Affordable ECU for W202 and W124?

[ibestriker]

Hi seniors.

I need an ECU (PMS) for Mercedes C200 (W202) year 95. Anyone here knows how to get used/new ECU?

Or anyone here knows how and where to get a damaged ECU repaired/rebuilt? What is the cost?

My current ECU number: 018 545 1132

If anyone here has any working, unused ECU for W202 or W124, please let me know. Please let me know the ECU number as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ibestriker]

Any response?

 

[PeterG]

Hi check on e bay. there is a company I purchased some second hand parts from based in germany link below who were very effecient. You eneter your part number and they tell you immediately if it is in stock new or second hand. Their new prices were well below MBUK.
Pete
www.mbgtc.de

 

[Koolvin]

what makes you think you need a new ECU ?

 

[grober]

Did you ever try these guys??? http://www.bba-reman.com

 

[ibestriker]

what makes you think you need a new ECU ?

Only 2 of 4 cylinders work. And when change to another ECU, it works fine...that means my first ECU is not working, right?

 

[grober]

blown ecu

Faults with the ignition coils/coil wiring on these models can give rise to a faulty ECU as you have diagnosed. Just a warning in case a faulty coil might blow your "new" ECU when you source a replacement. there is a bit about this on the bba-reman site I think. did you have any misfiring problems before the ecu went completely??

 

[ibestriker]

Hi check on e bay. there is a company I purchased some second hand parts from based in germany link below who were very effecient. You eneter your part number and they tell you immediately if it is in stock new or second hand. Their new prices were well below MBUK.
Pete
www.mbgtc.de

Thanks for the website. Will try giving them a call..

cheers..

 

[ibestriker]

Faults with the ignition coils/coil wiring on these models can give rise to a faulty ECU as you have diagnosed. Just a warning in case a faulty coil might blow your "new" ECU when you source a replacement. there is a bit about this on the bba-reman site I think. did you have any misfiring problems before the ecu went completely??

Thanks for your reply. Some questions:

1. What is misfiring problems? How to check that?
2. What cause the ignition coils wiring faulty?
3. If it is only the coil that is faulty, do i need to repair the ECU?

Thanks mate...

 

[grober]

Ecu and maybe coils?

Heres what the bba reman site says about the problem. I dont know if this applies to you or not. The part no you listed is not mentioned in that specific problem.see as follows:-
Mercedes VDO ECU's being damaged and coil packs melting

Mercedes coil packs above spark plugs with VDO ECU systems. The harness is sometimes the cause, overheating and causing the low tension side of the harness to coils to short. This is damaging both the ECU and melting the coils. It is now possible to replace only the damaged part of the harness, called "pin bushing housing" part number (A)202 540 6081 (takes about 1-2 hours to wire in). If we rebuild this ECU this must be done. This problem is not to be confused with misfiring on all cylinders, which can be cause by a faulty Air Flow Meter.

There can be problems with Mercedes wiring insulation degrading with heat with your age of car especially in the engine compartment. This causes the wiring insulation to flake off leading to lots of strange electrical problems. Tends to appear after wiring has been moved a lot for maintenance. Worth checking visually at least. there are lots of posts about this on other forums especially in the USA. From what you said before about only 2 cylinders firing. --there are 2 coils each feeding two spark plugs. One of these coils is not working. when you swop ecus all four plugs fire again. this means that you are correct you have a faulty ECU and you can get rid of the problem by replacing it. HOWEVER if there is a pre-existing fault with one of the coils (or its associated wiring)-thats the coil that doesnt fire with your old ECU --then this may eventually cause your new replacement ECU to fail also. Its worth talking to a garage experienced in MB car electronics about this and getting the ignition high tension side checked out. Try phoning bba-reman for advice to see what they say. To be safe you might have to repair/check some of the wiring and replace the coils. It may be just the ECU but worth checking the other parts as well.

 

[ibestriker]

Heres what the bba reman site says about the problem. I dont know if this applies to you or not. The part no you listed is not mentioned in that specific problem.see as follows:-
Mercedes VDO ECU's being damaged and coil packs melting

Mercedes coil packs above spark plugs with VDO ECU systems. The harness is sometimes the cause, overheating and causing the low tension side of the harness to coils to short. This is damaging both the ECU and melting the coils. It is now possible to replace only the damaged part of the harness, called "pin bushing housing" part number (A)202 540 6081 (takes about 1-2 hours to wire in). If we rebuild this ECU this must be done. This problem is not to be confused with misfiring on all cylinders, which can be cause by a faulty Air Flow Meter.

