.
also, i will admit i havent looked into it in a few years. i bought a really clean 01 sedan with a blow engine to swap 3 or 4 years ago and the knowledge just wasnt there/worth it to me at that point.
03-23-2014, 08:49 PM
#5
The first is to do a hybrid installation where the BMW "DME" remains to operate the gauges, ABS, and air conditioning. From what I've found I'd need to install the BMW temperature sensor and add a 60-2 wheel + sensor on the front of the crank for the tach signal, and the rest just works.
At any rate, this is the best info you're going to find when it comes to dealing with the E46 CAN Bus.
Tipsy
03-24-2014, 08:41 AM
#6
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If Ohio is anything like Maryland, you'll have to use EFI Live to change the GTO VIN to your BMW VIN number. The emissions facilities around here wouldn't even communicate with the ECU with a GM VIN number. Once that was changed, it went through no problem.
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03-24-2014, 11:47 AM
#8
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Nope, once its removed from the program it won't return any codes. I have zero emissions equipment on my car and it breezed right through. They even looked under the car with the mirror on a stick....I guess my tiny resonators look enough like cats 
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robert stoyles (01-25-2021)
03-28-2014, 08:18 PM
#9
I'm curious about OBDII inspections (post '95 vehicles) myself because NYS just changed vendors of emissions scan tool equipment. I saw a notice posted at my local inspection guy and he said he had to lay out a huge chunk of change to install buy/lease the new machines. This is VERY recent, a couple months ago...
I posted info about the new machines from Systech:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...-machines.html
This is an interrogative emissions scan tool designed to find people with O2 simulators and chips. If anyone has experience with them on their OBDII swap I would surely like to hear it. I desire a late model e36 or even e46 swap but resigned to the fact that these new machines will blow me out of the water.
I posted info about the new machines from Systech:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...-machines.html
This is an interrogative emissions scan tool designed to find people with O2 simulators and chips. If anyone has experience with them on their OBDII swap I would surely like to hear it. I desire a late model e36 or even e46 swap but resigned to the fact that these new machines will blow me out of the water.
