Shifter Hack.....with pics and video

[ken in az]

My motivation came from MINES in Japan. They have a harness to do this mod without having to cut any wires. here's the link

http://www.mines-wave.com/JP/C...RNESSand here's the pic

What is this mod and why did I do it? This mod changes the manual mode shifting direction. Forward for a down shift and back for an up shift. If you are an avid performance enthisiest you already know that the down shift and upshift shifting is backwards on this car when in the manual mode. If you don't beleive me go out and do some serious braking and feel the natural tendancy your hand has to move forward. If you accidentally perform and upshift durring braking you run the risk of loosing your engine braking, unsettling the chassis and possibly missing your mark in you turn in or even worse yet would be an accident or uncontrolled slide.

This was a pretty easy mod, but depending on how you want to do it you can complicate it as much as you want. I went the simplest most direct and effective method possible.

This mod requires some removal of the interior trim peices. I was successful and did no damage to them during removal and installation, but with any R&R there is a possibility of damage. Be careful when performing the r&r.

this is the wiring scematic for the auto shifter control. these are the wires needing switched

Here is what you are looking at when all the necessary trim is removed. The circled item is the M133 connector

Here is the actual switch(s) used for the shifting action

Here is the plug unplugged and shown the backside wires to change out. this actually shows the physical representation of the wires to switch from what the wiring diagram shows.

What I did was try to take apart the connector and just switch the wires, but it turned out to be more difficult than I thought so I took the easy way out and just cut the two wires shown - yellow and green wires - and stripped them and switched them. You may need to add your own extensions to the factory wires to not stress out the connectors and soldering at the switches, but you can easily do this with some same size black wire to keep it looking stock. I forgot to take a picture of my finished result, but you'd have to be very particular to figure out that I changed anything and I doubt even a factory technition would notice it. The nice thing about it is that the factory uses black electrical tape so to switch back to stock it wouldn't look suspicious if you use it.

Here is a video of the shifter in action, I know it's a little blurry but you kinda get an idea of what the switches do.

http://s35.photobucket.com/alb...8.flv

Modified by ken in az at 6:16 AM 1/16/2009
Modified by ken in az at 6:17 AM 1/16/2009

[M4T5]

Thanks for the info. Though your link doesn't work. Also, I think the reaction from the manual mode is too slow to actually propell you any faster. The auto mode does a better job. If the manual mode actually shifted the gears withing 100th of a second from the time you shifted, then it might be worth the mod.For now I will pass on it.

J

[ken in az]

Thanks, fixed the link.....and this mod isn't to make you shift any faster or to make you faster in 1/4 mi it is merely to correct the direction of downshifting. I found myself wanting to push forward on the shifter durring hard braking when doing some spirited driving....not only that but the forces that act on your body durring hard braking naturally push your shift hand forward when in that hard decelleration from braking.

what happened to me a few times is that I found myself shifting into the next higher gear (from 2nd to 3rd) and I would loose all the engine braking I was expecting which upset the chassis and made it awkward in the car and on occasion partial lock up from having to compensate with the brakes.

I did this mod to make the car feel more natural to drive, it was free and easily reversible. If you have ever seen any serious race vevicles with sequential shift gearboxes, you'd see that the factory has it backwards....plus if the japanese do the mod then it has to be good right? jdm ftw!

[Double E]

Are those pics reversed?

I ask because my manual mode requires the shifter be pushed out to the right to be activated.

Maybe there was a design chance from the '04?

I'd be interested in efforts to wire in a paddle shifter that clips to the back of the steering wheel before making the up/down shift direction change.

Even with the delays, I'd probably use it more.

[zozoka1212]

Excelent write up. There are few guys with the G did the same thing. It is really coming in handy if you take your car to autoX or perhaps pushing it to the limit anywhere.

Nice job. zozo

[ken in az]

Sorry, forgot to put up in the title that this is the 06' M45. I'm used to posting on another site that has the 2 models split.