There can be problems with Mercedes wiring insulation degrading with heat with your age of car especially in the engine compartment. This causes the wiring insulation to flake off leading to lots of strange electrical problems. Tends to appear after wiring has been moved a lot for maintenance. Worth checking visually at least. there are lots of posts about this on other forums especially in the USA. From what you said before about only 2 cylinders firing. --there are 2 coils each feeding two spark plugs. One of these coils is not working. when you swop ecus all four plugs fire again. this means that you are correct you have a faulty ECU and you can get rid of the problem by replacing it. HOWEVER if there is a pre-existing fault with one of the coils (or its associated wiring)-thats the coil that doesnt fire with your old ECU --then this may eventually cause your new replacement ECU to fail also. Its worth talking to a garage experienced in MB car electronics about this and getting the ignition high tension side checked out. Try phoning bba-reman for advice to see what they say. To be safe you might have to repair/check some of the wiring and replace the coils. It may be just the ECU but worth checking the other parts as well.

Thanks for your advise..so in short, I have to check the wiring and harness, make sure they are in good condition. Otherwise, if I replace with a new one, the new one will also fail eventually?

What do you think the cause of the faulty ECU? For your information, my original H4 bulb should be 55W, but I replaced them with 110W for brighter light. Do you think this may be the cause of the faulty ECU?

Thanks..

 

[grober]

Thanks for your advise..so in short, I have to short the wiring and harness, make sure they are in good condition. Otherwise, if I replace with a new one, the new one will also fail eventually?

What do you think the cause of the faulty ECU? For your information, my original H4 bulb should be 55W, but I replaced them with 110W for brighter light. Do you think this may be the cause of the faulty ECU?

Thanks..

I think you meant check the wiring and harness, make sure they are in good condition?? Check the coils as well for insulation and primary and secondary resistance. An auto electrician could do this for you. You may ONLY have a faulty ecu but worth checking those other components to be safe.
ECUs fail for a variety of reasons.
They dont like heat, excessive vibration/shock, or moisture.
Most of all they dont like high voltage spikes from faulty circuitry, jump starts, arc welding etc . Usually they fail because some high current output stage component overheats or draws too much current and fails. The chances of this happening increases with age of the components.I dont think your high wattage bulbs would cause your ECU to fail, but may put a strain on your existing headlight wiring loom, unless you have wired them up via an extra power supply line and relays.

 

[ibestriker]

I think you meant check the wiring and harness, make sure they are in good condition?? Check the coils as well for insulation and primary and secondary resistance. An auto electrician could do this for you. You may ONLY have a faulty ecu but worth checking those other components to be safe.
ECUs fail for a variety of reasons.
They dont like heat, excessive vibration/shock, or moisture.
Most of all they dont like high voltage spikes from faulty circuitry, jump starts, arc welding etc . Usually they fail because some high current output stage component overheats or draws too much current and fails. The chances of this happening increases with age of the components.I dont think your high wattage bulbs would cause your ECU to fail, but may put a strain on your existing headlight wiring loom, unless you have wired them up via an extra power supply line and relays.

Yes, what i meant was 'check'

Hmm...if the chances of that problem happening incrases with age of the components, do you mean I have to replace all old components?

Which components do you mean? Its gonna cost a lot...

 

[grober]

No I was refering to discrete electrical components inside the the ECU like resistors,capacitors and transistors ageing. Sorry I wasnt clear on that.
1. You have correctly established by substitution that your ECU has a fault and will have to be replaced/ repaired.
2.You have not established exactly WHY it failed. You may never find out. It could have failed for many reasons.
3. I have suggested a POSSIBLE cause of failure. Coil / coil wiring failure is a well documented cause of ECU problems in your model. It may or may not not be the problem in your car.
4. I am concerned that if you just replace the ECU there is a POSSIBILITY that the fault which caused the original unit to fail may damage your new one.
5. As a safeguard against this you should check the state of the ignition wiring harness and the electrical integrity of the coils. They may well be OK. If you dont feel competent to do this a good Auto Electrician should be able to help. If one coil is faulty its good practice to replace both since its likely the other will fail also.
6.At the end of the day its cost versus risk. Spend several hundred ponds on a replacement/repaired ECU and take a chance that will do the trick. Spend some more money getting the system checked out by an expert and replacing any suspect ignition wiring/coils if necessary.

I just dont want to see you spending a lot of your hard earned cash on a replacement ECU only for it to maybe fail in a couple of months again. Its your call at the end of the day. I'm just making you aware of possible pitfalls so you can make an informed decision. GOOD LUCK!

 

[ibestriker]

No I was refering to discrete electrical components inside the the ECU like resistors,capacitors and transistors ageing. Sorry I wasnt clear on that.
1. You have correctly established by substitution that your ECU has a fault and will have to be replaced/ repaired.
2.You have not established exactly WHY it failed. You may never find out. It could have failed for many reasons.
3. I have suggested a POSSIBLE cause of failure. Coil / coil wiring failure is a well documented cause of ECU problems in your model. It may or may not not be the problem in your car.
4. I am concerned that if you just replace the ECU there is a POSSIBILITY that the fault which caused the original unit to fail may damage your new one.
5. As a safeguard against this you should check the state of the ignition wiring harness and the electrical integrity of the coils. They may well be OK. If you dont feel competent to do this a good Auto Electrician should be able to help. If one coil is faulty its good practice to replace both since its likely the other will fail also.
6.At the end of the day its cost versus risk. Spend several hundred ponds on a replacement/repaired ECU and take a chance that will do the trick. Spend some more money getting the system checked out by an expert and replacing any suspect ignition wiring/coils if necessary.

