So, you're planning out your next LS swap, or maybe you just want to add that new turbo
or supercharger to your current LS-powered ride and you ask yourself, what are my options?
Is there a cost-effective answer to this stock ECU?
How can I get nitrous and boost control as well as data logging capabilities?
Well, look no further than Terminator X and X max.
Holley's Terminator X engine management systems are designed for use with any LS-based engine
using the 24X or the 58X reluctor wheel.
Terminator X can control anything from a 4.8-liter truck engine to a stroked LSX. or even a boosted
LS9 power plant.
Holley has kits designed for almost any engine combo.
To better help you choose the correct EFI system for your application, we've included
information on the Terminator X web page to help you identify your engine and provide
the needed information to choose the correct main and injector harnesses for your project.
Convenient onboard diagnostic LEDs help you troubleshoot vital engine systems, and since
Terminator X comes with a three and a half-inch handheld touchscreen, you won't have to drag
your computer around just to make changes.
When you choose Terminator X Max, you can do more than just engine management, Terminator
X Max allows you to run a drive by wire throttle body and also gives you the ability to control
GM electronic and Ford's 4R70W transmissions.
I won't go into detail about the fuel system requirements for Terminator X EFI, but make
sure that you're fuel pump is capable of producing 60 PSI and can meet or exceed the recommendations
for the injectors that you choose.
You can find everything that you'll need to complete your fuel system right on the Holley
website.
If you need help selecting a pump for your system, check out our fuel pump selector video.
Before you purchase a kit, make sure to double-check items like whether you have a 24 or 58 tooth
crank sensor and determine what injector design you'll be running.
The last thing you'll want to do is get elbow deep in a weekend project only to find out
that you ordered the wrong parts.
Installation couldn't be any easier with our plug and play harnesses.
All of the connectors on the harnesses are labeled for easy reference, you just need
to match them up and make the connections at the corresponding sensors.
Some of you may have an oddball set up, or maybe you'd just prefer to route your wiring
in a custom loom.
If so, we offer un-terminated harnesses that can provide the extra flexibility for your
needs.
If you have a Gen 3 LS, you'll find the Cam sensor located on the rear of the engine block
near the valley pan.
Most Gen 4 engines will have the cam sensor mounted in the front timing cover, however,
there are still some exceptions to this.
We offer wiring harnesses for both the Gen 3 and Gen 4 engines.
We can also plug in the oil pressure sensor.
As we work our way around, connecting individual injectors to the correct connector found on
your injector harness, they are labeled one through eight.
Be sure that you select the correct harness for your injector design.
We offer harnesses for the EV1, EV6, and Multech 2 injector designs, and there is also a handy
reference guide on our website that will help you identify your injector design and make
the correct harness selection.
Once your coils are mounted and you have the sub-harness installed, we can then connect
them to the main harness.
Pay attention, each connector is marked, one for the odd bank and one for the even bank
coils.
If your sub-harness is bad or missing, we offer replacement coil harnesses.
As we work our way around to the front of the engine, you'll find the TPS and IAC connectors
that are found on the throttle body.
You'll also find provisions for the optional fuel pressure sensor.
I'll be using one of Holley's 0-100 PSI transducers, it's part number 554-102.
Don't forget about the coolant temp sensor, which is typically mounted in the cylinder
head.
There's also a manifold air temp sensor which should be mounted in your intake manifold
for proper operation.
Now we can connect the even coil bank to the harness and all of the injectors that are
found on this side.
Next, we need to connect the map sensor.
For most aftermarket intakes, you'll have to run a line from a full vacuum source at
the manifold to the one bar sensor connector that's built into the Terminator X ECU.
I tapped into the manifold here with a nipple fitting and have run the vacuum line down
under the cab and into the cabin where the ECU is mounted under the seat.
Use one of the supplied adaptors that match the diameter of the hose that you are using.
If you have a stock intake, the sensor may be mounted on the intake like this one is,
if your application is boosted and requires a map sensor that is capable of reading higher
than one bar, we do recommend the GM two and a half bar map sensor part number 12592525.
