Hello can someone please help me as my Magna TF won't start and I need help with the problem.

I was driving home yesterday afternoon and then all of a sudden the car shook and the engine seemed to stop and then go again. This happened a few times and when it happened I noticed that the orange "check engine indication lamp" came on and then went off again when the car was running.

I was not far from home and it kept doing it on and off all the way home plus it was running very rough. Eventually I made it into the driveway parked the car and turn the ignition off. I then turned the ignition back on and all of a sudden I heard this really loud buzzing noise coming from behind the dash! So I turned the ignition off and turned it back on again and this buzzing noise returned. BTW the noise did not happen when I had the key in the "Acc" position, it only happened when the key was in the "On" position.

So I left it alone and went inside for about an hour. I then went back outside put the key in the ignition turned it to the "On" position and the noise was gone. I then started the car and everything seemed to be fine. It was no longer running roughly and was running very smoothly. Then just to make sure everything was right I turned the engine off and started the engine again and everything was fine.

However today when I tried to start my car it would not start at all! The engine turns over but it just won't start or fire at all! However I did notice that when I first put the key in the "On" position the "check engine indication lamp" does not light up anymore.

So thinking it might have been a fuse I checked under the bonnet and inside the cabin with a multi meter that has a continuity tester and the fuses seem to be ok.

So I then pulled the glove box out and the side panels off the console. From here I could see the ECU and when I did this I noticed that there was some moisture and what looks like to be dried coolant around this area and on the plugs that plug into the ECU.

So is it possible that my ECU is now faulty and that is why the "check engine indication lamp" does not come on anymore?

Is there anyway I can test the ECU?

If it is the ECU. Are they fixable and if so how much will it cost me and where do I take it? Or does the whole unit have to be replaced and if so is it something I can do by unplugging the old one and plugging in another one?

If I have to replace it can I get one from the wreckers out of the same year model car? Does it matter if it comes from a wagon or sedan? As my Magna is a wagon.

Does the ECU have to be coded to the immobilizer? I know when I purchased a spare key for my Magna the new key had to be coded to the immobilizer. My Magna is a 1998 TF Wagon.

Sorry for so many questions but I really need some help here and I am hoping that someone will be kind enough to help me out.

Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advanced!

take it to a dealer is my advice.

"From here I could see the ECU and when I did this I noticed that there was some moisture and what looks like to be dried coolant around this area and on the plugs that plug into the ECU."

from what ive read on here it sounds like the heater core has gone and leaked onto your ECU (correct me if im wrong tho)

Hi and thanks for your replies.

Yes the heater core has been leaking.

Here is some photos of my ECU that I just took. So you you can see what I am talking about.


http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/jedimasterishere/max/ecu-1.jpg

http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/jedimasterishere/max/ecu-2.jpg

http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/jedimasterishere/max/ecu-3.jpg


In the last photo it looks like there is some corrosion on the bottom of the circuit board if you look closely (the green coloured stuff on the paired pins 5 and 6 in from the left hand side). I have not pulled the circuit board out of this housing yet so I am unsure as to how bad it really is.

Thanks again for your assistance.

shit man lucky it didn't short out onto the carpet and even cause a fire or something, or the car die whilst you are moving.

im glad your alright and you found the issue :)

so is the ecu any good

Thanks for your replies. I don't know if the ECU is the issue that is why asking for opinions :). But I am assuming the reason why the "check engine indication lamp" in the dash does not come on anymore or why my car will not start is because of the state of my ECU.

I don't know if the ECU is any good. Is there a way in which I can test it? All I can tell you is when I had it plugged in the car this morning the "check engine indication lamp" would not light up and the car would not start.

Thanks.

only asking as i might have a spare one of those in the garage

shit man lucky it didn't short out onto the carpet and even cause a fire or something, or the car die whilst you are moving.

im glad your alright and you found the issue :)

not enough power to cause a fire, only very low voltage going through the ecu

Thanks Robceline.. Do you know if the part numbers have to be the same on the ECU for it to work in my car?

Do you know if its a straight swap over? Or do things have to be re programmed?

Thanks.

To change an ECU on a TJ 2 using parts from a wrecker you need the following matched items from the same vehicle: ignition key & ignition barrell, ECU & matched BEM. Doors locks & glovebox lock can be changed later. Lancercity did me a set up, ECU, BEM, ignition barrell & key, door locks, glovebox etc, for a TJ for $130.00 plus postage.

Edit: Try using some contact cleaner to clean the plug pins & plug contacts first before spending $.

Cheers

Thanks Magna Driver for your reply.

My Magna is a TF so do you know if it has a BEM and if it has to be matched to the ECU?

Thanks for your tip about cleaning it up. I will try that tommorow and I am hoping that will fix my problem (touching wood).

it doesnt have a BEM just a reciever for the remote central locking, but they have an imobilizer, pretty crappy one i hear

Now
For starters I have seen ECU's cop worse than that and still survive, clean the contacts and see how it goes

The ECU and immob need to be programmed together to the key, it sounds like the buzzing may have been from the immob as have seen this before when the ecu gets drowned and feeds back to the receiver

You can just replace the faulty unit and then get the key re programmed with a MUTT OR if you can get from a wrecker a key pair with locks, receiver and ecu you may also be ok

Does not matter the model, you can even get a TJII ECU one however will be running the ECU with the wrong tune

BYW< you do not need to change the BEM in a later model with the ECU, they can be programmed

I do have a full set here with 3 keys, receiver, ecu and all locks, PM me if you are interested.

Thanks Madmagna for your assistance.