I just dont want to see you spending a lot of your hard earned cash on a replacement ECU only for it to maybe fail in a couple of months again. Its your call at the end of the day. I'm just making you aware of possible pitfalls so you can make an informed decision. GOOD LUCK!

Cheers mate...you helped a lot...so basically I have repair the ECU, check the wiring, harness, coils and actuators..

If all of them (wiring, harness, coils and actuators) are in good condition, I don't have to change them. But if any of them shows sign of faulty, I need to change all of them if possible, or at least the one that is faulty.

Thanks..you helped me a lot...I hope its not gonna cost a lot...

But I am still looking for this ECU, used unit: 018 545 11 32

 

[merc-c]

my friend has just brought a electronics repair firm.
i have asked him if he could repair your ecu.
he may be able to but would need the board sent to him to inspect first.
pm me for his contact details

 

[Dieselman]

It sounds to me like the high voltage output transistor has failed in the ECU.

The engine probably utilises two coils and a wasted spark principle, hence two cylinders going down together.

On a petrol engien the HT circuit is generally the most common cause of engine failure, and this is usually down to either the coil pack or switching transistor.
These things have a significant shock each time they go closed circuit and open circuit again. This happens for every spark created by the coil.

If you trace the pin connections and open the ECU case you can replace the transistor for a few pounds if you can source the correct one.

Additional comment.

I would be inclined to replace the coil to safeguard against another premature failure.

You can test any coil by disconnecting the 12v connector and connecting 12v to the +ve side and a flylead to the -ve connection. Rub the -ve lead across a Gnd source (engine/battery). This will create the switching to Gnd required to make the coil charge and discharge so will fire an HT voltage down the plug lead.
err.. does that make sence?

 

[grober]

try here also http://www.carelect.demon.co.uk/merc.html and this from a volvo-owners web site on ECU Failure Modes as background info on engine ECUs.

ECU Circuit Chip Failure Mode. [Tips from Richard at Elektronik Repair] The main cause of failure in the LH-Jetronic fuel injection ECU is the hybrid circuit. To understand the function of the hybrid, please envision it as a type of interface that converts the 5 Volt signals of the microprocessor to 12 Volts, or 12 Volt signals of the controller to the level lower 5 Volts for the microprocessor. Additional functions such as Lambda regulation, resets and reference voltages are also integrated. The hybrid circuit contains two integrated circuits (ICs) and several discrete components which provide these functions. The ICs are protected by a silicone covering. Over the course of the time, oxygen and water molecules diffuse through the silicone covering and cause oxidation at the chip which eventually leads to a loss in functionality. Unfortunately, the loss of the hybrid circuit functions can lead to the complete loss of controller functionality and thus the engine stops running. When asked how the failure occurred and how it affects the car, nearly 95 % of the time the answer is: "it worked properly when turned off, afterwards the engine would no longer start." Beyond "oxidation" and “turning off your engine"you need to understand these two facts. 1. The age of the controller is the main enemy here, not the actual hours of operation 2. The controller will fail mostly after turning the off the engine. As Murphy’s law dictates, it will fail most often at the place where it will cause you the highest possible inconvenience. If your controller fails, never buy a used or repaired controller that contains an old hybrid chip because then “it will get you again.” The record that one customer holds is three successive failures when purchasing used controllers, each failure came approximately 6 months apart. More information available at [email protected]

[Richard Keys] One cause for ECU failure is due to excessively high stray high voltage levels within the engine compartment or by unusual signals being seen by the ECU`s sensor inputs. If this situation occurs, then it is strongly recommended to replace the high voltage system with new genuine parts (i.e spark plug leads, distributor cap, rotor, coil) and the main engine to body and battery grounds are renewed before fitting a replacement engine management ECU.

 

[ibestriker]

Hello experts,

I have sent my ECU to German for repair. When the ECU has been repaired and returned, I asked my Merc Specialist Mechanic to install the ECU.

But there is an error sounds like this:

"IFZ: Short circuit to positive"

What does it mean? Does it mean the ECU is still faulty and not fully repaired? Or is it something else?

Because of that error, the engine won't start, there is a response of the engine sound though, but the red and green LED on the rear mirror keep blinking. The car doesn't want to start.

For your info, my car is W202 C-class year 95.

Hope to get some advices and recommendation.

Many thanks in advance...your help is highly appreciated.

PS: I missed my car, almost 2 months not working..