This information supplements the Holley wiring video. These are the major connections you will need to make for a Holley Terminator X Max to function in the E9x/E8x chassis. As variations are found, we update this page.
The wiring left on the chassis side after the engine harness is removed will be slightly different based on whether the car was automatic or manual, and the year of the car. The basic breakdowns are below.
Jump to a section:
- Drive-By-Wire
- Key-On Ignition Power
- Constant 12V Supply
- Ground
- Cooling Fan
- Starter: CAS & Brake Switch
- Manual Transmission Cars
- Starter Solenoid
- PT CAN Termination
- LSe90 CAN Box
- EKP Delete & Fuel Pump
- X60001 Pin Reference
Drive-By-Wire Connections
There are 6 wires that lead from the BMW gas pedal that need to be connected to your ECU harness. These wires are located on the long grey connector from the DME connection X60001 shown above.
| BMW X60001 | Holley DBW Harness |
| Pin 7 - White/yellow | Blue - pin b, TPS #2 |
| Pin 10 - Brown/yellow | Black - pin a/d, sensor ground |
| Pin 11 - Yellow | Orange - pin c/f, sensor 5V |
| Pin 20 - White | Yellow - pin e, TPS #1 |
| Pin 23 - Brown | Black - pin a/d, sensor ground |
| Pin 24 - Yellow/green | Orange - pin c/f, sensor 5V |
Key-On Ignition Power
UPDATE: we recommend using the cigarette lighter fuse, fuse 8 or 30 depending on year, with a fuse tap for a key-on ignition source.
- Alternative: E90 connector X6011 pin 6, green/white. Check this with a test light: key on, you should have 12V; key off, no power.
Constant 12V Supply
Constant 12V supply can be sourced from the main jump terminal stud on the passenger strut tower. Note that the large stud is unfused, and the small stud is fused by a fusible link above the battery in the rear of the car. If the small stud does not have power, check that fusible link. DO NOT use the small stud for the starter or alternator power wire, it will blow the fuse.
Ground
Ground can be sourced from any of the main ground studs in the engine bay. Be sure to properly ground both your engine block and alternator. Note the LSe90 alternator bracket is powder coated and will not give the alternator a good ground on its own.
BMW Cooling Fan to Holley Connections
- The BMW cooling fan's power and ground connections are not modified. Speed control happens over a single PWM control wire.
- You will need to configure a custom output in the Holley software as a PWM signal to control the speed of the BMW fan.
| BMW X60001 | Holley IO harness |
| Pin 8 - black/blue | 1 of the 4 grey output wires |
BMW Starter: CAS to Brake Switch Mods
This is required on an automatic car to get the factory start button functioning. Factory manual cars staying manual do not need this step. Factory manual cars going automatic are covered in the next section.
- Connect pin 4, the brake light signal, on connector X60001 to the wire that goes to pin 41 on the CAS.
Depending on whether your car was automatic or manual, 325i or 335i, this wire can change. On pre 03/07 cars, X6031 is an 8 pin connector. Post 03/07 it is a 12 pin connector. You are looking for a blue/black wire on this connector in the pin 1 or pin 5 position. That is the CAS pin 41 wire. Make SURE it goes to pin 41 on the CAS, you don't want to send 12V into the wrong wire.
- This sends a 12V brake signal to pin 41 on the CAS when the brake pedal is pressed.
Pre 03/07 (N54/N52) - X6031
Post 03/07 (N54/N52) - X6031
Manual Transmission Cars
A manual transmission car going automatic needs the following. There is a blue/brown wire (pin 18) on the DME connector X60001. That wire needs to be connected to the blue/red wire (pin 4) on the same connector, which is the brake signal. Then, on the clutch switch, remove the connector and connect the blue/brown wire to the blue/black wire. What this does is send the brake signal from the DME connector, through the blue/brown on the old clutch switch, to the blue/black, which goes to CAS pin 41.
Starter Solenoid
- Connect a 10ga wire from pin 3 (pre 03/07) or pin 1 (post 03/07), the larger gauge black wire on X6011, to your starter solenoid connection.
Pre 03/07 (N54/N52) - X6011
Post 03/07 (N54/N52) - X6011
BMW Automatic Transmission PT CAN Bus Termination
- This is required on an automatic car to keep the PT CAN network functional. Without it, many issues come up, and the most notable is the windshield wipers never turning off.
