My PI project

JPuehl

Specialist
Jul 24, 2019
86
110
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Greater Seattle area (a.k.a. Zombie Land)
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2011 135i 1M clone N55e DCT
I'm in the middle of adding PI to my car, an early '12 135i with pwg N55, and I thought I'd share my project. Thanks to help from @houtan and @Stokes I have been DYI tuning my car for a while and feel happy with the results so far (always learning tho). Now thanks to Houtan I'm adding PI to take my car to the next level. Houtan basically gave me his "wish list" and I just ordered all the parts so he can live vicariously thru me, thanks Bro! lol

Below is my parts list:

Walbor 535 bucketed LPFP (aka Stage 2.5 v 2) from Precision Raceworks
BPM4 LPFP controller from EOS
PI manifold from EOS
Reflex+ PI controller from EOS
Reflex Flex Fuel sensor (basically a GM flex fuel sensor) from Motiv
Reflex 0-10 bar pressure sensor (used on the LP line) from Motiv
Flexible fuel line and fittings from Performance Fueling Solutions

I'm not going to document the things that already have been documented, like swapping the intake manifold or the LPFP but I'll share anything I figured out on my own or that I didn't find when watching others videos. Below are pix of the parts as I received them plus I'll share pix of stuff either not documented or that are different than what is documented.

PI manifold



PI_mani_1.jpg

PI_mani_2.jpg

PI_mani_3.jpg

PI_Mani_4.jpg
PI_Mani_5.jpg

Had to make sure there were no drugs, body parts or bomb materials, lol
PI_Mani_6.jpg


LPFP
LPFP_1.jpg

LPFP_2.jpg


ReFlex parts:
ReFlex_1.jpg

ReFlex_2.jpg

ReFlex_3.jpg


BMP4
BPM4.jpg
 
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JPuehl

Specialist
Jul 24, 2019
86
110
0
Greater Seattle area (a.k.a. Zombie Land)
Ride
2011 135i 1M clone N55e DCT
Here is my "custom" flex line replacing the OEM flex line running up from under the car to the hard line leading to the HPFP. Connected to the hard line is the "T" for the line leading to the PI fuel rail. The Flex Fuel and LP sensor are part of the flex line. The line on the left is the OEM flex line, the line on the right is the new "custom" line which is shorter because of the "T" and I was able to use a 90* QD (quick disconnect) fitting off the "T" to avoid possibly having a sharp bend in the flexible rubber line to connect to the hard line under the car.
NewFlexFuelLine.jpg
 
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RuskiRacer

Captain
Jul 17, 2019
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2009 e93 335i
I'm in the middle of adding PI to my car, an early '12 135i with pwg N55, and I thought I'd share my project. Thanks to help from @houtan and @Stokes I have been DYI tuning my car for a while and feel happy with the results so far (always learning tho). Now thanks to Houtan I'm adding PI to take my car to the next level. Houtan basically gave me his "wish list" and I just ordered all the parts so he can live vicariously thru me, thanks Bro! lol

Below is my parts list:

Walbor 535 bucketed LPFP (aka Stage 2.5 v 2) from Precision Raceworks
BPM4 LPFP controller from EOS
PI manifold from EOS
Reflex+ PI controller from EOS
Reflex Flex Fuel sensor (basically a GM flex fuel sensor) from Motiv
Reflex 0-10 bar pressure sensor (used on the LP line) from Motiv
Flexible fuel line and fittings from Performance Fueling Solutions

I'm not going to document the things that already have been documented, like swapping the intake manifold or the LPFP but I'll share anything I figured out on my own or that I didn't find when watching others videos. Below are pix of the parts as I received them plus I'll share pix of stuff either not documented or that are different than what is documented.

PI manifold



View attachment 64789
View attachment 64790
View attachment 64791
View attachment 64792View attachment 64793
Had to make sure there were no drugs, body parts or bomb materials, lol
View attachment 64794

LPFP
View attachment 64795
View attachment 64796

ReFlex parts:
View attachment 64797
View attachment 64798
View attachment 64799

BMP4
View attachment 64800
I like your dog! What a cute investigator
 
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JPuehl

Specialist
Jul 24, 2019
86
110
0
Greater Seattle area (a.k.a. Zombie Land)
Ride
2011 135i 1M clone N55e DCT
The ReFlex wiring instructions has a wire going to the X60005 DME connector, pin 9, which the instructions says should be an orange wire. On my car the wire is red with a green strip. Motiv said this is the correct pin and the wire colors may vary on some models, so I'm sharing this difference in the instructions.
DME_Connector_X60005_pin_9.jpg
 
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wheela

Lieutenant
Jun 4, 2021
1,113
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Twin Cities, MN
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2015 e84 X1 35i Msport
That manifold is puurdy lookin'!

Do they have e-chassis n55 flex fuel available for MHD now, or are you just getting prepared? Are you 9e60b or the 98g0b (or whatever the one that isn't 9e60b is)? I'm 9e60b, but it seems like most of the n55 people posting have the 98 one.
 
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JPuehl

Specialist
Jul 24, 2019
86
110
0
Greater Seattle area (a.k.a. Zombie Land)
Ride
2011 135i 1M clone N55e DCT
That manifold is puurdy lookin'!

Do they have e-chassis n55 flex fuel available for MHD now, or are you just getting prepared? Are you 9e60b or the 98g0b (or whatever the one that isn't 9e60b is)? I'm 9e60b, but it seems like most of the n55 people posting have the 98 one.
So far the manifold seems awesome, good build quality and everything fits without issue. I have the 98G0B DME. The Flex Fuel sensor connects to the ReFlex PI controller, so for the $700 cost of the controller it's supposed to support flex fuel.
 
