Abs Ecu

red_gsx · 05-06-2007, 01:46 AM

Did some searching and found only one post on the subject so here it goes. My ABS light is on and it has been decided that the abs ecu is the problem. Would a abs computer from a 97 gs work in my 97 gsx? Thanks ahead of time,
Artem

jtmcinder · 05-06-2007, 05:47 AM

Yes, swapping ABS ECUs within a year works. Where you have to be careful, although I'm not sure if it doesn't work, is between 95-96 and 97-99, because there's a switch between Bosch and Nippondenso.

I hope you're trying the swap with a friend, instead of buying a new one. The most frequent reason for losing ABS is a broken wheel-speed sensor or wire. If you aren't sure what the problem is, it's worth paying a dealer to read the code (no cheap tool from PepBoyz can read our ABS) or using the diagnostic trick and counting the blinks. The first time my ABS went, it was a speed sensor.

With all that said, if you pay shipping both ways (or buy it), I'll loan you the ABS ECU from a 97 AWD.

- Jtoby

twicks69 · 05-06-2007, 03:21 PM

The ABS light will also turn on if you pull the fuse in the engine bay for it.

If that has been already checked, then jtmcinder is correct. You can use a year-specific ABS ECU for the swap.

red_gsx · 05-07-2007, 03:07 PM

Right on thanks for the answer and the backup confirmation. The guy who diagnosed this I met when I used to work at the local mitu dealership, he was a tech there. He used a snap-on tool scanner that he paid a few grand for and he tested the voltage to the computer. As far as the speed sensor goes, I know that's not the problem because that just got swapped out, it shattered into multiple pieces apparently :0 . Thanks for the help now I have one less problem on my laundry list.

jtmcinder · 05-07-2007, 04:59 PM

I'm not talking about the speed sensor on the driveline. I'm talking about the speed sensors on the hubs, of which there are four. It's the wire that connects these with the ABS ECU that break. All that flexing as the wheels move up and down breaks the wire inside the sheilding.

Does the light come on and stay on or does it blink one or more times and then stay on? How far the ECU gets through the start-up tests can tell you something. A completely snapped speed-sensor wire will often get you two (of the four blinks). A partly broken wire will often pass the start-up test and then cause the light to come on after the car has rolled 18'.

Lastly: the most-popular Snap-On tool cannot actually read the ABS codes. The only two tools I know that can read them all are a Mitsu MUT-II and one of those $10k Genesis gizmos.

- Jtoby