Need help with ECM swap

[Toronto_Vento]

So, here's the deal. My '01 Jetta is up for plate sticker renewal, and needs to do the emissions test. Totally forgot that it's no longer a visual check. Go to the shop, and machine can't communicate....cigarette lighter fuse. Okay. Run the scan and fails...turns out my Rocketchip tune (from forever ago) does something which doesn't allow the scan to complete.

My solution was to pick up a used ECM and stick it in for the emissions test. Got it installed, got it to sync up with Vag Com and started the car up. No problems. Idles fine. I went to take the car for the emissions, and while it has no issues at idle or when accelerating, when coasting it shakes fairly violently and is displaying the check transmission indicator. I apparently picked up a 5 speed module (my car is manual tranny), but I'll have to verrify that the ecm I got isn't in fact coded to auto. Would this throw the symptoms mentioned above? Other thing is that my EGR is essentially dissabled (stealth pipe).

Is there anything else I should be looking at which may cause this behaviour? I got a little down the street and turned right around as my car would never pass with this issue. I can swap ECMs to get my Rocketchip back, but that obviously wouldn't help with my emissions check.

Been a while since I've had to use Vag-Com, so I'm trying to find the proper spots to check whether the ecm is set to manual or auto, and how to do the EGR turndown. I'm hoping I can get another year or so out of this car, but who knows...maybe the car is trying to tell me something. LOL

 

[Wingnut]

Check the 'soft coding' in the engine module.

Should be 00001 for Auto, 00002 for Manual.

As for the EGR adaptation....Go to the the engine module and click login. Use code 12233. Go to adaptations and change the value from 32768 to 33768 and save.

 

[P2B]

I got a little down the street and turned right around as my car would never pass with this issue.

It doesn't matter if the car runs like crap, all that counts is that the Drive Clean computer can talk to your ECU, the CEL is not on, and you have no more than one failed monitor.

You can use the OBDII function in VCDS to check the status of your monitors. It doesn't matter if the EGR shows failed as long as the rest are ready.

Simon

 

[Toronto_Vento]

It actually idles fine, so for the test period might be okay. But it shows the transmission indicator, so was hoping to get rid of that. Thanks for the response. Went momentary car shopping today, but if I can get this thing passed and maybe replace a driveshaft, might get another two years out of her (better for the pocketbook).
Will definitely hook up the computer and see what I can figure out.

 

[Toronto_Vento]

Quick update. Tried all kinds of settings to no avail. The thing starts to idle like a tractor and throws an indicator light. I swapped my RocketChip ecm back in, and everything is fine again. Think I might visit Mike (the source) and see if I can exchange for another ecm. Might just be something weird about this one.

Hopefully I can get this figured out...

 

[imo000]

It doesn't matter if the car runs like crap, all that counts is that the Drive Clean computer can talk to your ECU, the CEL is not on, and you have no more than one failed monitor.

You can use the OBDII function in VCDS to check the status of your monitors. It doesn't matter if the EGR shows failed as long as the rest are ready.

Simon

This is NOT correct. You can have one system NOT READY but you can't have a FAILED system. A failed monitor almost always throws the check engine light and is pretty much a fail if you take it in for emission testing. A monitor not ready is not the same as a failed monitor.

 

[streeker02]

OBD2 monitors don't pass or fail. They are either ready, or not ready.

To the OP, if the drive clean OTU cannot communicate via your OBD port, you have a problem. You need to address that.

If you have issues with monitors not reporting ready, but no fault codes and no CEL, PM me and I can help with with a work around....

 

[Marchmen]

A few of us have had similar issues trying to past the e-test with a Rocketchip tune.

I'm in Etobicoke and have a spare ECU from a 2001 you could try and Dieseldrink has my other spare ECU that could be used as well.

Drop me a line if Mike won't allow you to swap the ECU for another one.

 

[imo000]

Failed system = Ready but triggers the check engine light. How is that for clearity. The work around is cheating the system. I suggest fix it so it passes on it's own.

Some of the tunner dealers are very eager to delete "turn off" cetain emission systems. When I met one of them for an ECU reflash, the first thing came out of his mouth was "do you want an EGR delete" This is not just illegal but wrong is so many way. It's one thing if a customer asks and another to offer right off the bat.

 

[LNXGUY]

......and the whining about getting around the BS emissions test has already started, why am I not surprised. Almost as bad as a teenage girl losing her iPhone.

John, it's the 'Euro' tune that's causing you grief (but I'm sure you already knew that).

 

[imo000]

If all else fails, let's start emasculating and name calling.

 

[LNXGUY]

If all else fails, let's start emasculating and name calling.

If the shoe fits.

 

[Uberhare]

Has anyone approached RC about getting their tunes fixed?

 

[jsrmonster]

Just send it in for repair, or I can send tuned ecu to swap, with $200 core charge, and send back your old ecu. I also offer loaners for nominal service and core charge.
Jeff

 

[Toronto_Vento]

Just send it in for repair, or I can send tuned ecu to swap, with $200 core charge, and send back your old ecu. I also offer loaners for nominal service and core charge.
Jeff

Jeff, thanks for the offer, but with all the cross border stuff, I'd rather just try and swap a stock ECM in, pass emissions and then swap back to my RC.

And yes, I'm fully aware of my tune being the issue now, hence the reason that I'm trying to swap a stock computer in and get this car passed. It looks like I've worked through some of the other smaller issues I've had on the car recently, so if I could just get emissions done, I'd be a happy camper. Will try to see if I can exchange current ECM with another one. If another ECM gives the same results as currently, then I know somethings up on the car. Just will have to work through it and get things running.

I remembered yesterday that I think I have an epsilonian device installed, don't know if that would cause rough idles, but that and the gutting of the EGR are the only things I can think of which have been done on the car. Weird that the stock ECM throws an MIL right when you turn the key to "on" and gives a really rough idle (even in the driveway after 1 minute of running), while the RC has zero issues.

I'll figure this out eventually, as it makes more sense to the pocketbook to keep the car if it's just an emissions test which needs to be passed.

Thanks for the feedback so far. Oh, and one more thing. I just wanted to double check that there was nothing beyond the instructions on Ross-Tech's website for an IMO2 ECM swap. http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/immobilizer2.html

Install the new ECU in the car
[Select]
[17 - Instruments]
[Adaptation - 10]
Leave channel at "00"
[Read]
[Save]

[Done, Go Back]
[Close Controller, Go Back - 06]
[Exit]

Turn ignition OFF for 15 seconds. Start vehicle.

 

[Toronto_Vento]

So, an update after all this work. I went back to Mike at the source and got a replacement ECM, no questions asked. Put it in and while the car still runs "lumpy", it was not nearly as bad as with the previous computer and didn't throw a check engine light.

Ended up getting the car hooked up today and while the EGR tested as "Not Ready", the car passed. Well, here's hoping for another two years out of her. Would be nice numbers: Car would be 15 years old by then, and I would have owned it for 10 years. Thanks all for the suggestions and ideas. I'm not about to diagnose why the car runs lumpy under the stock programming, and I find it strange that it's so smooth under the tune.

At least there's a happy ending after all, and one more MKIV TDI stays on the road for a little longer.

 

[LNXGUY]

Good to hear John.