P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

They go by many names, P01, P10, P12, P59, E38, VPW, '0411 etc.
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AngelMarc
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Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by AngelMarc »

ejs262 wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 4:24 pm Look at some of the threads by "Turbo_V6" he has a custom OS running a 4.3 V6 on a P01, with coil per cylinder ignition.

FWIW, The P04 actually has the capability to run a individual coil ignition natively, it's a more advanced PCM than most people give it credit, but it's also the least looked at because it's a GM V6 PCM...

https://new.pcmhacking.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3392
Pretty sure p04 Is waste spark, but, do you really care? I say that based on GM's extensive use of waste spark coil packs on V6s.
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ejs262
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Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by ejs262 »

AngelMarc wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 4:39 pm
ejs262 wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 4:24 pm Look at some of the threads by "Turbo_V6" he has a custom OS running a 4.3 V6 on a P01, with coil per cylinder ignition.

FWIW, The P04 actually has the capability to run a individual coil ignition natively, it's a more advanced PCM than most people give it credit, but it's also the least looked at because it's a GM V6 PCM...

https://new.pcmhacking.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3392
Pretty sure p04 Is waste spark
from what I can tell it depends on how the PCM is configured to run. most applications (3100, 3400, and 3800) use an ignition module with three coils in wasted spark, the ignition modules on these applications is basically a solid state distributor. the LX5 3.5 DOHC V6 "shortstar" has 2 "ignition modules" but not in the same sense that the other engines do, the crank sensor is directly input to the PCM, and not to the modules as with the others. The LX5 has 2 sets of 3 coils, each coil having it's own PCM trigger(diagram links provided) I've seen flags in "tiny tuner" back when I was fooling around with these more seriously, that suggest you could enable certain flags and in turn have an individual coil ignition without a module. that said, I never tried it, it was on the list of things to mess with but then I wrecked my shitty V6 car so that project went out the window. also, the coil pack you pictured was not used with a P04, it was only used on later PCM's with the GM High Value V6. (3500 LX9, 3500 LZ4, 3900 LZ9 and similar)

https://charm.li/Oldsmobile/2001/Aurora ... %20Switch/

https://charm.li/Oldsmobile/2001/Aurora ... 0Controls/

AngelMarc wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 4:39 pm but, do you really care?
I'm not sure your point? I was providing what I thought to be relevant information, so from that perspective, yeah, I care. for the most part, I feel like the 3800 ignition system is pretty robust, and not in need of being upgraded to individual coil ignition, so from that perspective, no, I don't really care.
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AngelMarc
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Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by AngelMarc »

The coil pack I pictured uses 3 triggers. The classic 3800 pack is like a distributor, yes, the one I pictured is different. There's some ambiguity for me WTF all used a P04, I would guess a shortstar used something different, like the northstar not simply using a P01 or P59, but I don't know.

By "do you really care" I meant, is waste spark as tunable as you want, or do you believe you need (or even just want, whatever) full sequential?
Don't stress specific units.
ejs262
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Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by ejs262 »

AngelMarc wrote: Wed Mar 25, 2026 6:07 pm The coil pack I pictured uses 3 triggers. The classic 3800 pack is like a distributor, yes, the one I pictured is different. There's some ambiguity for me WTF all used a P04, I would guess a shortstar used something different, like the northstar not simply using a P01 or P59, but I don't know.

By "do you really care" I meant, is waste spark as tunable as you want, or do you believe you need (or even just want, whatever) full sequential?
As I said in my last post, the coil pack you pictured is for a GM "High Value V6" its the latest and final iteration of the GM 60 degree V6, it does not use a P04, it uses a CAN based ECU like the E67.

the shortstar has 6 coils with 6 triggers. I even posted a link to the diagram showing that.

The shortstar uses a P04, I wouldn't have mentioned it using one if it didn't.

The Northstar only used a P01/P59 based ECU as the "Shelby Series One", an extremely low production run sports car. The Northstar has an odd trigger wheel which is largely incompatible with anything, up until 2006 when it was converted to the standard 58x GM uses on everything

Someone made my pinout spreadsheet into a google document, for curious individuals, the link below has the PCM pinouts for several different P04 PCM's all listed side by side for comparison purposes.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... id=0#gid=0
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AngelMarc
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Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by AngelMarc »

That coil pack is used on a 2007 Equinox with a 3400.
EDIT: Sure didn't use an E67. Looked like a P11 to me at the time. Didn't know I needed the test version of universal patcher and assumed it wasn't; probably was.
Last edited by AngelMarc on Thu Mar 26, 2026 2:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Don't stress specific units.
ejs262
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1986 Suburban LB7 duramax swap in progress

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2003 Grand Am, 3400, F23 swap, stock P04 PCM

1985 Pontiac Fiero SE LX9 F23 Swap, MS3 Pro
Location: Aiken SC

Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by ejs262 »

AngelMarc wrote: Thu Mar 26, 2026 2:22 pm That coil pack is used on a 2007 Equinox with a 3400.
the one bastard child engine that isn't directly a "High Value V6", but essentially is. that engine isn't run by a P04 either, it has a different crank reluctor, a completely different cam (larger diameter core), a 4x cam reluctor, an oddball intake manifold, and a host of other minor differences. for the sake of this discussion, it's a "High Value V6", and again, not run by a P04, P01, or P59
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AngelMarc
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Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by AngelMarc »

I'd recommend not stretching the "definition" of "high feature V6", it's already over used. The short star, the very common 3.6 direct injection engines for example. See people using it for both.
Also, NOT CLAIMING TO KNOW FOR SURE, but, an ECU could have 2 pins internally connected to the same circuit to drive 2 coils on one output without harness splices. An example of that I know exists, is VPW lines.
Last edited by AngelMarc on Thu Mar 26, 2026 3:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Don't stress specific units.
ejs262
Posts: 43
Joined: Wed May 08, 2013 6:32 am
cars: 2006 2500 HD. 6.0 4L80

1986 Suburban LB7 duramax swap in progress

1988 Suburban L21 454 swap in progress

2003 Grand Am, 3400, F23 swap, stock P04 PCM

1985 Pontiac Fiero SE LX9 F23 Swap, MS3 Pro
Location: Aiken SC

Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by ejs262 »

Nowhere did I say "High Feature" that's an entirely different line than "High Value"
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AngelMarc
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Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by AngelMarc »

Either way.
EDIT: And drawing a line between 3100, 3400, 3500, and 3900, is like saying an LQ4 isn't an LS.
Some of them have VVT and the bigger 2 (later model cars) have a coolant crossover that isn't integrated into the intake manifold, to address the coolant in oil problem the earlier engines had.
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Muncie
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Re: P59 to Run Holden Ecotec v6, Help

Post by Muncie »

Ok chaps,

So have actually got decently far into the P59 Set up and its calibration ive decided to run the LS Style tone ring and cam sync did an OS swap to 12587603 then patched to BOOST OS 5.2 which opens up a shit load of extra functions wideband boost control etc.

Changed cylinder volume in xdf and turned off unused injectors and coils

The OS: 12587603 is the one thats recommended for BOOST OS hence that choice its cable throttle and will support iac tps etc Just paused at present while I do some more research.

If im going about this wrong let me know.