88 535is engine bay questions

[Kowalskicw]

Ok so I'm finally diving into the engine bay and wiring nightmare on this car and the previous owner hacked so much stuff and added an aftermarket stereo that I'm not sure what should or shouldn't be there or have connections or not. Any help with these photos would be appreciated.
Battery has way too many wires to it right?

What should be on this bracket?

So first is this battery cable stock? It seems weird being red covered in black tape or something. It runs from the battery to the engine mount on the passenger side for ground?

Next PO removed the frickin AC so I can only assume this is where some sort of AC lines used to attach?

Anyone have a cruise control module and cable they want to sell me?
Anyone have an air intake boot from the headlight bucket to the filter box? Mine is missing and I'd like to get rid of this crappy cold air intake and get back to stock. Also need a power antenna as mine does not work.
Thanks!!

[vandiesel]

Looks like an automatic radiator in a 5 speed car. That port is for the automatic cooling I believe.

[Mike W.]

It is an A/T radiator. The only problem it might be is cosmetic. It will work just the same.

The bracket with nothing on it? That's the way it was on my 85 535i. A bracket with nothing on it.

Battery cables. Positive had some stuff hanging on it but I think you've got an extra or two. Your pic doesn't look great, but not bad and much better than some I've seen with wires jammed in or twisted on. Negative doesn't look right at all, I think it was just a stubby, running off to the side, but it might have had a ground strap running to the side then a cable running to the block or motor mount on the drivers side. Definitely not running over to the passenger side. There should be a ground strap on the pass side bridging the motor mount between the body and top of the MM bracket. That one's a big deal that is somehow often a problem and overlooked. That might also be why the existing cable runs over there. Both terminals are obviously universal aftermarket replacements. If they clamp tight, they're ok. The purists might sneer, but I'm not a purist. That said, they're often for too large of wire and don't clamp the cable tightly. That would be a problem.

[topher800]

For reference, which could be a bad reference, here is my engine bay. My shelf used to be empty...until I noticed it is no longer empty. Wonder if that is for the subwoofer I had installed last year. A number of our relays are different colors, not sure what up there. I suspect my white ones are non-original. Not sure why our orange and grey ones are reversed....

[Kowalskicw]

Thanks for the reference pics. I thought the radiator might have been a trans cooler adapter. I should probably at least plug them huh. Also knew the battery cable management was stupid. I think maybe that extra cable was done by the stereo installers. I took all that junk out but there is definitely wires I think are related to that. I do have the ground strap from the motor and it looks good and the negative from the battery does mount to that mount on the sidewall next to it. So I'll look into taking more wires out. Fun stuff

[Oz77]

The empty bracket space near the coolant overflow tank. Was occupied by a black box with a red lens as far as i know it was part of the Alarm System
.
Mine got swiped during an oil change. Note it was on an 87 535is.

[Shawn D.]

Thanks for the reference pics. I thought the radiator might have been a trans cooler adapter. I should probably at least plug them huh.

It's not a trans cooler adapter -- that is the trans cooler in that side tank. No need to plug them -- nothing will leak out.

[Kowalskicw]

Oh ok that's kinda cool it's built into the radiator. I plugged them just to keep anything from getting in and ruining it from the inside out like the rest of this car. Still waiting on a new trans cross member from Germany so this project has been on complete hold.