Hello.

As I have mentioned in a few other threads, I am attpempting to place a Z1 in a 1972 BMW 3.0CS. Since it is so old, it has no VSS wire. What I would like to know is what vehicles have their speed correctly recognized by the Z1 when the VSS wire is connected properly, so I can get a speed sender from such a vehicle and "graft" it onto my car.

Pioneer used to make a speed sender, the ND-PG1, but, alas, it is discontinued, and it was 250$, which is absurd for a glorified Hall Effect sensor.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Mine works fine without the VSS hooked up so you might try it before you go and spend any money on attempting to get one

I would like to have the additional nav accuracy the speed reading gives, since I am often in and out of low signal areas. (lots of trees and tunnels)

You know, there are several options available from companies that specialize in engine and transmission swaps putting newer engines and ECM's in older cars. They range from adapters in your speedo cable to stand alone units. I don't have a company name off the top of my head, but there are several out there. You're biggest obstacle may be finding something to work with the BMW sized speedo cable. I don't know if it's different or not.

The car already has an engine/OD trans/fuel injection swap, but the ECU doesn't require a speed signal to run properly, hence I just didn't do it. An in-line adapter would work best, that way I could keep the original instruments. In order for an in-line to work, I would need the through line and a small section of double-male line. The speedo cable is a standard square-end with a diameter of approximately 2mm.

Still, who has a working speed as seen by the Z1? I can weld up a bung on a halfshaft or the driveshaft to serve with any other OEM Hall sensor.

In my install I had to change the VSS connection 3x because the pulse was either too slow or too fast. I ended with one that was just right.

~Off Topic~

What engine did you put into it? The 3.0CS is one of my favorite BMWs.

06 Hyundai Sonata. No issues w/ VSS. Reads perfectly.

~Off Topic~

 

What engine did you put into it? The 3.0CS is one of my favorite BMWs.

The car originally had the M30B30, a 3L straight 6 with dual Zenith carbs. Currently, it has a 1987 735 motor, which is largely an updated version of the original motor. BMW used the M30 in a virtually unchanged form from 1968->1993, so I was able to bolt the 87 motor up with no welding and all the old connection points mated perfectly.

vijaja-

A Hyundai, eh? Thank you. Does hyundai have a parts diagram website, so I can see where the sensor is located, what kind of tolerances, etc. it uses? Thanks.

Sure does,

Site: http://www.hmaservice.com

Just register there and you'll find what you need. For anymore help, you can try www.sonataspeed.com if you need. Good luck finding a sensor!

Have you thought about using the hall sensor off an aftermarket cruise unit like this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Audiovox ... enameZWDVW

I installed one of these a few years ago, and it just used a magnet that you cable tied around the driveshaft or halfshaft with the pickup mounted using a stud with a nut on it. You just fab a bracket to position the sensor within a half inch or so of the magnet.

Maybe you could order just the speed sensor assembly from Audiovox as a replacement part.

Tech10002-

I considered using alternate hall sensors (heck, I could pretty much make one from scratch) but what I don't know is what kind of signal the Z1 is looking for. I have read about how many users have their speed posted improperly by the Z1, which means the VSS signal isn't what the Z1 wants. Since this would cause a significant amount of error when using the intertial guidance, (what the manual calls "dead reckoning") which I would be relying on fairly often, I want it to be as accurate as possible.

I looked at aftermarket systems, but I don't know if the Z1 will read the signal properly. I figured it would be easiest to see who is getting the correct signal using OEM equipment, since that is usually far easier to get, and there is less confusion as to the exact sensor used. A picture of the sender's environment is crucial so I will know how many trigger points it is expecting, and if it goes before or after the diff. If it goes after the diff, I can tack weld a bracket onto the diff and weld a bung onto the collar of one of the halfshafts, that way due to the IRS, the sensor won't move away from the bung too much.

vijaja-

Do you know if the VSS wire which the Z1 reads is tied directly to the speed sensor, or is it a conditioned signal that has already been through the ECU?

If he got it at the diagnostics plug, it's a combined signal from the ecu.