theslab
10+ Year Contributor
- 131
- 1
- Sep 14, 2010
-
gurnee,
Illinois
This i feel will help everyone on this forum. I got tired of everyone givng false info for a bad ecu like "Fix youre mpi relay" 
. I've never heard of anyone in my life having a bad mpi relay.
Warning signs for Bad capacitors in ECU:
1. A rapid clicking or chattering from under the dash. Usually accompanied with
the engine stalling or losing power during the noise. This is the microcontroller
going into reset over and over and over again due to a bad power supply. Every
time it resets, it will turn the fuel pump relay on and off. This could also be
a bad fuel pump relay, but not usually.
2. An usual smell that seems to come from the center console. Especially if i
smells like rotten seafood. Consider that it could also be your heater fan motor,
unless accompanied with a power loss or stalling.
3. Your car is older than seven years and sees a lot of extreme temperature
transitions. If you experience either of the first two problems above, act
on them as soon as possible. Even though your car may still be drivable, the
longer you let the problem go the more likely you will end up with a hole
in your ECU's PC board or with several blown components on the board. Then you will have to dig an ecu up in the junkyard or buy a new one from Mitsubishi
for $1100.
Note to interpret dates (9806.1 used as example)
1st and 2nd (2) digits are year so this is 1998
3rd and 4th (2) digits are month so this is June (6th month)
5th digit is 1/3rd of month (I think) so 1 = 1st 10 days of month
Important information about buying a replacement or repaired ECU:
You do not have to install the exact same ECU part number in your car BUT you do have to install a new ECU
with the same E2T number!
Pull out the ECU and under the part number on the label there will be a number starting with E2T.
Those numbers on your original ECU have to match your new ECU.
How to tell if you have eprom http://www.technomotive.com/howto/ecu1g/checkeprom.htm
Best of Luck
. I've never heard of anyone in my life having a bad mpi relay.Warning signs for Bad capacitors in ECU:
1. A rapid clicking or chattering from under the dash. Usually accompanied with
the engine stalling or losing power during the noise. This is the microcontroller
going into reset over and over and over again due to a bad power supply. Every
time it resets, it will turn the fuel pump relay on and off. This could also be
a bad fuel pump relay, but not usually.
2. An usual smell that seems to come from the center console. Especially if i
smells like rotten seafood. Consider that it could also be your heater fan motor,
unless accompanied with a power loss or stalling.
3. Your car is older than seven years and sees a lot of extreme temperature
transitions. If you experience either of the first two problems above, act
on them as soon as possible. Even though your car may still be drivable, the
longer you let the problem go the more likely you will end up with a hole
in your ECU's PC board or with several blown components on the board. Then you will have to dig an ecu up in the junkyard or buy a new one from Mitsubishi
for $1100.
Note to interpret dates (9806.1 used as example)
1st and 2nd (2) digits are year so this is 1998
3rd and 4th (2) digits are month so this is June (6th month)
5th digit is 1/3rd of month (I think) so 1 = 1st 10 days of month
Important information about buying a replacement or repaired ECU:
You do not have to install the exact same ECU part number in your car BUT you do have to install a new ECU
with the same E2T number!
Pull out the ECU and under the part number on the label there will be a number starting with E2T.
Those numbers on your original ECU have to match your new ECU.
How to tell if you have eprom http://www.technomotive.com/howto/ecu1g/checkeprom.htm
Best of Luck
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