Anyone had their ECM replaced?

[cellg8]

The dealer told me today the Check Engine Light comes on for 2nd time was because ECM was bad and they needed to replace it. Has anyone had their ECM replaced/repaired before? Is this a big job? Should I be worried this car is a lemon with only 1k miles?

Thanks.

[ChronicTeutonic]

Should be under warranty right?! Don't think it's too hard to plug in a whole new ECM, it's located under the plenum cover next to the brake fluid reservoir. If they are just replacing part of it then they have to remove the box, heat the bolts (to losen the thread lock compound) and put the new module in. They then use their VAS system to recode the ECU unlock the cruise control and immobilizer system.

I paraphrased from the Bentley manual, but I would think that a day of work is involved if they have the tools.

Edit: As far a lemon is concerned? I don't think that a single occurrence would be cause for alarm. If the car kept frying ECUs then I would be worried. From a cost perspective, I'd be more worried about mechanical failures over electrical ones.

[Tugboatguy]

Don't worry about it. When I bought my 92 Jetta it was warm and summer ,drove down to SoCal for 3weeks in Sept and it ran great . When I got home to Vancouver it was cold , got up next morning and it took 3 tries to start it! Dealership changed the ECU because they said cold start programing was wrong.Bad ECU'S happen thats what warranty is for.

[cellg8]

ok, thanks gentlemen! good luck to me this time!

[lrae]

Mine went bad, but for other reasons. Its not too difficult, they take off the large cover on top of the firewall, unbolt the winshield wipers, take the windshield cowl off, use a torx screwdriver to unbolt the ecu box, then there are a couple screws on the ecu you gotta grind off otherwise you cant get it out for security reasons. Then they pop a new ecu in and theyll have to recode all the keys. This is from what I remember after what had happened to me at Waterfest.

[nimski62]

Mine went bad, but for other reasons. Its not too difficult, they take off the large cover on top of the firewall, unbolt the winshield wipers, take the windshield cowl off, use a torx screwdriver to unbolt the ecu box, then there are a couple screws on the ecu you gotta grind off otherwise you cant get it out for security reasons. Then they pop a new ecu in and theyll have to recode all the keys. This is from what I remember after what had happened to me at Waterfest.

Care to tell what happened

[lrae]

Chip flashing gone wrong.....

[Ele7eN]

no worries. i've had 2 of them replaced in the last four years. one in my '04 r32 and the other in my '05 GTO.

[Stormin]

LOL... Dude, they've figured out the one fault, and the car will be trouble free for the rest of it's life.