Hi, my mechanic says I need a manual ECU when i do my conversion. Now I know it can be done with the auto ecu but he simply wont do the work unless I get a manual ecu.

now my question is, is the manual ecu just the main ecu from a manual car? Or is an auto/manual ecu a seperate ecu in the car that runs the transmission?

May sound like a stupid question but i honestly dont no.

thanks,

Matt

check with a mitsubishi service department, but i'm pretty sure theres some ECU's that cant just be replaced on their own, without replacing others as they are 'locked' together...

when i did mine, i knew one was broken, but couldn't trace which one, so they were all replaced (including manual engine loom) brand new parts.

but from what i hear, the "fix" is stupidly simple, i suggest the mechanic thinks about it, otherwise it could get costly

No expert on ECU's.. but generally speaking couldnt they program the ECU to be manual?
As he said, i may sound stupid but you would think so wouldn't you?

ecu or icu is for the Injector and engine management computer

the TCU is for the automatic

if you are going for a manual conversion
the wiring loom and that engine computer controller for a manual vehicle is needed

or some wiring eleiminated from the auto loom

In third gens (which the OP's profile states he owns) - the TCU / ECU is incorporated into the same physical "unit".

I know there are definetly people who have completed a manual conversion without changing over their ECU, probably by doing some "creative rewiring" of the ecu.

When swapping ECU's, you also need to swap the matching BEM (Body Electronics Module). This is the unit that controls the immobiliser, as each unit has it's unique code. This meas you will also need to go to a dealer and get your Key's reprogrammed to the new module.

Most people who do the swap keep the auto ECU - you just make sure that you hook up the inhibitor switch the right way - I believe most people run the car in either N or D...

i know people that have done manual conversions and still use the auto ecu, but none of these were in magnas. 1 was in a falcon, a few commodores, a few in skylines and a few silvia and 180sx's.

Ok thanks for the reply's. So what I need is the main ECU and the BEM with it. How much do you think that might cost from a wreckers?

Not sure on cost, but seriously it'd be easier (cheaper) to stick with your ECU. I don't know why your mechanic is hesitant to use the auto ECU.

yeah its because he has never done a conversion on a magna before and hes not that keen to do it anyway. I just dont no where else I can get it done? anyone else know a palce that does conversions in brisbane?

yeah its because he has never done a conversion on a magna before and hes not that keen to do it anyway. I just dont no where else I can get it done? anyone else know a palce that does conversions in brisbane?

Apparently is very easy to "trick" the Auto ECU to run on a manual transmission. I know the inhibitor switch has to be tricked into thinking the car is either in Neutral or Drive (as heath mentioned), and you have to do some minor rewiring for the reverse lights, that it.

Someone who has done this sort of conversion should be able to help you with details.

Apparently is very easy to "trick" the Auto ECU to run on a manual transmission. I know the inhibitor switch has to be tricked into thinking the car is either in Neutral or Drive (as heath mentioned), and you have to do some minor rewiring for the reverse lights, that it.

Someone who has done this sort of conversion should be able to help you with details.

awesome thanks. hopefully someone can tell me exactly what needs to be done and I can pass the info on to my mechanic.

When swapping ECU's, you also need to swap the matching BEM (Body Electronics Module). This is the unit that controls the immobiliser, as each unit has it's unique code. This meas you will also need to go to a dealer and get your Key's reprogrammed to the new module.

If I need to get my keys reprogrammed to the new module... does this mean I wont be able to start my car untill I do this? If so how will I get my car and keys to the dealer? How will i get it out of the mechanics?

Why swap to a manual ECU? You don't need to pay the extra expense. Only things you need to do is to wire up the reverse switch on the manual transmission so it puts the reverse lights on (just hook it up to the correct wires on the auto selector switch harness) and the inhibitor switch needs to be sorted (so you can crank the engine - hook up the neutral wire)

It saves a LOT of expense, and there is no performance difference.

Cheers
Heath Young

Why swap to a manual ECU? You don't need to pay the extra expense. Only things you need to do is to wire up the reverse switch on the manual transmission so it puts the reverse lights on (just hook it up to the correct wires on the auto selector switch harness) and the inhibitor switch needs to be sorted (so you can crank the engine - hook up the neutral wire)

It saves a LOT of expense, and there is no performance difference.

Cheers
Heath Young

Would loooove to do it this way. but i can't find anyone to do the conversion for me. The only person who would consider doing it is my mechanic. He has never done a magna before and he doesnt want to do it without the manual ecu :( if you know anyone in brisbane who will do it without the ecu then let me know! lol

Get a auto electrician in to do this if your mechanic doesn't want to do this. Thats what i did. Im still using my auto ecu and its fine. R light comes on when im in reverse also. The auto electrician cost me around $140 to come in and do the wiring. I suggest you do that.

Where in QLD are you by the way?

If your mechanic doesn't wanna do this, take it else where.

get another mechanic

Get a auto electrician in to do this if your mechanic doesn't want to do this. Thats what i did. Im still using my auto ecu and its fine. R light comes on when im in reverse also. The auto electrician cost me around $140 to come in and do the wiring. I suggest you do that.

Where in QLD are you by the way?

If your mechanic doesn't wanna do this, take it else where.

would i get the auto electrician to go the the mechanics shop and do it while its there?

dude you said in brisbane, theres a million mechanics and auto elecs who could do it, also theres a few people in the se corner whove done the conversion, ask them in the qld section what they did

hahahaha its a piss of piss, i did first ever conversion to manual years ago, only thing i have wrong running auto ecu is a flat spot a 6000 rpm, but i got that fixed...:lol

we just wait and see soon if it worked!

i dont know if i should post this as a seperate topic but...

with the conversion does anybody know if using the auto ecu wiring loom direct into a haltech e8 cause any issues - i.e. would there be any relevant rewiring that would still need to occur?

also for those of us with climate control and trip computers will the removal of the original ecu mean that those functions are not available? - and if so would it be possible to hard wire the those functions into the old ecu just to run them?

they can just leave the standard one in there to run all that stuff

care to be a little bit more specific? lol

i got a complete replacement haltec e6x in mine and all that other stuff still works so im assuming they left the other computer in there as the haltec only controls certain things.

dude you said in brisbane, theres a million mechanics and auto elecs who could do it, also theres a few people in the se corner whove done the conversion, ask them in the qld section what they did

hmmm. I'm STILL waiting on the parts, not sure why they are taking so long. But when I get them I might do some ringing around. Ta