Fiesta Tin Top Question.

[Guest a8dyc]

Hi,

 

I have a friend who has a X-reg fiesta zetec 1.25.His had a machine on it that gives a fault code which relates to the ecu being knackered.Is it a simple job of buying a second hand replacement or will it need to go to a main dealer to be re-coded to his car.

 

Cheers in advance

 

Andy

[Guest MarkB]

Hi,

 

I have a friend who has a X-reg fiesta zetec 1.25.His had a machine on it that gives a fault code which relates to the ecu being knackered.Is it a simple job of buying a second hand replacement or will it need to go to a main dealer to be re-coded to his car.

 

Cheers in advance

 

Andy

 

 

 

What is the actual fault with the car??

[Guest a8dyc]

What is the actual fault with the car??

 

 

Hes going to let me know the fault code tomoz when he goes back to the car.I have looked on ebay and they list some ecu's with different codes do you think that means if you can match the codes it could be a straight swop??

 

Andy

[Andy Spencer]

Lots of local garages do reconditioned or secondhand ECU's. Probably best to speak to a local garage, get a price and check interchange compatability, then you can source with some confidence from wherever you wish. My local garage does loads, most for under £90 and a years warranty.

I have a feeling it will be a straight swap on a car of that age. Ford radio codes are stored in the unit itself not the ECU so should be OK.

It gets worse as they get newer though. My 2004 Saab 9-3 is absolutely lunatic. Virtually every electrical component that gets changed has to be 'divorced' from the car and the new one has to be 'married', all on the Tech II diagnostic machine at dealers or specialists - its not a £25 Ebay fault code reader job. I've even fitted a genuine Saab MP3 input loom recently and have to have that activated at a dealer at £50+.

 

We are soon not going to be able to do anything other than oil / filter changes on our cars.

 

Andy

[cairnnut]

Andy is right nothing on newer cars can be swapped almost all computers have the vehicle chassis number written into them, Even on an X reg fiesta to use a second hand injection computer you would need the ignition key and what ever decodes the key signal from the donar vehicle

As a main dealer we get a lot of people with second hand electronic units and keys bought from E bay asking for them to be programmed unfortunatley for them they are all totaly useless !

[Guest MarkB]

what i meant is .. what is the car doing to make him have it read on the diagnostics, i just find it strange that i have never come across a fiesta needing a new ecu, most times when ecu error codes come up is when the reader cannot read correctly, ie ford throw up a code when all the systems have not been read, this does not mean the ecu is not giving the info, it normally means the reader is not quite on the right reading settings.

 

a lot of diagnostics machines list ford europe... but .. if the machine lists obdII/obd it should be read on that instead .

 

as i said before, knowing the reason for having it read may help

[Guest MartinP]

Son in law had a 98 ish Fiesta and the ECU went wayward, misfiring & generally no power, then failed to start.

 

he had to swap out the ECU with a same serial unit and then programmed at a local garage

 

Martin

[Guest a8dyc]

what i meant is .. what is the car doing to make him have it read on the diagnostics, i just find it strange that i have never come across a fiesta needing a new ecu, most times when ecu error codes come up is when the reader cannot read correctly, ie ford throw up a code when all the systems have not been read, this does not mean the ecu is not giving the info, it normally means the reader is not quite on the right reading settings.

 

a lot of diagnostics machines list ford europe... but .. if the machine lists obdII/obd it should be read on that instead .

 

as i said before, knowing the reason for having it read may help

 

 

I'm told its a none runner,turns over but doesn't start.I will find out more tomoz.I think they thought it was something to do with the alarm to start with.Speak to you tomoz and thanks for the help and info everyone.

 

Andy

[Guest a8dyc]

Hi finally got some answers off this guy.The man that looked at it can t remember the code but I'm told its a PAT fault (what ever that is)The ecu is not sending a signal to the Immoblizer.

 

Does that shed any light on it.

 

I have the chance to buy this car but if its going to be a nightmare I may not bother.

 

Cheers Andy