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wheela

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Jun 4, 2021
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Twin Cities, MN
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2015 e84 X1 35i Msport
So far the manifold seems awesome, good build quality and everything fits without issue. I have the 98G0B DME. The Flex Fuel sensor connects to the ReFlex PI controller, so for the $700 cost of the controller it's supposed to support flex fuel.
Cool. How does tuning work? Do they have a different bin and XDF they give you? I get that there are seperate gas and e maps, and then it blends between them based on e content, but not sure how you set up the different maps? Or is it all custom maps right in the reflex?
 

JPuehl

Specialist
Jul 24, 2019
86
110
0
Greater Seattle area (a.k.a. Zombie Land)
Ride
2011 135i 1M clone N55e DCT
Cool. How does tuning work? Do they have a different bin and XDF they give you? I get that there are seperate gas and e maps, and then it blends between them based on e content, but not sure how you set up the different maps? Or is it all custom maps right in the reflex?
Motiv supplies OTS maps and an XDF file that you can edit in TunerPro, similar to how you do the MHD maps. They have a users manual with information to help learn how to tune it. I'm starting with the OTS map and go from there, will be a learning curve but I plan the share what I learn here, and hopefully others can contribute because I know I'm not the only/first person to do this, lol.
 

wheela

Lieutenant
Jun 4, 2021
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Twin Cities, MN
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2015 e84 X1 35i Msport
Motiv supplies OTS maps and an XDF file that you can edit in TunerPro, similar to how you do the MHD maps. They have a users manual with information to help learn how to tune it. I'm starting with the OTS map and go from there, will be a learning curve but I plan the share what I learn here, and hopefully others can contribute because I know I'm not the only/first person to do this, lol.
That's awesome!!! So their OTS map isn't locked? Saa-weet😎
 

houtan

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Nov 2, 2017
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135i N55 DCT; PS2
Just to clarify, @JPuehl , correct me if I’m wrong, but the ots map is for the reflex, not the DME.

So the dme flash isn’t flex fuel, like MHD has for the other platforms, but the reflex can adjust how much fuel to include on the PI side based on the e content and boost. Did I say that correctly?

Can’t wait to see this up and running. So jealous!
 

JPuehl

Specialist
Jul 24, 2019
86
110
0
Greater Seattle area (a.k.a. Zombie Land)
Ride
2011 135i 1M clone N55e DCT
Just to clarify, @JPuehl , correct me if I’m wrong, but the ots map is for the reflex, not the DME.

So the dme flash isn’t flex fuel, like MHD has for the other platforms, but the reflex can adjust how much fuel to include on the PI side based on the e content and boost. Did I say that correctly?

Can’t wait to see this up and running. So jealous!
Correct, Motiv supplies what I call OTS maps you load directly into the Reflex device itself. As far as I know, MHD has no flex fuel option for our platform, but the ReFlex apparently does, looking forward to trying it out. The ReFlex does boost input via the MAP, crank position, cam position.
 
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JPuehl

Specialist
Jul 24, 2019
86
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Greater Seattle area (a.k.a. Zombie Land)
Ride
2011 135i 1M clone N55e DCT
2/16/2022 - update: Last night I finally got the firmware flashed on the ReFlex. When I tried on Saturday I think I was using a charging only cable, I got a data cable from my office and it worked. This morning I flashed the map/tune onto the ReFlex, which you do from TunerPro RT and I ended up doing it a few times because it happens so quick I was not able to read the status message along the bottom of the app, lol.

One problem I have been having since I first started the car with the ReFlex installed and connected is that the car goes into limp mode with the following codes:

2C58 - Charging pressure control; Switch-off as consequential reaction.
3040 - Knock sensor, electrical; Signal, input A, short circuit to ground.

If I clear the codes the 3040 code goes away but the 2C58 remains and the DME goes right back into limp mode. If I remove power to the ReFlex I can clear the code and all is fine. This weekend I need to double check the 3 connections to the DME connectors, which luckily use posi-taps so changing an incorrect connection will be easy.

I also realize that the injector connectors on the harness for the ReFlex are larger than what the PI manifold/fuel rail was designed to use so some of the connectors are pressed up against the PI fuel rail or DI fuel rail mounting brackets. I received a pic from EOS showing much smaller connectors that fix better. I need to find smaller connectors because, even tho the injectors aren't leaking today, I don't want them to leak from being pushed on the side and possibly flattening one or both of the o-rings. We'll see what I come up with.
 

JPuehl

Specialist
Jul 24, 2019
86
110
0
Greater Seattle area (a.k.a. Zombie Land)
Ride
2011 135i 1M clone N55e DCT
Here's the latest, it's ALIVE!

On Saturday I figured out the issue causing the Limp Mode, turns out on the X60002 DME connector (2nd connector from the front), I had the crank sensor wire connected to pin 7 rather than pin 6. It seems I assumed pin 2 was between pin 1 and 3 but on this connector pin 2 is on the opposite side, so the first row of pins is 1,3,4,5,6,7...

So I flashed my 23# tune and off to the E85 store I went. Normally with E16 (plus some Boostane octane booster) my fuel pressure drops to ~1600 under a hard load. I filled up with both E85 and regular ~E10, which according to ReFlex netted me E42, and during the same load it's only dropping to ~2300, and that's with the OTS map. I'm shooting for E50 and since I filler up 2 5 gallon jugs I'll try adding another 1 gallon of E85 and see what that nets me.

I was looking at the main table in the ReFlex tune and it's a single table that has the RPM and Boost level as the axis, so should be fairly simple to adjust. There's also a single row table "E fueling factor" which appears to be set based on the E content so it seems that once the DC/PW table is set and the fueling factor is set, it should handle any E content I use.

Looking forward to some dryer warmer weather to get this dialed in.
 
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