HELP. ecu unit may be gone.

[mike87]

hi, need some advise on the following issue. approx 6 months ago my 04 vz exec, started to run a little rough, it continued to get worse until the motor started cutting out. it is now at the mechanics where at first they said it was a faulty key, so they got a new key and programed it to my car. now they tell me that the new key wont start the car and the old one doesn't work. the mechanic seams to think that the ECU is a little dodgy and is waiting for an "expert" to get back from holidays so he can look at the car.

1- can the ECU be fixed?
2- how much is a new one?
3- what aftermarket ECU's are available and how much are they?

any help would be much appreciated.

cheers mike

[axemurderer101]

sounds like you need to find a new mechanic lol you wouldnt think a faulty key would cause the car to run rough, and if the old key wont even start the car after they programmed a new key and even the new key wont start it maybe they did something wrong when trying to program the new key

[Dangerous Dave]

erm, someone correct me if i'm wrong, but VZ key programming is all in the BCM, not the ECU....

2 very different items.. unless there is a comms fault between the 2, but that would mean the car wouldn't have started even before the key was introduced...

[impulsive]

new ecu's are expensive to install and tune... and you need one to match the model/series (standard ecu) and year of your car, hard task ahead of you.. i agree with Mr Danger Above, try a new mechanic lol

[Little Red VZ Go-Kart]

hi, need some advise on the following issue. approx 6 months ago my 04 vz exec, started to run a little rough, it continued to get worse until the motor started cutting out. it is now at the mechanics where at first they said it was a faulty key, so they got a new key and programed it to my car. now they tell me that the new key wont start the car and the old one doesn't work. the mechanic seams to think that the ECU is a little dodgy and is waiting for an "expert" to get back from holidays so he can look at the car.

1- can the ECU be fixed?
2- how much is a new one?
3- what aftermarket ECU's are available and how much are they?

any help would be much appreciated.

cheers mike

The mechanic says it is the ECU. Other posters here rightly point out the connection between the remote keys and the BCM, yet neither of these seem relevant to the bigger issue of investigating the engine, e.g. injectors (especially), ignition module, alternator, battery ... what else? Perhaps a dying fuel pump? I cannot imagine a qualified and skilled mechanic passing off something like this as being strictly a problem with the ECU (all other possibilities having been duly eliminated — the question then is, have they?).

[impulsive]

Usually in a sever case like this would t I throw up a misfire code ???

[2DIE]

You can probably send yours away to get re flashed or..

PCM / ECM / ECU

New ECU

Mail Order Tunes / Memcals

New tune.

You could probably ask them to put a tune you want on the ECU then send it to you, ready to bolt straight in and go.

I saw a guy the other day talking about a change over mail order ECU with a tune for his VX from these guys, it not real cheap but better than not having a car running I guess.

[Fishman88]

If you are goin with a new ECU will cost u bout 2k + its the ECU n the reprogramming thats expensive. To fit it is piss easy.. i got mine replaced recently cost me 1.2k not a brand new ecu but cars running.