It can be used with our adapter, part number 558-416.
This adapter plugs directly into the map connection found on the main harness.
With this setup, there is no need to run the vacuum line from the manifold to the ECU.
We also need to connect the crank sensor, which is located on the passenger side of
the engine block behind the starter near the oil pan rail.
Once all of the injectors are connected, we can plug the injector harness into the main
harness right here.
You may or may not use a nock sensor connectors, in my setup, the factory knock sensors have
been eliminated and I've replaced the valley cover with one from Holley.
Don't forget to connect the dedicated ground connectors found in the harness.
You will find two ground terminals located near the rear of the engine.
One for each cylinder head.
Simply use an M10 by 1.5 bolt to secure them using one of the pre-tapped holes in your
head.
Good grounds are critical and this is especially true on EFI systems.
Once you verify that all of the sensors are connected, you'll need to run the J1A and
J1B plugs which are found on the opposite end of our main harness to their corresponding
connectors that are found in the Terminator X ECU.
In the main harness, you'll also find some loose wires.
Your red with white tracer wire needs to be connected to a dedicated switch power source.
Be sure and verify that your switch power source has 12 volts in the run as well as
the cranking position.
If your vehicle does not have such a source, you'll need to install a relay to provide
the ECU with one.
Depending on your harness, you'll find several wires midway down in the wire loom.
The solid red wire powers the fuel pump relay circuit and should be connected to the battery
or a clean, constant, 12-volt source.
The black wire is ground and does not necessarily need to go directly to the battery, it can
be connected to a good chassis ground.
Our harness includes a dedicated fuel pump fuse and relays to power your fuel pump.
The green found in the harness can be run directly to your fuel pump to supply 12 volts
of power.
But if your fuel pump draws more than 10 amps, you'll need to wire in a separate relay using
this lead as the trigger.
The blue with white tracer is the TAC output.
This provides a twelve volt, square wave signal, to trigger a conventional tachometer.
The cam bus connection is used to connect the included three and a half-inch touch screen
or upgrade to one of our digital dashes.
You can even power a set of Holley EFI analog-style gauges.
Your Terminator X kits also are going to include this main power harness, it's going to have
a heavy red and a heavy black wire.
Both of which need to be run directly to the battery terminals, not a relay, killswitch,
or power log off your starter, only directly to the battery.
Before supplying power to the ECU, always verify that all sensor connections, as well
as the power and ground wires, are correct.
This connector will be the last thing that we plug into the ECU.
Holley also includes this auxiliary input/output harness.
It connects into the main harness and allows you four inputs to monitor engine sensors,
as well as four outputs to control accessories.
You'll also get the added benefits of nitrous control, boost control, as well as an internal
data logger.
Try getting that out of your stock ECU.
I thought it would be a lot easier if I use this mockup engine to show you how to connect
all of the sensors, but I wanted you to see it in action, so I brought Stewie in as my
guinea pig and I went ahead and connected all of the harnesses to the engine already
so there are just a couple of more things to finish up and we can fire them up.
You'll find a Bosch LSU4.9 wideband O2 sensor.
This is a critical part of Terminator X's self-learning capabilities, so make sure that
you use the sensor provided with the kit.
The installation is straight forward, but before you weld, the bung in, be sure to follow
our O2 install recommendations found right in the manual.
Connect the supplied adaptor line between the O2 sensor and the connector found on the
harness.
To prevent any meltdowns, make sure that all of the wiring is positioned and secured as
far away as possible from any high heat sources as well as all moving parts.
The last thing that we need to hook up is our three and a half-inch touchscreen handheld.
It simply connects to the cam bus connector found on the main harness.
Once you've got that routed and connected, we can start the wizard.
The Terminator X startup wizard works a lot like the Sniper Wizard.
You simply enter the critical information and it creates a base calibration for your
particular setup.
Simply follow the prompts.
Starting at the home screen, choose the wizard, then the GCF wizard icon.
