Need a new ECU. What are my options?
02-07-2018, 12:22 PM
#1
Need a new ECU. What are my options?
Thanks for any help...here’s my situation:
Car has been diagnosed by professional mechanics and needs a new ECU.
My understanding is I can either buy a used ECU that matches the exact part number of my own ECU, or I have to buy a new or used third party ECU like haltech or something else.
Car is an 04 with a motordyne 5/16 plenum spacer and Motordyne Car back exhaust. Iridium spark plugs put in two years ago. Might add Art Pipes, and later hope to supercharge it with Procharger or Vortech.
A mechanic that I completely trust is offering a replacement ECU that might have a tune already on it from a Z tuner that he knows. I’m confused by this as my understanding is a tune needs to be done on a dyno. The tuner has relayed that he can program an Ecu to match my vin and model of car and that the Ecu doesn’t have to have a matching part number. I believe this is very wrong from everything I’ve researched.
Can someone of expertise give me a run down of the do’s and donts for resolving this repair?
Car has a dead tachometer, oil pressure gauge reads at 120, and car goes from closed loop to open loop in a cycle with both O2 sensors apparently bad all at once? Car runs fine but idles low, and can fluctuate in idling a little.
Also is throwing the running lean code P0171.
Car has 120k and oil in some of the spark plug tubes, so am not sure if that’s contributing to the lean code or if an injector is clogged or possibly a vacuum leak? Will be replacing the valve covers as well since one side also leaks oil from a bad gasket. Will do both sides at same time.
Regarding the ecu, all grounds have been thoroughly checked and that’s not the problem.
Money is an issue so am hoping to fix this as affordably as possible.
Anyone able to make me an ECU Master of Mechanic-like Megamentality would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again sincerely
Car has been diagnosed by professional mechanics and needs a new ECU.
My understanding is I can either buy a used ECU that matches the exact part number of my own ECU, or I have to buy a new or used third party ECU like haltech or something else.
Car is an 04 with a motordyne 5/16 plenum spacer and Motordyne Car back exhaust. Iridium spark plugs put in two years ago. Might add Art Pipes, and later hope to supercharge it with Procharger or Vortech.
A mechanic that I completely trust is offering a replacement ECU that might have a tune already on it from a Z tuner that he knows. I’m confused by this as my understanding is a tune needs to be done on a dyno. The tuner has relayed that he can program an Ecu to match my vin and model of car and that the Ecu doesn’t have to have a matching part number. I believe this is very wrong from everything I’ve researched.
Can someone of expertise give me a run down of the do’s and donts for resolving this repair?
Car has a dead tachometer, oil pressure gauge reads at 120, and car goes from closed loop to open loop in a cycle with both O2 sensors apparently bad all at once? Car runs fine but idles low, and can fluctuate in idling a little.
Also is throwing the running lean code P0171.
Car has 120k and oil in some of the spark plug tubes, so am not sure if that’s contributing to the lean code or if an injector is clogged or possibly a vacuum leak? Will be replacing the valve covers as well since one side also leaks oil from a bad gasket. Will do both sides at same time.
Regarding the ecu, all grounds have been thoroughly checked and that’s not the problem.
Money is an issue so am hoping to fix this as affordably as possible.
Anyone able to make me an ECU Master of Mechanic-like Megamentality would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again sincerely
02-07-2018, 06:14 PM
#2
The part number needs to match your ecu.If the ecu is from another car.You have to take it to a Nissan dealer and get it reprogrammed or you can have the NATS removed by a licensed Osiris pro tuner.As for the question about having your ecu tuned without a dyno.Yes it's totally do able.Once again Osiris sells off the shelf base tunes for specific mods to you vehicle.NA only mods though!
Good luck with the ecu issues!.
Seems to be a reoccurring thing these days
Good luck with the ecu issues!.
Seems to be a reoccurring thing these days
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savedbygrace (02-07-2018)
02-07-2018, 07:11 PM
#3
Thanks Crazy,
That helps, I'll look up NATS to learn and do you happen to have any input on what to look for when buying a used ECU? Other than the part number I mean...how do you avoid buying a dud?
Ideally I want a used Haltech eco so I'd be ready for major mods later, but major mods aren't very likely in the near term. Would be great to be prepared though.
Are there third party ECU's other than Haltech that are good and more affordable?
That helps, I'll look up NATS to learn and do you happen to have any input on what to look for when buying a used ECU? Other than the part number I mean...how do you avoid buying a dud?
Ideally I want a used Haltech eco so I'd be ready for major mods later, but major mods aren't very likely in the near term. Would be great to be prepared though.
Are there third party ECU's other than Haltech that are good and more affordable?
