It is a rare thing to find a car that does EVERYTHING well! Dodging cones at your local autocross, clipping the perfect apex on a road course, or obliterating tires while drifting. The BMW E36 is a testament to automotive ingenuity, offering the perfect blend of balance, driver engagement, and timeless appeal. Its 50/50 weight distribution and intuitive driving experience remain unrivaled, cementing its place in the hearts of enthusiasts. Now with the power of the MS3Pro PNP ECU, the E36 is granted a new lease on life, combining its traditional strengths with modern tuning capabilities. While it is well understood that the BMW E36 chassis is one of the most capable in the world, there is still room for improvement. Enter the BMW E36 Plug and Play line of standalone ECUs.
Why Choose the MS3Pro PNP ECU?
Unrivaled tuning potential and incredibly simple installation. Never before has it been easier to take full advantage of modern standalone ECU capabilities. Are you adding a turbocharger or a supercharger? No problem. Boost control, rally-style anti-lag, and an internal 4-bar map sensor give you total control. Building a high-revving naturally aspirated screamer? Go for it, taking advantage of fully customizable 16×16 fuel and ignition maps, VANOS control, and fully sequential injector control with individual trim tables. And, if that isn’t enough, there is full CAN BUS capability opening up a world of expansion. Race style dashes or displays, data loggers, and I/O expanding devices are now all on the table. These are just a few of the built-in features of the powerful MSPNP Pro! See the full feature set HERE.
Can I Install the MSPNP Myself?
With just a few hand tools and about an hour, you can bring that classic bimmer into the modern tuning age. Not only does the MSPNP install right in place of the factory DME, but pre-loaded base maps make startup a breeze, getting you up and tuning in record time.
- Remove the factory ECU and Plug in the MS3Pro. Easy PNP installation plugs right into the factory harness!
- Route vacuum line from engine’s intake manifold to built-in MAP sensor port on the MS3Pro ECU
- Download the INCLUDED registered version of TunerStudio and take advantage of customizable dash layouts.
- Fire it up and verify ignition timing with a timing light. That’s it! You’re up and running with one of the most advanced standalone engine management solutions on the market!
- Tune to your heart’s content. REV limiting, boost control, traction control, idle control, table switching, wideband o2 control, and more!
Which E36 Models are Covered?
There are two options when it comes to E36 ECUs. MSPNPPro-E369395 for the earlier 1993-1995 vehicles. And now we have a BRAND NEW MSPNPPro-E369699 solution for the later 1996-2000 equipped cars!
MS3Pro PNP 1993-1995 E36 and M3!
MSPNPPro-E369395
The BMW E36 MS3Pro Plug and Play fits the following applications (Confirmed for US market vehicles)
- 1993-1995 BMW 325i with M50 engine and manual transmission
- 1995 BMW M3 with S50 engine and manual transmission
- 1993-1995 BMW 525i with M50 engine and manual transmission
***Compatibility with the European M3 has not been confirmed at this point. This ECU does not fit the earlier M50 non-VANOS cars with the 0-261-200-402 DME.***
Includes mounting brackets that allow a direct fit in the stock 3-series ECU mounting location. For 525s, the ECU will plug into the stock harness but can be difficult to install in the stock location.
BRAND NEW!! PNP ECU for 1996-2000 E36, M3, Z3 and more!!
MSPNPPro-E369699
The BEST plug-and-play solution for your 1996-2000 E36 / Z3 / E38 / E39!
- FULL Standalone capability, utilizing ALL features found in our MS3Pro line of ECUs.
- Unlike our competition, full factory support for the E36 CMP sensor! No modification is necessary.
- Retains use of the factory ASC+T System!
- All factory dash functionality remains in place, including your “Econometer” for a true OEM experience.
Direct replacement for the Siemens MS41 ECU in the manual transmission-only versions of:
- 1995-1999 E36 328i/is with M52B28 engine
- 1996-1999 E36 M3 with S52B32 engine
- 1995-1998 E39 528i with M52B28 engine
- 1995-1998 E38 728i/iL with M52B28 engine
- 1997-1998 E36/7 Z3 2.8 with M52B28 engine
- 1998-2000 E36/7 Z3 M with S52B32 engine
UNVERIFIED: At this time fitment has not been tested, but very likely to work with these models as well:
- 1995-1998 320i & 520i (M52B20)
- 1995-1998 323i, 323ti, & 523i (M52B25)
- 1997-2000 Land Rover Defender (South Africa ONLY) with M52B28 engine
*** NOTE: From mid-1998 to 2000 many of the above models were updated to the M52TU engine, which is NOT compatible with ECU. This unit is only for the non-TU M52 versions! ***
*** NOTE: Will NOT fit E46 328i with the M52TU engine ***