ECU problems - Help/advice needed!

[i99y]

Apparantly the ECU on my car is nackered!? Its a 02 plate 1.4 75bhp AMF engine. Now here goes, Seat want £1200 to replace the ECU and labour. I obv dont want to fork that out on a car thats worth £2 - 2.4K. Now has anyone ever had this problem before? Did you get a recon ECU or know anywhere that deals with them etc??

Just moved into my new house so trying to keep costs down to a minimum! Dont want to break the car down as its a great wee thing. Im open to any ideas or any help to point me in the right direction. I havent yet got internet in my new place yet so i will leave a number for some helpful texts!

Ian - 078 54 83 66 43 - Just outside Glasgow

 

[m0rk]

what's the fault behind needing to change the ECU?

SEAT dealers are sometimes so lazy, they won't diagnose the fault, just decide it's the profit, I mean ECU that needs to be replaced

 

[i99y]

Well, the coil light and buzzing noise wasnt coming on. But while in the seat garage the mechanic bumped the top of the ECU and the coil light came on and the car started then cut out when the mechanic moved the ECU again. The head of the repair department said there is no negative feed coming from the ECU to the fuel pump to start the car. I just found it strange that it can start and cut out when the ECU is moved? My uncles auto electrician for the company he works for is going to have a look at it and said he will strip it down and see if its a broken solder connection or dodgy wire. Rather that than a whole new ECU. I already owe Seat £232 for 4 hours labour to find the problem! Merry Xmas Seat

 

[m0rk]

probably a broken wire - don't let them have it again, you're doing the right thing by getting someone with some skills to look at it

 

[Boo]

Definately get an idependant to look at it. I had a faulty speedo and after getting Seat to look at it I was advised that I needed a new speedo sensor, they replaced that and it still didnt work. I then took it to a garage they recommended me (as they said they didnt have a clue what it was) I thought it wouldnt be bad thing, as they were VAG 'specialists'. They then told me I needed new clocks, I bought a used set put them in and nothing. When I went to clean my engine bay, the garage recommended had dislodged the earth wire on the back of the instrument cluster ! Get hold of a MK4 polo manual and have a butchers at the wiring diagrams. I have never heard of an ECU failure on an Arosa at all - seems a bit odd.

 

[allallyouyou]

Im sure someone could bodge it even with little experience.

SEAT just want to make a coin out of it, the labour rates say it all.

Get the part number off it and google / ebay it an im sure it will come up something.

Example:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-SKODA-AUDI...14&_trkparms=72:1301|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318

All the best and good luck.

 

[i99y]

Cheers guys. I will get my car to the independant guy tomorrow and i will take the code off my ECU and get onto ebay! I will keep the progress posted!

Thanks again !

Ian

 

[allallyouyou]

Id throw caution to the wind anyday if it was to risk £50 as appose to paying over a grand!

 

[grotmeister]

No negative feed to the fuel pump?????????? the cables that feed the fuel pump are: red/yellow which is the 12v supply and brown which goes to the chassis there is no 'negative feed'. You need to pull up the rear seats and you will see a 6inch round hatch with a cable loom going into it. These are the cables you can check. There are another two which go to the fuel gauge sensor. Can't remember the colours. Anyway as everyone else has said it sounds like a dodgy connection. but if you need a replacement ECU i've got one for a 1.4 APQ engine. Good luck!!

 

[i99y]

Cars at the other garage now! Paid the £230 for the 4 hours labour and load of advice from Seat - GRRRRRRR!!!! I have took the code off the back of the ECU and emailed a couple of VW dismantlers on ebay so hopefully they will have and ECU in stock. My TDI engine is an AMF code so i have no idea if it will be okay but apparantly the code on the ECU needs to match other TDi ECU codes - 045 906 019T. If that matches anyones spare TDi ECU then give me a shout! Otherwise i will continue my quest and will post how the auto elec gets on with it after his inspection!

STRESSES!!!! Ian

 

[grotmeister]

Ah rite think the AMF engine is the 16v one sorry!!

 

[i99y]

Does anyone know.......if i manage to get an ECU from another 1.4 TDi S Arosa, will it plug in and just need to be recoded to my car??

Ian

 

[m0rk]

that'll be ok

 

[i99y]

In the end, a small circuit board inside the ECU was cracked and causing the problems. Board replaced and tested and all in good running order! Half the price of a new ECU and came with a years guarantee! Work was carried out by an electronics specialist garage in Kirkintilloch and they done a great job!