BWM Brown Wire Mod 3rd Gen

[fedyfedz]

There are no electronics involved in the gear ratios so that switch should be fine. I cant think of anything other than the gears that would have to be changed.

Great thanks what would i benefit from doing this more horse better mpg?

 

[Curtis]

Great thanks what would i benefit from doing this more horse better mpg?

Neither... you going to stay with the same gearing, so there will not be a horse power gain or MPG gain. The only difference is you'll have both rear wheels spinning

 

[Jordan912]

not sure about the lights, but it seems you dont have a limited slip rear end, hence one wheel turning.
You'd need a limited slip (or also known as Posi) rear end for both wheels to spin. It was an option and included sometimes with the larger towing package/class III hitch.

Your axle code is on a sticker on the drivers door jamb.

Axle Codes

L - Limited Slip Differential
C - Conventional Differential

Code ... Ratio
41 ...... 3.27C
42 ...... 4.10C
43 ...... 3.08C
45 ...... 3.55C
46 ...... 3.73C
D1 ...... 3.27L
D2 ...... 4.10L
D4 ...... 3.73L
D5 ...... 3.55L

Thx Curtis ill check for that. now is there a way to bypass this at all??? and if there is how?

 

[Curtis]

Thx Curtis ill check for that. now is there a way to bypass this at all??? and if there is how?

What are you trying to bypass? The 4x4 activation? BWM will do that.

 

[Jordan912]

What are you trying to bypass? The 4x4 activation? BWM will do that.

well thats the thing i have already done the mod. but when i lose a lot of traction(like say im gonna do a donut) my 4x4 high turns on causing only one tire to drive the vehicle. the thing thats weird is that 2 tires drive the vehicle at first then the 4x4 high kicks in automatically. right after the 4x4 high randomly comes on, only 1 tire ends up driving the vehicle. i can feel this happen while im driving and my friends can also see the only tire driving the vehicle. so my question is there a way to bypass the convential rear end so that it works just like a limited slip rear end? i want my suv to be driven by 2 wheels unless i tell it otherwise. i dont want it to randomly be 1 wheel drive.

 

[IZwack]

Both axles are always 1-wheel drive unless you have a Limited Slip (and thats only for the rear axle) - that's the whole point of the differential - hence the "one wheel burnout".

There is not really such a thing as a "4 wheel drive" stock Explorer. The most it can ever be is like 2.75 with "4wd" mode because the rear limited slip axle can still slip and isnt 100% locked. If you dont have a limited slip rear axle, then in 2wd mode you really only have 1 wheel drive and in 4wd mode, you really have 2 wheel drive.

 

[Curtis]

well thats the thing i have already done the mod. but when i lose a lot of traction(like say im gonna do a donut) my 4x4 high turns on causing only one tire to drive the vehicle. the thing thats weird is that 2 tires drive the vehicle at first then the 4x4 high kicks in automatically. right after the 4x4 high randomly comes on, only 1 tire ends up driving the vehicle. i can feel this happen while im driving and my friends can also see the only tire driving the vehicle. so my question is there a way to bypass the convential rear end so that it works just like a limited slip rear end? i want my suv to be driven by 2 wheels unless i tell it otherwise. i dont want it to randomly be 1 wheel drive.

Both axles are always 1-wheel drive unless you have a Limited Slip (and thats only for the rear axle) - that's the whole point of the differential - hence the "one wheel burnout".

There is not really such a thing as a "4 wheel drive" stock Explorer. The most it can ever be is like 2.75 with "4wd" mode because the rear limited slip axle can still slip and isnt 100% locked. If you dont have a limited slip rear axle, then in 2wd mode you really only have 1 wheel drive and in 4wd mode, you really have 2 wheel drive.

Yip well said
Even before you did this mod, and 4x4 was automatic, you didnt have 2 rear wheels with power.. only one... You would not notice really because the front wheels would engage and pick up the slack in traction.

With a conventional differential as you have, only one wheel turns and is not affected by 4x4 or this mod.

 

[Jordan912]

ok thx i totally get whats goin on now thx so much guys. so basically the only way that it could truely be 2 wheel drive is if i get a whole new limited slip rear end with the BWM.

 

[Jordan912]

ok lets just say i decided to switch out the differential to limited slip. would i have to replace both front and rear differentials? will there have to be any reprograming or anything like that? and also what would be the benefits? Is limited slip a better 4 wheel drive differential? Im not saying im going to do this, i just wanna know what it would take to do this job just in chase i do decide to.