02-07-2018, 07:40 PM
#4
Also did the techs do a smoke test?.the fluctuations in your idle along with the lean code could very well be a vacuum leak.All though it's been my experience that engines tend to idle higher with a vacuum leak.Might want to get a second opinion on your ecu going bad before you get another one.Are the O2's switching as they should or are they completely dead/flat lined?All of the wiring has been checked for good continuity etc
As for getting a haltech etc for tuning that's all good but Osiris can be used to tune boosted applications too.They just don't sell base maps for it.I am procharged,tuned with Osiris and the tune is solid.No need for a $2000 ecu imop
As for getting a haltech etc for tuning that's all good but Osiris can be used to tune boosted applications too.They just don't sell base maps for it.I am procharged,tuned with Osiris and the tune is solid.No need for a $2000 ecu imop
Last edited by NissanZcrazy; 02-07-2018 at 07:45 PM.
02-07-2018, 09:00 PM
#5
Getting a second opinion is my thought too....but if the ECU wasn't bad what would cause my tachometer to stop working right in front of us? It was working when I drove the car into the bay, then five minutes into being monitored with the odb scanner the tach was at zero rpm while the car idles...and no response to throttle input of course.
No smoke test so far.
I forget what he said about the O2 sensors...but he said he doesn't trust the scanner saying both sensors are bad since they rarely go bad at same time....car was throwing a check engine last year for a time but then cleared itself up....had Art pipes on it at the time and I thought it was just something that happens sometimes with Art pipes...have heard of Art pipes causing a cel....but then it cleared after a couple of months or so...wasn't always on bu tit became constant later and then cleared....for an unrelated reason I later removed the Art pipes and am stock exhaust except for cat back right now...and then here's the cel again....running lean...I wonder if the O2 sensors are actually bad or if one was bad last year and now both are bad? Just don't know yet and don't have enough info. Not sure what to try first in terms of what would most likely be the expense that repairs the issues.
How do you like your Procharger by the way? is it too loud of a whine in the cabin? I've heard they're noisy but I'd love to supercharge the car once I get her stable and the oil leaks fixed.
No smoke test so far.
I forget what he said about the O2 sensors...but he said he doesn't trust the scanner saying both sensors are bad since they rarely go bad at same time....car was throwing a check engine last year for a time but then cleared itself up....had Art pipes on it at the time and I thought it was just something that happens sometimes with Art pipes...have heard of Art pipes causing a cel....but then it cleared after a couple of months or so...wasn't always on bu tit became constant later and then cleared....for an unrelated reason I later removed the Art pipes and am stock exhaust except for cat back right now...and then here's the cel again....running lean...I wonder if the O2 sensors are actually bad or if one was bad last year and now both are bad? Just don't know yet and don't have enough info. Not sure what to try first in terms of what would most likely be the expense that repairs the issues.
How do you like your Procharger by the way? is it too loud of a whine in the cabin? I've heard they're noisy but I'd love to supercharge the car once I get her stable and the oil leaks fixed.
02-15-2018, 03:10 PM
#6
Registered User
Just an observation. I've had my tach and speedo randomly shutoff while driving. Didn't affect the operation of the car though. I just got where I was going and restarted the car. Came back without issues.
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02-16-2018, 09:39 AM
#8
350Z-holic
iTrader: (13)
a few thoughts ...
Take one step at a time and get your car back to square one...
Haltech is probably going to be your most economical choice of aftermarket stand alone (replace the ECU). It's gonna run $1.5k to $2k when it's all said & done. If you can swing $2k for a used stand alone haltech it'd be the last ecu you ever bought.
Are you required to do emissions? Typically a stand alone wont allow you to pass emissions bc the OBD2 setup goes away.
If it was me, I'd find the right OEM ecu (used) and get all these kinks worked out before you shell out a bunch of cash on a haltech only to have something go wrong and burn-up the haltech.
Take one step at a time and get your car back to square one...
Haltech is probably going to be your most economical choice of aftermarket stand alone (replace the ECU). It's gonna run $1.5k to $2k when it's all said & done. If you can swing $2k for a used stand alone haltech it'd be the last ecu you ever bought.
Are you required to do emissions? Typically a stand alone wont allow you to pass emissions bc the OBD2 setup goes away.
If it was me, I'd find the right OEM ecu (used) and get all these kinks worked out before you shell out a bunch of cash on a haltech only to have something go wrong and burn-up the haltech.
Last edited by bealljk; 02-16-2018 at 06:14 PM.
02-16-2018, 08:48 PM
#9
Those are my exact thoughts as well, and thanks.
Going to sort out the ecu issue if it is indeed an ecu, there is serious doubt about whether this is even the culprit since the car runs just fine. The tach is working again by the way. But if it is the ecu I'll go oem replacement to save money since the car isn't turboed and probably never will be, the haltech is all I could ever want from what I've read, but way overkill for my present and future of this car.
Then I'll address the rest of the minor issues and just get the car to rock solid reliability, which it already was prior to the lean code and lowered idle.
Thanks again,
Saved
Going to sort out the ecu issue if it is indeed an ecu, there is serious doubt about whether this is even the culprit since the car runs just fine. The tach is working again by the way. But if it is the ecu I'll go oem replacement to save money since the car isn't turboed and probably never will be, the haltech is all I could ever want from what I've read, but way overkill for my present and future of this car.
Then I'll address the rest of the minor issues and just get the car to rock solid reliability, which it already was prior to the lean code and lowered idle.
Thanks again,
Saved
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