Help with tcu

[TimF]

I am having trouble finding a working tcu. I been ripped off hundreds for non working ones. I only want my car to shift again. Please if anyone can help or provide info.

 

[blktalon3]

You might try to get the ones you have repaired. I got mine repaired and its still working great 2+ years later. I know tcu's are slim pickins

 

[Bud92gsx]

I guess try having one rebuilt since you have a couple of them..Idk if an elecrician can do it..O find your local computer place see if they can nitice anything wrong and replace whatever is wrong.

 

[GDNF2ET]

Is there anyone in your area with a working tcu that will let you borrow it just to verify that a TCU is what you need ?

 

[Bud92gsx]

I told him he could come to my house and I would swap in my working tcu..But that a 3 hours drive so that might not be the greatest option..I guees if he did swap in one that was working and it fried it, then we have a wiring problem..

 

[GDNF2ET]

To the OP,
1. Remove the TCU completely and drive your car..See if it does anything differently
2. Take the cover off the tcu and look closely at the board for damage
3. Check to see if this fuse is blown or missing

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I told him he could come to my house and I would swap in my working tcu..But that a 3 hours drive so that might not be the greatest option..I guees if he did swap in one that was working and it fried it, then we have a wiring problem..

One thing to consider, if his car is a 91, it has a 3 plug tcu..If your car is a 92, it could be either a 2 or 3 plug tcu..It has to be the same plug number as him to help....If yawls cars do match, he could mail you his TCUs to try for him....
If they don't match, he could mail them to me to check for him...I can check both kinds..

 

[TimF]

my original was rebuilt, the second one i got was rebuilt, and the 3rd one i got came from a "working car". i got my wiring checked, it is fine, i did not check the fuse. I drove it for a week without a computer at all and it was the same as when i did have a computer. The first 2 tcu were fried, i did not look in the one i got now. Im thinking of trying a diffrent rebuildcompay. A guy at a local shop told me that the area i got it was not a good area, it was in cicero, for you that know chicago.

o and no one else in my area has a awd tsi

 

[Bud92gsx]

To the OP,
1. Remove the TCU completely and drive your car..See if it does anything differently
2. Take the cover off the tcu and look closely at the board for damage
3. Check to see if this fuse is blown or missing

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

One thing to consider, if his car is a 91, it has a 3 plug tcu..If your car is a 92, it could be either a 2 or 3 plug tcu..It has to be the same plug number as him to help....If yawls cars do match, he could mail you his TCUs to try for him....
If they don't match, he could mail them to me to check for him...I can check both kinds..

Your right so tomarrow I will go out and check and see if mines is a 2 plug or 3 plug..There are both 6 bolts so lets hope they are both the same..

my original was rebuilt, the second one i got was rebuilt, and the 3rd one i got came from a "working car". i got my wiring checked, it is fine, i did not check the fuse. I drove it for a week without a computer at all and it was the same as when i did have a computer. The first 2 tcu were fried, i did not look in the one i got now. Im thinking of trying a diffrent rebuildcompay. A guy at a local shop told me that the area i got it was not a good area, it was in cicero, for you that know chicago.

o and no one else in my area has a awd tsi

Tim..It doesn't have to be a tsi to swap tcu's it only has to be an auto awd I think..Now check that fuse to see if that's the problem..
Second you could always mail me your broken tcu's..
3rd if your looking for someone closer, try chitowndsm.com or org..

But i will check my tcu tomarrow and get back to you, so we can figure this problem out..

 

[TimF]

yea i am part of chitown dsm, i posted on there but the moderators take a while to aprove stuff on the site.

 

[Bud92gsx]

Well I just woke up so give me a couple hours and I'll check out my tcu and get back to you..

Did you check the a/t fuse yet?

SO went out to check the tcu..It's a 3 plug tcu, not two..So if your tcu is 3 plug you cans ed me your "broken one's" and I'll see if they work..Otherwise if it's a 2 plug..You going to need to find another not broken one, or have some place actually fix one of your broken ones..

 

[TimF]

I looked at my fuse and it was fine. I did not pop open the tcu to see if it is burnt up. There is also a lose plug my my fuse box, I dont know were it goes to, and i felt around and there is not another open plug. I was going to have a guy at a DSM shop intall a shiftbox to see if there is anything mechanicale wrong with it.

 

[Bud92gsx]

A shiftbox does not require a tcu to work..

 

[TimF]

Yea but he said that he is using it to make sure the car still shifts.

 

[Bud92gsx]

The car will shift with a shiftbox, and after instalation you can remove the tcu if you feel like it..Although I dont think you can stick it in 2nd gear and take off in first if you don't have a tcu..

Are you sure you just don't want to make your own shift box, instead of paying sumone to install one..Unless they have the badass version and just need to clip into your wires..

 

[TimF]

i just would not like to shift by flipping switches. I want to drive preferably in auto, or maybe a auto stick. if there was a way to make a shift box kind of like a auto stick i would prefer that. And here is that pic of the cord by my fuse box that is just hanging.

 

[Bud92gsx]

I think mines like that too..I have no idea what it goes to..Like i've stated before the roadsurge auto shift box, you just press a button..1 up and 1 down..It's very easy, and very simple to install..

The switch shifer is just as easy to install but you can wind up in the wrong gear if you don't pay attention..

And theres another ratchet shifter, but I don't know how fun that would be..

 

[TimF]

Using buttons to shift seems kinda of odd. What about revese and neutral?

 

[Bud92gsx]

Reverse and neutral, you still have to manually shift into I beleive..There is still a manual valve in the auto tranny that has to be selected for reverse and nuetral..Unless im wrong..

And I do know that pressing buttons to shift is kinda weird But I think its fun..

 

[chenk18]

Have you tried to pull a code?

 

[Bud92gsx]

He never mentioned it throwing a code..

 

[TimF]

how do i do that?

 

[Bud92gsx]

Is the check engine light on? if not there is probably not a code..But if you want to get it checked anyway..You need to find a place that has an obd1 code reader..

 

[chenk18]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-drivetrain/277172-1g-tcu-guide.html my cel never came on when I was having tranny problems. I was told it wouldn't, but I don't know. I was just trying to help narrow it to the tcu since he might possibly have a good one.

 

[GDNF2ET]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/articles-drivetrain/277172-1g-tcu-guide.html my cel never came on when I was having tranny problems. I was told it wouldn't, but I don't know. I was just trying to help narrow it to the tcu since he might possibly have a good one.

Your correct, your TCU can be full of useful trouble codes and not throw a light..

 

[steve]

And here is that pic of the cord by my fuse box that is just hanging.

That's the Diagnostic Link Connector. IIRC pin 6 is the output from the TCU just like pin 1 is the one from the ECU and you read the output the same was as the ECU. It's a 0 to 12v output and you count the pulses and look up the code from the TCU list.

I'm surprised Bud didn't know what it was.