Now
For starters I have seen ECU's cop worse than that and still survive, clean the contacts and see how it goes


I just pulled the ECU out of the housing and it looks to be in good shape apart from corrosion on some of the pins on the bottom of the circuit board where the connectors are soldered onto the circuit board.



The ECU and immob need to be programmed together to the key, it sounds like the buzzing may have been from the immob as have seen this before when the ecu gets drowned and feeds back to the receiver


Sorry to ask this. But can you please tell me what you mean by "drowned"? Also Do you think that the immobilizer will still be ok even though there was this buzzing sound?



You can just replace the faulty unit and then get the key re programmed with a MUTT OR if you can get from a wrecker a key pair with locks, receiver and ecu you may also be ok


When you say "just replace the faulty unit". Do you mean replace the ECU with a brand new one or a second hand one from another Magna? Then do I have to get the keys and my current immobilizer re-programmed to the replaced ECU? Or can I get the replacement ECU programmed to my current keys and immobilizer?

Sorry to ask what might seem like silly questions. I just want to understand how it all works thats all and what exactly needs to be replaced and re programmed.

Also what is a MUTT and who has one of these?



I do have a full set here with 3 keys, receiver, ecu and all locks, PM me if you are interested.

Thanks for your very kind offer. Is the set you have from a 1998 TF Magna?

Thanks again for your help.

When I say drowned, a failed heater core dumped a lot of coolant onto the ECU

You may get lucky, I have swapped them over before and not had to change the coding on the immob but is really pot luck. I have 7 manual ones that will run off the same immob, the 8th will not run unless plugged into its own immob and key. Is a little strange

A MUTT is the electronic tool Mits use to programme keys, clear codes etc, generally only Mits have them as you also need a ROM to make it work on the car it is being used on

Thanks Madmagna for clearing that up for me.

Well today I went to Jaycar brought some fancy contact cleaner that came with all these little brushes to clean everything with as well as some other electronic cleaning solvent that was in a spray pack. Took off all the corrosion on the circuit board mind you the corrosion was only around where the pins are soldered into the circuit board from the connector.

Cleaned up all the connections on the ECU where the plugs plug into the best that I could. Wiped all the dried coolant off that was on plugs that plug into the ECU and then plugged everything back in. Connected the battery and prayed that it would start.

But unfortunately the ECU light in the dash did not light up when I put the key in the on position and I knew from that indication that my car was not going to start. Tried starting it anyway. But the same thing happened as before. Motor would turn over but would not start.

So now I am at a loss as to what to do.

There is a couple of dry joints from the corrosion on the back of the circuit board where the connector is soldered onto it. Do you think it is worth trying to re solder these?

Is there anyway I can actually test the ECU without taking it to Mitsubishi?

If I was to borrow or get another ECU from the wreckers, plug it in and providing it's ok. Should the check engine indication lamp in the instrument panel then light up even if it is not matched to the immobilizer?

Also can any damage to be done to other components if a different ECU was plugged in and not matched to the imomobilzer?

As I am trying to figure out if the ECU is actually damaged and from what I understand the ECU controls this check engine indication lamp in the instrument panel. Or does something else control this light?

Thanks again for all your help fellas, very much appreciated.

Mate my sons TJ2 ECU had an air gap on one of the connection pins leading to the ECU circuit board. Was able to fix it with a soldering iron. So it's worth a try.

Cheers

First check your engine bay fuse to make sure is not blown

If all good, I believe it will still light up with another ecu even if it will not fire, have not really looked to be honest but should show the light to show is online

Thanks guys for your replies.

Is there any particular fuse in the engine bay I should look at. I did a continuity test across the fuses without taking them out and they seemed ok. Well my multi meter beep to say that they were.

Is the ECU fuse in the yellow holder or is it below the yellow holder? As I have been reading about people trying to open that yellow holder and reseting the fuse or something. But in my manual it says that this yellow holder houses the fuses for audio and room lamp.

Plus any tips in trying to pull that yellow holder up? As I tried pulling it up with my fingers but it just wont budge!

Thanks.

Ok and update for those who are interested.

I had the car towed to Mitsubishi. They hooked it up to their computer which reads the ECU to see if there is any fault codes. The computer could not read my ECU so they rang me and asked me how long my car had been sitting for. I told them it had not been sitting long at all and that it was running three days ago. Told them about me cleaning up the ECU and that the heater core was leaking. He then said that sheds a different light on things.

So to make a long stort short. I get a call from Mitsubishi an hour ago. They said they put another ECU in or something and they ended up getting my car running on LPG but it wont run on petrol. They also said its running really rough and that the car had back fired at some stage and damaged the air flow meter.

I asked how was it possible that the air flow meter got damaged this way? He said when it back fired a flame had burnt something out in the air flow meter but I cannot remember what it was that was burnt out. I said to him, surely there would have been something to protect it from being burnt and he said no.

So bottom line. I asked how much is this going to cost. He said that my car needs a new ECU, plus an Immobilizer and an Air Flow Meter. Total price $2200.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So now I don't know what to do! I asked them if they can get the parts from the wreckers and use them? He said it might be possible and at the very least he said that they might be able to get an air flow meter from there. He said he will ring around and get some prices and get back to me.

So now I have to play the waiting game!


I am not very happy at the moment as I am sure you can appreciate and to make things worse! I just spent $1000.00 on having the LPG tank replaced last month because the bastard would not pass it for the ten year test because it had a small amount of surface rust on it!

Ouch!!! Mate if they can't get the parts from a wrecker PM MADMAGNA to see if he can help out.