 

[Curtis]

ok lets just say i decided to switch out the differential to limited slip. would i have to replace both front and rear differentials? will there have to be any reprograming or anything like that? and also what would be the benefits? Is limited slip a better 4 wheel drive differential? Im not saying im going to do this, i just wanna know what it would take to do this job just in chase i do decide to.

As mentioned above you'd only change the rear, using the same gearing you currently have. No electronics involved.

and BTW, even without a LS rear axle you still have 2wd. both wheels can power the vehicle, just not at the same time. Under different circumstances you may be able to get the opposite wheel to do the spinning.. usually the wheel with the least traction is the one that spins.

 

[Jordan912]

As mentioned above you'd only change the rear, using the same gearing you currently have. No electronics involved.

and BTW, even without a LS rear axle you still have 2wd. both wheels can power the vehicle, just not at the same time. Under different circumstances you may be able to get the opposite wheel to do the spinning.. usually the wheel with the least traction is the one that spins.

Thx curtis, after doing a bunch of research i now know how a limited slip differential and convential differential works. i am now leaning towards getting a limited slip differential because it just seems to be a better rear differential overall. now i was planning on changing my gear ratio and was wondering what would be the best for towing and if i change it to this ratio will it change how my car accelerates. if i makes my car accelerate slower ill just leave it how it is.

 

[Curtis]

Thx curtis, after doing a bunch of research i now know how a limited slip differential and convential differential works. i am now leaning towards getting a limited slip differential because it just seems to be a better rear differential overall. now i was planning on changing my gear ratio and was wondering what would be the best for towing and if i change it to this ratio will it change how my car accelerates. if i makes my car accelerate slower ill just leave it how it is.

You cant just change the rear ratio, you'll need to change the front too as you said you have a 4x4. You need the same ratio both front and rear.

A higher ratio will let you accelerate faster, but your top speed will reduce basically as you'll be turning much higher RPM's
A lower ratio will feel slower on take off but will cruise the highway beautifully with great mpg.

If I were you, Id leave it alone, you'll spend too much money just to say you have a LS rear end as you wont notice a whole lot in driving.

Anyway this thread is about the BWM, so you should start a new thread for specific questions on axles, rear ends or gear ratios etc.

 

[Jordan912]

As mentioned above you'd only change the rear, using the same gearing you currently have. No electronics involved.

and BTW, even without a LS rear axle you still have 2wd. both wheels can power the vehicle, just not at the same time. Under different circumstances you may be able to get the opposite wheel to do the spinning.. usually the wheel with the least traction is the one that spins.

i also forgot to add which ratio and differential do you guys suggest is the best overall for towing, off road, and descent acceleration?

 

[Jordan912]

You cant just change the rear ratio, you'll need to change the front too as you said you have a 4x4. You need the same ratio both front and rear.

A higher ratio will let you accelerate faster, but your top speed will reduce basically as you'll be turning much higher RPM's
A lower ratio will feel slower on take off but will cruise the highway beautifully with great mpg.

If I were you, Id leave it alone, you'll spend too much money just to say you have a LS rear end as you wont notice a whole lot in driving.

Anyway this thread is about the BWM, so you should start a new thread for specific questions on axles, rear ends or gear ratios etc.

oh ok thank you very much anyway you guys really helped me out alot figuring out what was going on with my explorer i really appreciate the help guys. and now that i think about it curtis your right i think it is just best to leave it alone ill just keep researching and hopefully get an idea of what i really want.

 

[synyster]

As soon as I read this I went and checked my axle code lol and was I relieved to see D4...now that I know I have a LS I'm gonna go through with this mod as soon as the weather permits.

 

[College Student]

All of my questions have been answered except what guage of wire i need, i just don't want an electical fire in something that besides college is the largest investment in my life

 

[College Student]

??? sorry i just dont want to have a fire

 

[Curtis]

From what Ive read the voltage going though the brown wire is minimal, 5 volts or something like that

Either way it wont be more than 12 volts

You should be perfectly fine with 18-20 gauge
you could even go smaller but most aut parts stores will have an abundance of 18

 

[zecolleman]

No brown wire

went out to day to do this mod but there was no brown wire in the smaller bundle. there was yellow, orange/black, and 2 wires in aluminium. and then was black and red outside of the plastic case. I have 2004 v8 explorer. any ideas???

 

[Limited02]

Are you 4x4 or AWD? As in can you select auto, high and low?