Choose between multiport or throttle body injection.
Terminator X supports multiple platforms, so you need to select your system type from
the menu.
Choose the number of cylinders, then choose the correct firing order.
Since all LS engines share the same firing order, there is only one option.
Choose the unit of measure you would like to enter the engine size with and using the
slide bar, enter your engine size or click on the box to manually enter the value, then
click save when you are finished.
Use the slide bar or manually enter your desired idle speed.
This is the target idle speed when the coolant temp is above 160 degrees.
Make the cam selection the most closely matches the cam specs for your engine.
When cam option number three is chosen, close loop operation will be disabled below a 25
RPM.
But this can be modified using your handheld.
If you don't know your exact camshaft specs, select option number one.
Next chose between the 24 or the 58 tooth crank sensor.
Remember, the kit and engine harness that you purchase need to match your application.
You'll need to choose between a 43 or 60 PSI fuel system.
Most LS engines prefer to run at 60 PSI, but this is entirely dependent on your particular
fuel injection system.
Now choose the fuel injector manufacturer, each grouping contains a list of part numbers
that are supported by the Terminator X system.
Choose the part number that matches the injectors installed in your engine.
Injector data can be entered and modified using the Terminator X software if your injectors
are not listed.
Next, choose any power adders.
Depending on your selection, you'll choose the appropriate map sensor from the available
options.
If you've chosen the turbo or the supercharged options, any of these map options can be used.
The wizard only supports up to two and a half bar of boost pressure.
If your setup makes more than 21 pounds of boost, the engine must be tuned using the
available PC software.
When the turbo or supercharge option is chosen, you'll need to use the slide bar to set ignition
timing at wide-open throttle with zero boost.
You'll also use the slide bar to set the timing retard per each pound of boost.
Brake points are pre-set at 7, 14, and 21 PSI.
You will also need to set the desired air to fuel ratio at wide-open throttle with zero
boost, then use the slide bar to set the air/fuel ratio offset at the 7, 14, and 21 PSI brake
points.
Chose whether or not you'll be using a drive-by-wire throttle body, this option applies only to
the Terminator X Max system.
Select no if you are going to use a cable operated throttle body.
If you'll be using Terminator X Max to control electronic transmission, choose yes.
Choose no if you have an old, or non-electronic transmission like the TH350, 400, or 700R4.
Also, select no if you are using a stand-alone controller for your electronic transmission
already.
If transmission control is chosen in the previous step, select the transmission type that you'll
be controlling, then enter your rear tire's overall diameter as well as the gear ratio
of your axle.
Tire diameter and gear ratio must be entered correctly for proper transmission operation.
Once this is complete, select the start button and begin uploading the custom Terminator
X calibration to your ECU.
Congratulations, you have completed the wizard setup, it's now time to perform the TPS auto
set.
This must be done on a brand new system, otherwise, the injectors and ignition will not be fired
by your ECU.
With the vehicle's ignition power on, select the TPS auto-set function found under the
wizard's icon.
Then select start TPS auto set.
Slowly depress the accelerator pedal to the floor twice.
If you were successful, you'll see the TPS auto-set successful message pop up.
Select done to continue.
Before starting the vehicle, we need to verify that all of the sensors are reading properly.
Turn the key off, the cycle it back on, you should now hear the fuel pump come on for
approximately five seconds.
Don't forget to check for any fuel leaks.
From the home screen, select the monitor tab.
This will bring up a couple of options.
Select the monitor screen and you will see the initial start-up, select this icon.
With the key on and the engine off, the sensors should read as follows.
Engine RPM should show stall when not cranking and switch to RPMs once the engine is cranking
or running.
Your TPS or throttle position sensor will vary with the throttle position.
As you slowly depress the accelerator, the reading should climb to 100% when you are
at wide-open throttle.
Cabel operated throttle bodies should read zero at idle.
The map or manifold air pressure sensor should read between 95 and 102.
At higher elevations, it could read as little as 75 though.
