Bad ECU?

[DSMkel]

I've had this little problem with my 95 TSi for about 2 years now. It's been throwin a temp sensor malfunction code. I went through all the usual stuff of testing the sensor and replaced it several times. I finally gave up until the car decided it wasn't going to start most of the time, and when it does start it runs like crap. I finally decided to swap in my friends 97 GS-T ECU. To make a long story short, seems as though my EPROM is toast. I can't see any visable burns or smell anything burnt on the ECU, so is it fixable or should I buy a new ECU? I'm tempted to just buy another ECU for the time being, but I'd like to get the EPROM fixed if possible.

-Kel-

[TheBlizzard]

Does your buddies ECU work with no ill effects in your car? Usually when EPROMs go bad they just go and then nothing will work. They don't just start to fail and steadily get worse. I would suspect something else in the ECU to be bad like the caps or a trace somewhere might be broken.

[DSMkel]

Originally Posted by TheBlizzard

Does your buddies ECU work with no ill effects in your car? Usually when EPROMs go bad they just go and then nothing will work. They don't just start to fail and steadily get worse. I would suspect something else in the ECU to be bad like the caps or a trace somewhere might be broken.

My buddy's ECU works just fine in my car without any problems......why? My ECU causes my car to not startup right away, missfire until it warms up or goes past 4000rpms, and has little power.

I was actually thinkin about replacing the caps to see if that's the problem, because I don't think the caps have ever been replaced, but could that actually be the problem?

-Kel-

[1ViciousGSX]

If it is an EPROM ecu, send it off to DSMLink, tell them what it's doing, have them fix it and install DSMLink.

[DSMkel]

Originally Posted by 1ViciousGSX

If it is an EPROM ecu, send it off to DSMLink, tell them what it's doing, have them fix it and install DSMLink.

You got a good idea except for one thing Mike.......I be a poor white boy.

[DSMkel]

OK, I replaced the caps in the ECU and it seems to be running a lot better now......only after the car warms up though. It's still throwin a CEL for Temp Sensor Malfunction (I've replaced the sensor and tested it), so I'm gonna tear into the wiring harness and see if that's where the problem is. Also thought about runnin a wire directly from the sensor to the ECU, but I don't know where to hook into the ECU at. Anybody have or know where I can get a pinout on a 95 EPROM 5spd ECU?

Any other ideas, thoughts, or opinions?

[iceminion]

I was under the impression that the infamious bad ECU caps only happened until 1993, what the heck?