kashe

iTrader: (1)

hi i am wanting to change my ecu from a autronics ecu to a standard one my impreza is a turbo 2000 1999 i have bought a ecu the same year. is changing it as easy as sawpping them straight over or not? does it need unlocking or anything? i am desperate for help. thanks

stig wrx

hi mate i changed mine no problem, just plug it in n should go as long as its the correct one, (take battery terminal off first i was told... had no bother at all
hope this helps

kashe

iTrader: (1)

its just i did that and it wudnt do anyting started turning ova then jus stopped as iff the battery was dead, i didnt disconnect battery tho?

Bob Rawle

What ecu did you get, if it was from a JDM car and you have a European car it won't work. Otherwise it sounds as though its not getting fuel, does the fuel pump prime when you turn on the ignition?

cheers

bob

Splitpin

As Bob says, what ECU are you trying to install now and how was the Autronic one set up wiring-wise?

Also, when you say you can turn the car over and then "it stops as if the battery was dead", do you see the check engine light flashing after the engine stops, or do you literally mean everything goes dead?

UK market Subaru ECUs are designed to run in conjunction with the factory fit immobiliser. If the immobiliser was deleted when the Autronic was installed, you will need to re-enable it before the Subaru one will allow the car to run.

This may be as simple as swapping half a dozen of the wires in the ECU multiplugs - although you'll first have to check whether the immobiliser is still physically present in the car (small black box under the steering column with a wire running into the steering lock), and also that your keys are coded to it.

kashe

iTrader: (1)

the ecu is a standard 1999 uk ecu it has y7 on it. i think the immobiliser is still on yeh.

Splitpin

Y7 is otherwise known as an AE802, and yes, it is one of the standard 99-00 ECU's. You will need to be absolutely certain that the immobiliser is still present and working.

Also, is it possible that whoever installed the Autronic configured it in the JDM way - cam and crank sensor wires reversed (from the UK configuration)? If so, you'll need to swap them (and a couple of the other wires) before the car will run on the standard UK brain.

Again, and as per previous post, what exactly happens when you try and start the car? Does it turn over on the starter, feel like it's going to fire, and then cut out with the check engine light flashing?

kashe

iTrader: (1)

i disconnect battery then plug ecu in then i connect battery back put key in check engine light doesnt come on i turn key it starts turning over but wont fire. but with the autronics ecu wen i put key in ceck engine light comes on i press key fob then turn key to start and it goes fine?

Splitpin

Interesting. Further questions to help us work out what's going on:

1. When you "connect battery back put key in check engine light doesn't come on". Do you mean that when you turn the ignition on (so the handbrake, oil pressure and other dash lights are on), the CEL still doesn't light up?

2. If you have to "press key fob" before starting the car with the Autronic in it, that presumably means you've got a cat 1 alarm of some sort, yes? If so, what happens when you press the fob prior to starting with the Subaru ECU?

kashe

iTrader: (1)

the check engine light doesnt come on atal with the subaru ecu, also yes it does have a cat 1 alarm, it doesnt do anything when i press the key fob wit the subaru ecu.

what the problem is i have had the head gasket replaced and the garage has put the engine back together and it runs but they have forgot where my vacum pipes went with it been a autronics one it has a pipe coming out of ecu and i fix it on to the nipple and the car starts but idles very high wen i rev it stays a 2k revs. so i thort with a standard ecu it would run fine with out the pipe from ecu.

Splitpin

Okay from what you have said so far we can draw a few conclusions:

1. The fact that the CEL doesn't illuminate at any point with the Subaru ECU, but does on the Autronic suggests that when it was first fitted, changes were made to your car's wiring loom to accommodate it - changes that probably go considerably beyond the check engine light. If your loom has been reconfigured for an aftermarket ECU, this alone would probably be enough to stop the engine starting (or running correctly) on a standard brain.

2. If the check engine light doesn't work when the Subaru ECU is put back in, it's going to be impossible to use the fault code system to indicate where the problems are, and therefore impossible for us to point you in the right direction.

3. If your car was fitted with an aftermarket ECU, was it fitted to support modifications under the bonnet? If so, the chances of the car running properly (or at all) on the standard box are again slim.

4. All this is the fault of the garage who carried out work on your car. It is their responsibility to return the car to you in a functional state. Trying to get the car to run on a standard ECU is not the right way to go at ths point. You should be concentrating on getting it going with the Autronic, as that should have been properly mapped to whatever it is you have, and getting it going will probably be easier than trying to return the car to a standard-enough config to get it running with the stock ECU.

What you really need, at this point, is someone with sufficient experience (ideally of installing Autronic ECUs on Imprezas) to look at the car and work out exactly what is preventing it running properly on the aftermarket box. It should, from what you've told us, be the garage's responsibility to take care of any cost resulting from this. They caused the problem, and should fix it.

Tidgy

bit of a random question, y put a standard ecu back on? your gonna have to go back to maf based which is only a bad thing.

kashe

iTrader: (1)

because i need the car running soon as possible because i have a 1 year old daughter i want to take places wit my girlfriend taxis get expensive , its been in the garage for ages now i jus want it back soon asposs thats y i was putting the standard one back on thinking it would be easier obv isnt

i have got receipts from performance turbo systems for fitting them autronics ecu, i have been trying to get in touch with bob rawle but cant get a contact number.

Bob Rawle

If the car was idling ok before and isn't now then changing the ecu will not help, you need to get to the root cause which is probably an air leak, I can discuss that with you if you call me back, I have left a message on your mobile. Fitting the factory ecu will not resolve this sort of issue and you could end up damaging the engine if its mods do not suit.

cheers

bob

Bob Rawle

Hi, following our telecom picture of the idle stepper motor emailed showing the correct position required to fit the O ring. The replacement is dealer sourced, as mentioned ensure its well lubricated and correctly installed before refitting the stepper motor.

cheers

bob