Engine control unit (ECU) is an electronic control unit that ensures the optimal work of an internal combustion engine. It controls fuel supply and injection, fuel-to-air ratio, ignition, idle speed, and the timing of valve opening and closing.
You'll notice that it will begin to have bad timing and it won't be able to receive as much power from the combustion process as initially. Generally, a poor ECM function could not only lead to lower fuel efficiency but also a reduction in power and acceleration.
While a modern car may be drivable with a faulty or defective ECU, it will be impossible to drive one without an ECU at all. For instance, as a car's ECU will control the car's electronic fuel injection system, the engine won't be able to run if it's missing this component.
The average cost for an Engine Control Module (ECM) Replacement is between $995 and $1,065. Labor costs are estimated between $77 and $97 while parts are priced between $918 and $968.
Causes of a defective engine control unit
These causes can be very different per ECU. One of the main causes is a short circuit in the wiring or in components, which can cause them to burn out. This short circuit is often caused by external influences, such as the wrong start of the car.
ECMs can, and do, go bad all the time. The good news? The answer to the question “Is it hard to replace an ECM?” is NO! The parts themselves aren't inexpensive (as long as you're buying them from us!), plus high quality aftermarket and OEM ECMs can be easily installed yourself.
The main disadvantage to repairing an ECU is that they are highly advanced pieces of technology that require specialized knowledge. Because they affect nearly every other component in your engine, you need to be sure that the computer is repaired correctly and that requires confidence in the shop doing the work.
Fortunately, while a malfunctioning ECU can cause all kinds of issues with your car, it is often surprisingly simple to fix, whether the issue lies with the ECU hardware or software.
Because ECMs are electrical systems, they're subject to short-circuits, power surges, and other failures that plague electronics. The most common source of ECM failure is in one of the wiring harnesses.
The spark plugs and their coils tend to be regular maintenance with the age and mileage of the vehicle. The engine control unit is a component that can last the lifetime of the vehicle, or develop issues after 100,000 miles.
You can usually find the exact location of your car's computer module in the owner's manual and from there you basically unplug the old and plug in the new. If you take your car into a dealer to replace the ECM, it will usually take about an hour or two.
A failed ECM power relay can also cause a battery drain or dead battery. If the relay shorts it can leave power on to the computer, even when the vehicle is turned off. This will place a parasitic drain on the battery, which will eventually cause it to go dead.
If there is physical damage on your ECU, then you will have to have the ECU replaced. The cost of replacing a ECU can be a few hundred pounds if you drive a very basic car, or well over a thousand pounds if you drive a premium model.
If the ECM fails completely, it will leave the vehicle without engine management control, and will not start or run as a result. The engine may still crank, but it will not be able to start without the vital inputs from the computer.
What Do ECM and ECU Stand For? ECM stands for Engine Control Module, and ECU is short for Engine Control Unit. These two acronyms represent the same component and are used interchangeably.
An electronic control unit (ECU), also known as an electronic control module (ECM), is an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more of the electrical systems or subsystems in a car or other motor vehicle.
Symptoms you might be experiencing are a no start, loss of acceleration, engine stalling, shifting problems, and a check engine light. Some of the codes you might experience are P0600, P0601, P0602, P0603, P0604, and P0605.
Corrosion or damage due to moisture is one of the main reasons for ECM failure. Corrosion can enter the ECM through the wiring harness and moisture can enter by a failure in the seals in the ECM itself. This happens over a period of time (5 to 10 years) due to the ECMs exposure to the elements.
The ECU Installation is simple & takes about 15 minutes to complete. These instructions are meant to be a generic guide to try fit most cars. Before reconnecting the ECU make sure that: Battery is charged over 12v.
The least invasive way to diagnose your ECM is to connect an onboard diagnostic (OBD or OBD II) tool to the diagnostic port. From there, you can scan to see if your engine computers have produced any error codes. There are many of these codes, and your diagnostic tool's manual should have information on what they mean.