TD5 ECUs and immobilisers

[Mark]

I have a 2001 TD5 in completely basic spec - no immobiliser, abs, aircon or anything that talks to the ECU.

I also have an ECU from a later (2003) vehicle with the flashable ECU, however, I strongly suspect this vehicle did have an immobiliser.

I have plgged the new ECU into my truck, and it would crank, but not start - hence my suspicions about the immobiliser.

I have not yet plugged the new ECU into any Diagnotics, so this may be a little premature, however, if my issue was the lack of an immobiliser, how easily can I convince the new ECU that it doesn't need one?

Cheers

Mark

[crwoody]

I think you'll find that since 1995 all vehicles must have an immobiliser by law, my 2001 90 certainly had.

On the Defender the module is mounted on the bulkhead tucked in behind the dash, removing the clock unit gives access to it if needed.

You'll need a diagnostic utility (I use Nanocom,) to get the ECU to read it's code and pair with it.

[carlosbeldia]

Mark, please let me know if your car finally works fine with 2003 ECU, I want to buy one of those so I can change my fuel maps.

[K88 MUD]

You will also need to code the injectors to the ecu.....not sure if you can fit the later ecu to the earlyier model tho

[crwoody]

You can fit the later ECU, but as K88 MUD says, you'll need the injector codes - although it will work without them.

There again, if you're able to program the codes into the new ECU, you should be equally able to read them from the old one, so no probs there then.

I fitted a later (flashable) ECU to my 2001 Td5 and it worked just fine - except that afterwards there was a problem where the engine would not respond to the throttle for a minute or so after starting from cold, it would tick-over perfectly normally, but when trying to rev it, it would just chuff out white/grey smoke (smelling of unburnt diesel,) if left for a minute or so ticking over (not up to temperature,) it then behaved normally.

I never did get to the bottom of this problem and now I've sold the car, but I would still be interested to know if anyone else gets the same effect.

[SiWhite]

Your non-starting is 99.9% an immobiliser issue. Ask me how I know

Unless your new ECU is told differently, it will still wait for a signal from the 10AS (green box behind the dash clocks) which governs immobiliser, alarm and central locking before it sends the signal for the injectors to operate and hence the engine to start.

You will need to program your new ECU to talk to your 10AS if you have one - otherwise it will need a trip to Porny et al to remove the requirement in the ECU to need a code from the 10AS.

If you don't currently have a 10AS, it might be easier to fit a 270 (non-CDL) 10AS and program the new (flashable = free fuel maps ) ECU with a Nanocom than get your new ECU worked so that it doesn't need a 10AS.

[Anderzander]

There are 2 files that you need for the ECU - one is the map - and there is another one. So you need someone who has them and can flash them onto the ECU for you. I have a later type ECU on mine - though it was supplied as a replacement part by Land Rover - so has the correct type of files on it.