My dad brought a 2nd hand PFC for his 94 wrx (its a GC8A PFC) about a year ago and has only just got around to fitting it. However we are having some issues with it.

We have plugged it and along with the commander but it doesnt seam to be getting any power, the car doesnt sound like it primes the fuel pump and there is nothing on the commander. All you can do is just sit and crank it. if you put the old std ecu in the car starts and runs fine. any one had any issues like this before?

I have read that post 97 cars had issues with changing wires around and some immobileser issues but the car hasn't got an alarm or anything.

Any help would be very much apperciated.

 

Have you taken the back off and visually inspected it? My mate recently bought one and had the same problem. Turned out there was a burnout on the PCB and he'd just bought a paperweight.

 

ive just unscrewed it and it all looks fine inside no burn marks or anything.

 

so when you turn the ignition on the commander does NOT light up with the apexi symbol, nothing, try to unplug the commander and try starting the car, if still no luck see if you can borrow a commander to see if that lights up, but the ecu does not need the commander to work, send a pm to simon he is on here as jolly green monster, he is the mapper who is doing mine asap.

Mark

 

yeh the commander dose nothing atall. if you unplug it the car does the same thing just turns over, and i have tried another commader (from my rx) which by rights should still show something even if its the wrong model (from reading it just crashes on the apexi screen. Like i said its like there isnt any power getting to the ecu. infact we tried truning over the car without an ecu to see if it did the same which it did.

 

If you don't swap the crank and cam sensor wires around (and also repin the fuel pump wire) the car is not going to start.
So I would first make sure the wiring is correct, as what you are describing leads me to think that is your problem.

 

wasn't aware any swapping was necessary on 4 pluggers?

 

as tathan said. on the 4 plug jap cars there is no mention of swaping the wires around. but this still wouldnt explain why the commander dosnt show?

 

I always thought the wire swap was for all classics
Mine (My98 3 plug,also had to repin the fuel pump connector) and 2 mates My99 all had to be swapped(they did not need to repin the pump conenctor, just swap cam/crank), and I seem to remember another person I know who had to do some work to get a 4 plug Link ECU to work in his 4 plug Jap Import.
With a multimeter you would know for sure.Just disconnect one of the sensors (crank or cam) and then check which Ecu pin loses its signal.

 

I always thought the wire swap was for all classics
Mine (My98 3 plug,also had to repin the fuel pump connector) and 2 mates My99 all had to be swapped(they did not need to repin the pump conenctor, just swap cam/crank), and I seem to remember another person I know who had to do some work to get a 4 plug Link ECU to work in his 4 plug Jap Import.
With a multimeter you would know for sure.Just disconnect one of the sensors (crank or cam) and then check which Ecu pin loses its signal.

 

Even if wire swap was necessary it would only be for UK cars as the ECUs are for JDMs.

 

Misread the start post.
It's a JDM car.
Then the wiring is out as the cause of the problem.
Had the same thing happen once on my own car (the commander freezing)
but after a map-reload using FC datalogit it was cured, and has not come back in 2 years now.

 

you only need swap the wires on the 97~2000 classics to fit a powerfc..

92~96 there is no wiring alterations.

sounds like a deap powerfc.

Simon

 

So a late 96 euro wrx does not need to swap the wires for the pfc to work?

 

If it had ht leads then yes and its a 97 model year v3.
No ht leads then its a model year 96 and no need to swap wires

 

What do you mean by repin the pump connector? And just swap cam/crank wires at the wiring loom?

 

Does the car have ht leads?

Is the powerfc four plug or three?

 

i bought one, same thing, dead as f**k, im just saving for jolly to fit esl.

 

Power fc is 4 plug. The car has got coil on each plug.
Thanks for helping out Simon.

 

then there are no wires to swap

the fuel pump should prime.. its possible if it doesnt start that its a map setting.

 

Thanks. We wil see when I get the engine up and running.