“Howard” Gets an even better reason to shift gears!
Hello folks,
Welcome to another installment of mods on “Howard” my 07 MCS! In this installment we will be installing a JCW Shift Indicator System for your R56.
This is an easy a straightforward installation, but you need to be careful on some key areas. One is that you will be working with the vehicle electrical system, and making an error here could prove disastrous. Be sure you are doing this correctly before splicing into the wiring. And be SURE the battery is disconnected.
Step One: Disconnect the Battery (Lift the hood to do this. It is located under the windscreen on right side of the car.)
Step Two: Remove the three torx head screws that secure the knee brace/trim piece to the dashboard. Then pull forward on each side to release the securing clips.
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Step Three: Remove the upper portion of the column. This is held by four locking tabs. They are not easy to illustrate here but look at the JCW piece to see where they are. Gently pry the two halves of the column apart.
Step Four: Install the JCW upper column Shift Indicator combo. Before snapping the top piece in place, be sure to “program” the control box. I have a photo below that shows the dip switch settings for the 4 cyl, 6500 shift point.
Step Five: Route the wire down the driver side of the column and underneath the dash. Then snap the top combo into place.
Step Six: Wiring. Use the two photos above to help remove the OBD2 data connector and install the wiring. PLEASE NOTE: I did NOT use the supplied taps from the JCW kit. They are crap. I used instead a wire tap and male connector combo. (If you order this part from me and remind me when we are on the phone I will throw them in no charge. Otherwise your local hardware / auto parts store will have them) They clean up the wiring, simplify the install and are a more secure connection. Use the wire codes (in the JCW instructions), NOT, NOT NOT the pin positions. I have found the pinouts for the cars vary but the wire codes do match. This is easy to do. Simply snap each one one to the proper wires, then connect the wires from the control unit to the male connectors and then plug each one in. If you ever move cars, sell this one, lease trade etc. you can take out the lamp in 5 minutes no scars etc.
Step Seven: Using the cable ties in the kit, secure the control box to the knee panel then re-install the items removed.
Then simply re-install the panels removed prior, re-connect the battery and enjoy. There is no maintenance or adjustment with this kit. this kit works on ALL MCS models but the included instructions are specific to the R56. The leads are basic, power, ground and tach signal. The dip switches can be adjusted for 4/6/8 cyl and shift points from 4500-7500 RPM.
I really like mine. It makes it easier in the twisties to jam to my tunes, and never miss a shift. Good stuff!
I will try to keep these in stock for everyone as the dealers can’t seem to do so. Call me or e-mail with any questions or concerns!
Let me know if I can help in anyway!
You can find this on our website here:
JCW SHIFT LAMP