Your coolant temperature sensor, or CTS for short, reads the engine temperature and when
it's cold, should read the ambient temperature outside.
We'll address the IAC reading when we get to the idle tuning section.
The battery is reading battery voltage and should have a minimum of 12 volts before you
start.
If any of these sensors are not reading properly, you need to troubleshoot and correct them
before attempting to start the engine.
If everything checks out ok, you can now start your engine.
Once the vehicle is started, check for any fuel or coolant leaks.
You can let the vehicle warm up while you look at some other parameters to make sure
that everything is working properly.
To see these other parameters with the engine running, tap the monitor, then monitors icon
and select closed-loop icon.
The closed-loop status indicates that the engine is a closed or an open loop.
Closed-loop indicates that the ECU is adding or subtracting fuel to maintain the target
air/fuel ratio.The system should be operating in a closed-loop almost all of the time.
Closed-loop compensation is a percentage of fuel that the ECU is adding or subtracting
to maintain the target air/fuel ratio.
Your target air/fuel ratio is the target AFR that the ECU is trying to maintain and it
may vary depending on the engine load and speed.
Air/fuel ratio.
This will show the air/fuel ratio of the wideband O2 sensor.
The air/fuel rating should always be fairly close to the air/fuel value.
Fuel learn status indicates the status of Terminator's self-tuning operation.
The system will automatically tune itself as you drive around and there are several
conditions that must be met in order for the self-tuning to occur.
The engine temperature must be above 160 degrees and the self-tuning must be enabled with the
system operating in closed-loop mode.
If any of these values are not showing the proper value, find out why before operating
your vehicle.
Once the engine is up to operating temperature, we can fine-tune our idle to the desired RPM.
From the home screen, select the tuning tab, then select the basic and basic idle icons.
You can see with the target hot idle speed was set to when we ran the wizard.
If you are happy with the current value, use the back or home button to exit, but if you
would like to change it, click on the idle speed and move the button left to right to
adjust it.
Click the button to save the new value or select cancel at the bottom of the screen
to back out.
Whether you change the target idle or not, you'll need to set the throttle plates on
the throttle body to the optimal position.
To do this, select the monitor, then monitors icon, followed by the idle icon, then look
at the IAC value.
This value should be set between two and ten percent with the transmission in neutral and
the engine up to operating temperatures.
Also, make sure that the TPS value is at zero.
If it is not, you'll need to reperform the TPS auto-set.
If the IAC position value is showing zero, you must close the throttle plates until it
reads between two and ten percent.
If the IAC is stuck at zero, your engine is likely idling at a higher speed than you set
the target idle to.
Slowly turn the throttle shaft adjustment screw counterclockwise to raise the IAC value
and lower the idle speed.
If the IAC position value is greater than 10, you'll need to open the throttle plate
by turning the throttle shaft adjustment screw clockwise until the IAC position value is
between two and ten.
Also, make sure that the TPS value does not go above zero.
If it does, you'll need to perform a TPS auto-set again then restart the vehicle and continue
adjusting the throttle plates.
Once the TPS goes above the value of zero, the ECU goes out of its idle mode and locks
the IAC position at a fixed value.
When you have finished all of the adjustments and are happy with the IAC position, you'll
need to double-check that the TPS reads a value of zero with the engine idling.
All that's left to do now is just drive the vehicle and let the system perform its self-tuning
process.
The best way for this is to drive the vehicle under as many different operating conditions
as possible.
Different engine speeds with varying loads.
Start by slowly revving the engine in neutral and holding it at different speeds all the
way up to 2500 RPMs.
This will help the system learn these different points.
Then drive your vehicle.
Possibly using different transmission gears and allowing it to learn in different areas,
if you have an automatic transmission, you may want to put it in gear and with your foot
on the brake pedal, apply a small amount of throttle so that the system learns in this
area as well.
All that's left to do now is drive your vehicle and enjoy all of the benefits of Terminator
X and X Max can offer you.
If you would like to learn more about Holley's Terminator X and X Max engine management kits,
visit our website at Holley.com