Applications BMW S50
Draft. Trigger offset has not been confirmed on a running Race Core install. Pins marked TBD are unknown — do not guess them. A wrong decoder or firing order can destroy the engine.
BMW S50 (Euro E36 M3)
European E36 M3. S50B30 is 3.0 L with single VANOS. S50B32 is 3.2 L with double VANOS. Both are individual-throttle straight sixes on the Bosch 60-2 crank used in the verified M50 note. The US E36 M3 S52 is an M52-based engine — use the M50 / M52 note, not this page.
Recommended: F7 or V4. Six high-Z injectors, six logic coils, 60-2. ITB cars want alpha-N or a MAP in a balance manifold. V4 pins are TBD.
Status: draft. Trigger offset has not been confirmed on a running Race Core install.
- Cylinders: 6
- Displacement: 2990 (S50B30) · 3201 (S50B32) cc
- Firing order: 1-5-3-6-2-4
- Orientation: Cylinder 1 at the front of the engine (radiator end on the E36). Firing order 1-5-3-6-2-4.
Variants
| Variant | Years | Trigger | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| S50B30 | 1992–1995 Euro | 60-2 + cam | 2990 cc, single VANOS, ITBs. |
| S50B32 | 1996–1999 Euro | 60-2 + cam | 3201 cc, double VANOS, ITBs. Still 60-2. |
| S52 US | E36 M3 US | Not this note | M52 family. See the M50 note. |
Recommended pin assignment (Race Core F7)
Pins below are the library default Race Core F7 map — the same AMPSEAL landings as the verified 1UZ-FE, 2JZ-GTE and LS1 notes. Core EFI V4 and Micro Core cavity numbers are TBD. If a pin is not in this table, it is TBD. Do not guess a spare.
| Pin | TunerStudio | Function |
|---|---|---|
| B5 / B13 | VR 1+ / VR 1− | Crank VR |
| B4 / B12 | VR 2+ / VR 2− | Cam VR |
| A3 | Lowside 1 | Injector cylinder 1 |
| A15 | Lowside 2 | Injector cylinder 2 |
| A4 | Lowside 3 | Injector cylinder 3 |
| A16 | Lowside 4 | Injector cylinder 4 |
| A5 | Lowside 5 | Injector cylinder 5 |
| A6 | Lowside 6 | Injector cylinder 6 |
| A35 | Ign 1 | Cyl 1 logic coil |
| A34 | Ign 2 | Cyl 2 logic coil |
| A22 | Ign 3 | Cyl 3 logic coil |
| A33 | Ign 4 | Cyl 4 logic coil |
| A32 | Ign 5 | Cyl 5 logic coil |
| A31 | Ign 6 | Cyl 6 logic coil |
| A2 | Highside 1 | Cam oil-control valve (PWM) |
| A1 | Highside 2 | Second oil-control or lift solenoid |
| C20 | Analog Temp 3 | CLT |
| C30 | Analog Temp 2 | IAT |
| C13 | Analog Volt 1 | MAP 0–5 V |
| C24 | Analog Volt 2 | TPS 1 |
| C34 | Knock 1 | Knock |
| A20 | Lowside 10 | Fuel-pump relay coil |
| A21 | Lowside 12 | Main-relay coil |
| A12 | Lowside 15 | Radiator-fan relay coil |
| B17 / B16 | CAN 1 H / L | Dash / wideband |
| B18 | Battery Sense | Ignition-switched 12 V (5 A fuse) |
| B23 | +12 V MR | Main-relay 12 V into ECU |
| A17 A18 A24 B14 B19 B20 | Power GND | Engine block → battery − |
| C9 / C21 / C32 | 5 V Sens 1 | MAP, TPS, pedal 1 |
| C1–C8, C29, C31 | Sensor GND | 0–5 V and thermistor returns |
Trigger
Use the verified M50 trigger section. 60-2 VR on the crank. Cam is phase for sequential and for VANOS. VANOS is an output plus a cam target, not a different crank wheel.
Crank
| Pattern | 60-2 VR. B5 / B13. One clean missing-tooth gap. Swap wires if inverted. |
Cam
| Sensor | Hall or VR per the year. Digital 2 or VR 2. |
| Double VANOS | Second cam input pin is TBD. |
TunerStudio
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Wheel type | 60-2 |
| Use only rising edge | Yes on MAX992x VR (typical) |
| Firing order | 1-5-3-6-2-4 |
Offset: Light on cylinder 1. The M50 note’s warning stands: 60-2 BMW offsets are often quoted around 80–120°. Use the light.
Injection
Six high-Z port injectors, one per throttle on the Euro ITB setup. Sequential. Alpha-N is the usual load source; a MAP sensor still belongs on a balance hose if you want a blend, never on one runner.
| Impedance | High-Z. Meter. |
Ignition
Six logic coils if the coils have igniters. Early coil packs that are 2-wire need igniters. Ign 1–6 by cylinder number. Dwell from the coil, starting at 2.0–2.5 ms for a logic coil.
| S52 | Different heads and often a different coil. Do not copy dwell across. |
Idle
ITB idle is a bypass air valve, not a GM stepper and not DBW. Valve driver pin TBD. Single VANOS solenoid on Highside 1. Double VANOS needs a second solenoid on Highside 2 — confirm which cam is which before you PWM them.
First start
- Load the matching variant configuration in TunerStudio before the harness is live — injectors and coils stay disconnected until the decoder is confirmed.
- Fuel pump fuse out. Coils unplugged or spark outputs disabled. Crank. Open Diagnostics → composite / high-speed logger.
- Confirm crank teeth are even, the missing-tooth (or named pattern) is a single clean gap, and cam is one pulse per two crank revolutions for sequential four-stroke.
- RPM during cranking should sit in the 150–350 rpm band. 0 rpm or 12,000 rpm means the decoder is lost — polarity or wheel type, not offset.
- Lock timing to a fixed 10° (idle control off). Timing light on cylinder 1. Change trigger offset until the damper agrees with 10°.
- Recheck at ~3,000 rpm. If timing walks with RPM, it is VR polarity, a delayed Hall, or the wrong decoder — not offset.
- Enable spark. Confirm a healthy burn (timing light or plug colour) with fuel still disabled.
- Enable fuel. Prime, then crank. Catch the first idle on a rich-safe VE, then lean toward stoich at idle.
- Only then enable closed-loop idle, VVT, boost and traction. A base map is a starting point, not a dyno tune.
A base map is a starting point, not a dyno tune.