1G TCU Compatibility

[91talon]

i am replacing the tcu in my 91 awd, would it work if i would put a tcu out of a non-turbo?

 

[nightspeed87]

you mean ecu?
And no a non turbo ecu is different.

 

[91talon]

tcu...its below the ecu i beleive..sperate from the ecu

 

[nightspeed87]

you got me I dont know...
try www.vfaq.com

What does it run, like whats it for?
Because if its not engine related, then a non turbo 2.0 "tcu" ( whatever that is )
should be no different.
Remember the n/t 1st gen 2.0 and turbo ones are identical except for the gauge cluster/ ecu/ turbo accessories and engine internals... Even the wiring harnesses are the same, except the turbo model has an addition of 7 wires...

Why do you need to change this anyways?

 

[91talon]

thanks for the reply...the tcu is the transmission control unit...or that is what i was told...the reason i am changing this is because my car boggs....ALOT...and a friend of mine had the same symptoms with his car...and we both thought that being both of our cars are automatics..that it would be related...so thats what he did and it fixed it...and im going to try the same...

 

[steve]

What works is getting the same part number TCU as what you have now.
I know the transmissions are different but I haven't looked up the TCU's in CAPs to see if they are different like I expect.

Steve

 

[dieseltech]

The TCU's are different for the 1.8, 2.0 n/t and 2.0t. I have read one guy put a 1.8 tcu into a 2.0 car. Supposidly he had no problems. Remove the tcu and inspect the caps. Mine were obviously blown, there was black residue all over the board. I could tell it was the caps because my car was stuck in third gear (limp mode), and I got a contiuous sweep with an ohm meter when I attempet to pull codes. If you need any more info let me know. I'll help as much as possible.

 

[91talon]

The TCU's are different for the 1.8, 2.0 n/t and 2.0t. I have read one guy put a 1.8 tcu into a 2.0 car. Supposidly he had no problems. Remove the tcu and inspect the caps. Mine were obviously blown, there was black residue all over the board. I could tell it was the caps because my car was stuck in third gear (limp mode), and I got a contiuous sweep with an ohm meter when I attempet to pull codes. If you need any more info let me know. I'll help as much as possible.

Thanks for the responce and the information!!.. i will pull the tcu out and take alook at it and get back to you with my findings

 

[bulletproof96]

how can i check if my tcm is going bad? the reason i ask is because i just finish having my tranny rebuilt and engine light still comes on which is is tranny code and the only thing that hasn' been touch is the tcu. so i was wondering how can i check my tcm?

 

[jrjackso]

i just found this forum from another guy after i was trying to explain my TCU problems. I have a 92 Talon TSI Turbo AWD automatic and when I bought the car off of a neighbor, the car wouldnt start. Upon pulling the codes I determined the ECU was bad. I replaced the ECU and the car started right up and the motor ran perfect. I took it for a drive around the block and noticed that the car was slow coming from a stop until the boost kicked in, but then the car never shifted. I took the ECU back out and sent it back after I realized that the ECU was for a manual. Well I got another automatic Turbo ECU and the transmission is having the same problem, stuck in second gear. So after a little research it turns out that the TCU can go bad just like the ECU because the caps can blow. So I just took the TCU and examined the board. It looks clean except for in one spot where the second green cap (where it is connected to the board) is black and coroded. So it looks like I need a TCU also. The weird thing is that after I replaced the right ECU there was no check engine light. I hooked up my analog meter and couldnt get any kind of code what so ever. The meter just didnt move. What a pain in the ass it was to take out. Three bolts and the one is tucked up behind the dash with minimal room to wrench. Cut the shit out of my hand so if you run into this same problem be careful. I will make another post with the outcome once I get ahold of the other TCU this weekend. Take care!