General MK2 Engine light - Dealer claims ECU failing - replacement?

[Cian]

Gonna explain the background first...

One of the other members of the family fleet (everyone except one black sheep has a Fiat here ) is a 2001 3 door with the 8 valve 1.2 thats having some weird starting problems.

It'll start grand, then the engine light will come on. Each start after that gets progressively harder, you need to start revving it when you're turning the key - then after a few starts like this it clears up.

The dealer is saying its an ECU failure, but its a dealer nobody in my family trusts with diagnostics after a saga and a half with another car in the past, one thats so lengthy it needs to be told over a few pints in a quiet pub...

Now - the problem on the diagnostics says its the coil; a quick google shows that a dodgy ECU can show this and the coil is fine. They want €2,000 to fit and programme a new ECU. It appears you can replace it yourself though...

We have the red key/code cards for the car, and theres eBay auctions for "self programming" ECUs. Has anyone on here any experience with self-fitting one? We've got a fair amount of gear here and used to maintain our Unos ourselfs, so I can''t see it being impossible to do? Are there any other problems with using grey-market ECUs?

 

[NumanR]

engine ecu is easy to change,two allen key bolts

 

[T14086]

Gonna explain the background first...

One of the other members of the family fleet (everyone except one black sheep has a Fiat here ) is a 2001 3 door with the 8 valve 1.2 thats having some weird starting problems.

It'll start grand, then the engine light will come on. Each start after that gets progressively harder, you need to start revving it when you're turning the key - then after a few starts like this it clears up.

The dealer is saying its an ECU failure, but its a dealer nobody in my family trusts with diagnostics after a saga and a half with another car in the past, one thats so lengthy it needs to be told over a few pints in a quiet pub...

Now - the problem on the diagnostics says its the coil; a quick google shows that a dodgy ECU can show this and the coil is fine. They want €2,000 to fit and programme a new ECU. It appears you can replace it yourself though...

We have the red key/code cards for the car, and theres eBay auctions for "self programming" ECUs. Has anyone on here any experience with self-fitting one? We've got a fair amount of gear here and used to maintain our Unos ourselfs, so I can''t see it being impossible to do? Are there any other problems with using grey-market ECUs?

1)go to another dealer to get it checked

2)ECU failure often displays coil error (1 & 2) codes which is why you should use error codes as a guide only.

3)2000 euros you sure,what garage is it?

3)2001 punto dont have red key




https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-guides/52068-punto-coil-ecu-checks.html

Once its sorted you can donate a few quid(euros )to FF after saving you thousends of euros

 

[Cian]

1: Its not my car but I'll tell my brother to take it to my dealer rather than his.

2: I'm going off what the dealer told my brother and he told me - Chinese Whispers style; I don't have any of the diagnostic equipment here to check myself. Would getting an OBD-II lead/software be an idea? Just for reference in future and on the other cars.

3: Tractamotors in Blanchardstown, and it was definately 2,000 they said (two thousand) not anything less! I think getting another quote from my dealer would be an idea...

4: I think the key my brother showed me must be from his previous one then (a 96)... would hope the code cards aren't from it too!

As goes the donation, I'll mention it to him but its often a blood-from-a-stone situation in most cases