I would think that the 04's couldn't be too different....take some time to look through the FSM and wiring schematic with component locations. Then go out to the car and start fiddlin around - that's what I did.

[M4T5]

Sorry, forgot to put up in the title that this is the 06' M45. I'm used to posting on another site that has the 2 models split.

I would think that the 04's couldn't be too different....take some time to look through the FSM and wiring schematic with component locations. Then go out to the car and start fiddlin around - that's what I did.

Can you just get the conversion adapter wire you listed above that the Japanese are using? I'd rather use that instead of cutting or altering the factory wiring.I still wish there was a mod to increase the shift lag. Possibly a diode change?I'm just picky I guess....

J

[M4T5]

I also read somewhere (i think Car & Driver or Edmunds Reviews) that there were only two manufacturers who set up there manual mode shifter (center console type) to shift in up & down the correct way. Meaning pushing it forward should down shift and pulling it back should up shift. I read it was BMW and Mazda. Wow, what happened to everyone else? I guess they just went and followed the majority of how most were setting this feature up.

J

[M4T5]

My motivation came from MINES in Japan. They have a harness to do this mod without having to cut any wires. here's the link

http://www.mines-wave.com/JP/C...RNESSand here's the pic

Modified by ken in az at 6:16 AM 1/16/2009

Modified by ken in az at 6:17 AM 1/16/2009

It would be nice to offer an interpreter to decipher the Japanese language, writing, drawings, or scribble! I would like to order that cable. How could I order it? Any Japanese members here that are familiar with their language??How about an English site crossover Mines?? You would probably make some extra money if you did!

J

[ken in az]

They have one....search around, I was just too lazy to post the english version.

Good luck in ordering it and wasting $$$ when you can do it for free this way.

[M4T5]

They have one....search around, I was just too lazy to post the english version.

Good luck in ordering it and wasting $$$ when you can do it for free this way.

It's not wasting money. It's saving my car's wiring from being butchered up! How is that wasting money. I think it would be well worth the investment.You guys can chop up your wiring all you want. I will preserve my cars wiring from future problems down the road.

J

[ken in az]

Well if you knew what you were doing it wouldn't get butchered

Seriously....It's not gonna be worth it to import just that little part. You'd be better off taking a vacation to japan and buying one while you were there.

All kidding aside I completely understand and too each there own. At least we now know we can do this which is what's important. One could easily make the mod and make is undetectable....I only took 5min on the wiring so someone that really wanted to get fancy could.
Modified by ken in az at 6:50 PM 1/16/2009

[AD1787]

excellent post. Thanks for the pics and detailed write up

[ken in az]

Thanks! I thought I was the first one to think of it, but then after searching a bit i found that the g35 guys have already figured it out for their cars - deflated that ego quick lol

[ken in az]

hah, just read your post...thanks

[zozoka1212]

Yeah the G boys are more of a guinea pig type. Different ages more willing to mod. Sometimes if you guys try to find out something it well worth to visit the G section and ask. Most likely it has came up already.

Nothing to take the credit away from you. You did awesome and the write up is wicked. Congrats again on this good job.



zozo

[ken in az]

I hear you.....I'm on the trail of getting the valve body modification from transgo. Forged Performance sells the transgo kit, but doesn't list it for the M - however we all use the same transmission.

I've asked several aftermarket retailers when the TCM in the trans would be hacked, but no one says anything. I have an inkling that the transgo shift kit does something to the TCM but can't confirm it. Over on the FX site I've heard of a black box mod that says the TCM is just a simple 2 wire deal and all you need to do is add a jumper to it, but have yet to see anyone else try nor any photo's sooooo.....it's been a week since I contacted Natpro here in phoenix which is a wholesale distributor for transgo stuff and they haven't got back to me yet.

I'll push the envelope next week, but I'll be in hawaii so who knows how much attention I'll actually pay to my M while I'm there.