new almera ECU needed...HELP ME!!!

JerryHandbag

Help! I am facing the prospect of having to buy a brand new Engine Control Unit for my 01 Nissan Almera as the current one is on the brink of packing it in.....the problem is ignition, cuts out straight away and also when driving, when taking the foot off the gas, it just cuts out....which is proving very annoying to drive and maybe even a little dangerous! Engine management light is showing constantly, problem has been diagnosed by Nissan and new ECU is needed....a whopping 2,200euro the cost!

Just wondering if anybody had any experience with repaired, reconditioned or 2nd hand ECUs? Have tried practically every scrapyard in the country for an ECU with a similar part code (the codes need to be exactly the same) but to no avail........

Mr.Diagnostic

There are a few things that you need to watch here.
First, ask if they can guarantee the fix with a new ECU or if you will have to pay for the ECU even if it does not fix it.
I know you said that Nissan have diagnosed it but (and yes I am being slightly pedantic here) I imagine it was diagnosed by an employee of a Nissan Dealer. The reason I make this point is that none of the ECU repairers I use list any Almera ECU. The fact its not listed proves nothing but makes it unlikely the ECU is faulty and mistakes can be made all too easily. I have also searched a professional forum with an archive of thousands of posts and no mention of a faulty Almera ECU.
Used is a viable route. The numbers on the ECU do not have to match exactly but the ECU will have to be the same type and from a car with the same engine type/size. Because you have an immobiliser you would also need the keys etc (depending on year etc) from the same donor vehicle. It may also be possible to fit a used ECU to your car without having to change the immobiliser but I would need more details to look further into that.

JerryHandbag

Thanks for your info.......Ok, I ommitted a lot of info in my first post, but I might as well tell the whole story now...bear with me its a long one!

Just a few months after buying the car, the car would cut out straight after igntion, giving one rev and then dying....the only way i could get it started was to give it some gas with the pedal straight after turning the key, keep it revved for a minute or two, and then it was usually ok. If I turned off the engine and started again straight away, it would start ok, as a result of this revving for a minute trick. I also noticed a little revving of the counter when idle.

About 6 months ago I took it to the Nissan dealer and I have to say the experience was a disaster. They never seemed to be able to give me a straight answer as to what was wrong with the car, saying it might be the immobiliser, the timing belt etc...before they finally told me I needed a new ECU. So by this stage I owed them over 600euro on labour work and still no nearer to fixing my car! On top of this, there was a total contradiction between 2 of the mechanics working there....the guy at the counter was adament that I needed an ECU with the exact same code number, whereas the guy working there who actually coded the ECU said that once the ECU came from a 2001 almera, the code didnt matter-he could still code it in properly.

So I found a 2nd hand ECU from a similar model, (saloon, 1.5l, same colour etc) with a slightly different code, but not with the keys (Again Nissan told me I didnt need the key corresponding to the ECU). They installed this and coded it in etc and it worked fine, but the management light came on and has stayed on since, but with no other ignition problems. They advised me to pursue a new ECU, but I just paid them the hefty bill and took off.....I said I would rather have a orange light showing on my dash than pay over 2 grand for the new ECU.

But now it seems the 2nd hand ECU is failing, its igintion problem is even worse than the original ECU...the problem being that Nissan kept the first ECU and probably have disposed of it by now, though I kept track of the code number. The whole episode has left me very disillusioned with Nissan and with the whole area of car electronics.

Have started looking at some UK websites who sell used ECUs so maybe that avenue is worth a shot. I get the feeling though that I will be left with 2 options, buy the new ECU or scrap the car!

JHMEG

My brother in law had similar problems in his '00 Primera, and the Nissan dealer finally concluded it was the ECU. Strangely the dealer accepted a new one was very expensive and decided to source a 2nd hand one, eventually getting it from the UK. Last I heard the replacement ECU was doing fine.

Sounds like your car has something else wrong which is damaging the ECU... I repaired an ECU a while back that was partially burned out because of being over volted due to a dodgy voltage regulator on the alternator.

Mr.Diagnostic

Hi JerryHandbag,

It can be very difficult to make an accurate judgment based on the contents of a post on a forum but it is normally possible to form the basis of an opinion. Based on what you have posted I would not be convinced that you have a faulty ECU, but I could well be wrong. It would be very strange for you to have had two bad ECU’s of a type that does not give problems.

I find it a bit strange that you posted that your car needed an ECU and qualified this by saying that this had been diagnosed by “Nissan” as though that was poof in itself but went on in your second post to suggest that you had no faith in the diagnosis. I don’t mean this a criticism of you but as a general point. I am sorry that this point does not help you in any way but it is something that I encounter on a very regular basis and I feel is worth a mention. Any dealer is staffed by normal human beings and as such the diagnosis of those beings is worth no more that the diagnosis of any other being regardless of whether that being has a manufacturers badge on their chest pocket or not.

One thing that you have posted stands out very clearly to me. The way the rev counter acts would definitely suggest that there is a primary ignition problem. I would not expect you to understand exactly what is meant by a primary ignition fault so I will put it in simple terms for you. The primary ignition symptoms as described by you could be caused by a problem with a sensor (crank or cam), wiring for those sensors, ECU supply or ground fault, or an ECU fault. I very often work on cars that have had ECU’s incorrectly replaced or condemned because the tech working on the car has not been able to isolate a fault that is caused by an obscure wiring or sensor fault.

As someone who ties to be professional in a very unprofessional trade I would be happy to talk to you to gain a better insight into your problem and based on this advise you better. If you want to do this then please PM me and I will try to help.

Curran

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

...could be caused by a problem with a sensor (crank or cam)...

The OP's problems sounds very similar to the problem i had with my g/f's 04 Almera - the problem was the Cam Sensor - apparently if the oil isnt changed every 7/8k miles, it can cause this sensor to get dirty and causes the engine to misfire - got mine replaced under warranty - no problems since!!
Mate had a problem with his 03 Almera after i had mine sorted and it was the exact same thing!!

Although....she's due that oil change Better get that sorted!

JerryHandbag

Finally got around to getting to the bottom of the problem, it was the throttle control unit that was faulty, not the 2nd hand ECU as i had feared...however it took 2 throttle bodies to solve the problem (first one fitted failed after a week), and needless to say the orange light is still constantly showing due to the cars 2nd hand ECU.....however when the car is idle, the rev counter is halfway between 0 and 1, not at 1 as it should be, I'm wondering is this a problem?

I am considering taking the car to a different nissan dealer, as the first one I dealt with diagnosed a faulty ECU....I'm also wondering is there any way a dodgy ECU could cause the throttle control unit sensors to fail??

Also would anyone have any ideas how much a dealer might offer me for the car in its current condition? i.e ECU light on constantly......(rather than taking the bulb out and trying to sell it....as a friend suggested!)

Any info would be very helpful thanks!