Board logo

Blacktop zetec ECU
pekwah1 - 20/3/21 at 04:52 PM

Hi guys,

I have a blacktop in my car and think the ECU might be bad.
It’s an OWL5 variant, if I need to replace it would I have to find another OWL5 or are they all cross compatible?

Thanks
Andy

obfripper - 20/3/21 at 06:19 PM

There's no easy answer there, the ecu will be compatible with the same code but will also require the transponder chip (immobiliser) to be programmed to it.
The factory non immo ecu's from other countries are not pin compatible to the european market ones, finding an ecu that comes with the programmed transponder is increasingly difficult.

That's where things get tricky - when i first installed the zetec i had setup the ecu from the donor mondeo, but the car had been totalled and it had no keys. I was unable to program a new transponder to the ecu even though i had no fault codes registered and all obd wiring present, i got a locksmith i know to pop round, he was also unable to get the ecu to accept any programming, he was sure it was locked because the other ecus from the car weren't present. This is the point i dumped the oem setup and changed to megasquirt (after a brief few months with twin 40's and an esc module from a fiesta).

There is some hope, in that there now is hardware like kess and galletto etc that can dump the ecu memory , and someone who is able to tune these ecus will also be able to remove the immobiliser coding from the dump and then reflash to provide a immo off ecu.
Immo off ecu's do pop up on ebay from time to time, the banger racers use them where injecton is permitted.

Going back to the start, has your ecu got the obd connector present and working?
What faults are occuring to lead you to a failed ecu conclusion?

If you're sure, you could also try actronics or bba reman to get the ecu tested, they charge 35+vat to test an ecu, and if repairable 100-150 depending on ecu.

There was a list online of cross-compatible eec-v ecu codes, i can't find it at present but would be useful in widening possibilities if none of the above helps.

Dave

pekwah1 - 20/3/21 at 06:47 PM

Thanks for the reply, yes I’ve wired in the OBD port - it powers up but won’t connect any more to the ECU making me think I might have killed it, otherwise I’ve done something stupid with the wiring as was having a tidy up behind the dash....

Didn’t think about the transponder, I guess then if I got an ECU with yeh keys then should be a straight swap?

obfripper - 20/3/21 at 07:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by pekwah1
Thanks for the reply, yes I’ve wired in the OBD port - it powers up but won’t connect any more to the ECU making me think I might have killed it, otherwise I’ve done something stupid with the wiring as was having a tidy up behind the dash....

Didn’t think about the transponder, I guess then if I got an ECU with yeh keys then should be a straight swap?


So long as it is a pin compatible model you should be fine, lp2-310 on the ecu label should also indicate a compatible version, but i'm not 100% sure there.
Best simple way to check the ecu otherwise is to test there is +5v at the tps and engine temperature sensors (without those the ecu is not going to operate), does the fuel pump prime when ignition is turned on?
Nothing at all there- check the incoming power and earths, if you dig through big wasa's oem ecu thread you can isolate which pins to look at, there should be a permanent live, switched live and several earths to trace and check.
If all that checks out ok, it would indicate an ecu problem.

Dave

[Edited on 20/3/21 by obfripper]

pekwah1 - 20/3/21 at 08:28 PM

Thanks Dave,

I wired it up original with wasa’s guide so have been going through the lives as earths.
Nothing happens at all at the moment so not quite sure what’s happening.

Thanks for the tip on the sensors - will check them out!

blakep82 - 21/3/21 at 09:03 AM

A mate of mine has fitted an ECU master black ecu to his R53 mini, very much plug & play. Might be a better option?
It can self tune, to an extent, too

https://www.ecumaster.com/products/emu-black/