- On connector X6021, connect pin 1 to 3 and pin 2 to 4. This connects the red wire to the red wire and the blue/red to the blue/red.
LSe90 CAN Box Connections
The LSe90 CAN box has a blue/red twisted pair which needs to be connected to the vehicle's PT CAN bus. That is the twisted blue/red pair on the DME connector X60001, pins 1 and 14. The 4 pin Holley connectors need to be connected to the CAN bus connection on the Holley harness. Check for bent or missing pins on these small 4 pin connectors, they are commonly broken. Plug the 12 pin connector at the LSe90 CAN box in the correct orientation using the keyed connector.
BMW EKP Delete and Fuel Pump Wiring
The BMW E9x chassis uses an EKP (Electronic Fuel Pump Controller) to control pump speed and operation. This system is designed to work with the factory BMW ECU over CAN and will not function correctly with a Holley ECU.
The EKP is located behind the right-hand side panel of the rear seat. This module gets unplugged and replaced with a QUALITY 30/40 amp standard automotive relay for the fuel pump. In general, all you are doing here is powering the fuel pump through a relay triggered by the Holley trigger wire.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THESE CONNECTIONS ARE DONE WELL. This is a high-current fuel pump circuit.
The EKP has 2 connectors. The smaller connector has two larger gauge wires leading to the fuel pump: brown with stripe (ground) and red with stripe (12V).
On the larger connector, use the only two larger gauge wires: 12V from the red with stripe wire (fused from the factory fuel pump fuse) and ground from the brown with stripe wire.
Above is an EKP wiring diagram for reference, from a 2007 328i.
Wire the relay. This can be done many ways, but the following is typical to switch the 12V signal to the pump with the relay:
- Pin 85: ground from the EKP large connector brown with stripe, or a ring terminal to the ground point where the EKP mounts
- Pin 86: Holley green fuel pump trigger wire (12V signal when the pump should run)
- Pin 30: 12V fused power feed (large EKP connector, red with stripe wire)
- Pin 87: positive wire going to the fuel pump (small EKP connector, red with stripe wire)
The brown with stripe wire from the small EKP connector (the fuel pump ground) should go to the same ground as pin 85: the EKP large connector brown wire, or a ring terminal at the EKP mounting point.
The EKP connectors can be left disconnected.
X60001 Pin Reference
Pin assignments at plug connector X60001
| Pin | Type | Description / Signal type | Connection / Measuring notes |
| 1 | E/A | Signal PT-CAN low | Powertrain CAN-bus |
| 2 | E | Start signal | Car access system |
| 3 | E/A | BSD signal | Battery sensor |
| 4 | E | Brake light signal | Brake light switch |
| 5 | A | Signal, exhaust flap | Exhaust flap |
| 6 | E | Signal Temperature sensor at radiator outlet | Temperature sensor at radiator outlet |
| 7 | E | Signal Accelerator pedal module | Accelerator pedal module |
| 8 | A | Signal Electric fan | Electric fan |
| 9 | A | Activation | Radiator shutter drive unit |
| 10 | M | Ground Accelerator pedal module | Accelerator pedal module |
| 11 | A | Supply Accelerator pedal module | Accelerator pedal module |
| 13 | A | Activation Secondary air pump relay | Secondary air pump relay |
| 14 | E/A | Signal PT-CAN high | Powertrain CAN-bus |
| 15 | E | Signal, electronic vehicle immobilizer | Car access system |
| 16 | E | Brake light test signal | Brake light switch |
| 17 | E | Signal, rear right wheel speed | Connector X10186 (rear right wheel speed) |
| 18 | E | Signal, clutch switch | Clutch switch module |
| 19 | E | Signal Temperature sensor at radiator outlet | Temperature sensor at radiator outlet |
| 20 | E | Signal Accelerator pedal module | Accelerator pedal module |
| 21 | E/A | TD signal | Connector TD signal |
| 22 | E | Supply, terminal 15 | Car access system |
| 23 | M | Ground Accelerator pedal module | Accelerator pedal module |
| 24 | A | Supply Accelerator pedal module | Accelerator pedal module |
| 25 | E | USA Signal Secondary air - hot-film air-mass meter | Secondary air - hot-film air-mass meter |
| 26 | A | Signal, E-box fan | E-box fan |
