ECU replacement..........worthwhile doing??

General General Lotus Talk
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I’ve read the recent discussions some of you guys have had regarding the ECU replacement and I’m undecided on whether I should have it done or not. My exige is std 177bhp with cat bypass and ss exhaust and pulls cleanly thru the rev range (no stutter at 5500!) Some of you chaps that have had the replacement complained that the new ECU didnt improve the smoothness of the engine and in some cases, made it worse. Thats my concern, I dont want to take in a perfectly smooth running (relatively [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image]) car and get a dog back in return. Any advice? Is it worth doing?

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I think, because you don’t have the Cat, your fire risk is minimal but that may not be the way your insurance company sees it if the car goes up in smoke!Also, the 5500rpm mis-fire is an intermitant thing (apparently quite complex but dependant on things like the position the pistons come to rest at) so you could suffer from it.I can’t overly comment as I had a service, the 190 and de-cat done at the same time as the warranty investigation so the car just felt GREAT afterwards.If it comes back as a dog get them to fix it!Ian [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif[/image]

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IMHO Yes !I also had a 177 with no hesitation or stutter and went through the same head discussion.In the end I upgraded at the same time to 190 and I think on balance the 800 quid was worth it … There appears to be no real difference in the behaviour apart from more torque ( which is the 190 ) and no mad rush 6000-7800 like there was with the 177. Sure the ECU likes to play “clean” with higher idle at cold etc but thats no problem.Anyhow consider that the recall is an official one and how you would stand if anything went wrong at anytime could be a question !! Just make sure your wheel speed sensor is connected otherwise you will know about misfires at 5500 [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image]

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Willba,My car was also the same spec as yours prior to the recall (177 bhp, de-kated, super sports exhaust etc) and running smoothly. I bit the bullet and had the 190 at the same time I have definitely not regretted it the car runs so much better in all conditions. It�s a win win situation, more power, more torque, free revving. The only down side I can think of is the 800 quid to do it�It�s a no brainier� just do it you wont regret it!Nick

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Thanks fellas, sounds like the general concensus is JUST DO IT! I’ll get her booked in ASAP. One more question tho…800 quid for the 190? Where from? I’ve been quoted �1300 and what are your thoughts on the MOT dilemma? Is it worth worrying about or will the 190 pass with the new ECU?

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800 quid was from Nick Whale in Birmingham - Ian is the guy to ask for - 0121 772 4250.That was for ECU, 82 degree thermostat and pulley change - I would guess you are quoted incl the sport exhuast and cat pipe as well …General opinion is worry about the MOT when it comes around - it will fail without a cat anyway … 190 should be OK otherwise the dealers are going to be in a spot of bother in 12 months time [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/smile.gif[/image] or maybe they will do the MOT for you [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif[/image]

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Or alternatively have a peek at http:\members.aol.com\DVAPowerThe vhpd driveability kit. Should get oyu upto 190bhp, but with better torque (and fuel economy!) and about the same money. Plus if you want to go any further with the engine at another point you have all the right bits to do it!CheersChris

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quote:Originally posted by willba:Thanks fellas, sounds like the general concensus is JUST DO IT! I’ll get her booked in ASAP. One more question tho…800 quid for the 190? Where from? I’ve been quoted �1300 and what are your thoughts on the MOT dilemma? Is it worth worrying about or will the 190 pass with the new ECU?I had a 177 car, decat, sport exhaust. I had the new 177 ECU and it seemed to be an improvement, but then I took it to a track and found after a few laps the rev limiter cut in at 5500. Seemed like the wheel sensor, but I managed to get another original 177 ECU and used that instead for a few weeks.Now I am having the 190 upgrade. I was assured that there was no way the 190 would pass the MOT even with the cat in place. This is why it was always an upgrade for Exige/340R and Elise, because they could never get it to pass the SVA for emmissions.But having said that, a couple of them have passed, (to my garage’s and Lotus’s amazement)…Thing is, the 5500 rev limit cuts in if there is a misfire. It’s quite possible that your car has a misfire and the old ECU is ignoring it. You can’t necessarily feel or hear a misfire, so you don’t know. I think you have to get it done, either 177 or 190.190 should be around �900, it will cost an extra �500ish if you want to keep your old 177 ECU.

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quote:Originally posted by BT52: I had a 177 car, decat, sport exhaust. I had the new 177 ECU and it seemed to be an improvement, but then I took it to a track and found after a few laps the rev limiter cut in at 5500. Seemed like the wheel sensorMarkI had the same problem when my 190 ECU was changed for the upgraded one. I had run the car for about 18 months with the wheel sensor disconnected, but this was reconnected at the time of ECU upgrade. Initially after the upgrade, the 5500rpm misfire occurred, but was cured by giving the electrical contacts in the junction box, which forms part of the sensor, a damn good clean. However, the engine revs would rarely drop below 1500, stationery or moving - not pleasant! [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/frown.gif[/image] I changed the wheel sensor, & at standstill, the tickover was okay (1100-1200 rpm), but as soon as I moved off, the revs shot up to around 2000, only dropping when back to a standstill! My dealer could not sort it, so a Lotus field engineer inspected the car - he could not diagnose the problem either, but after checking with the factory upon his return, he suggested that IACV was cleaned, & the wiring to ECU checked for damage. Last Friday, I returned to the dealer to these things carried out - still no joy! Out of desperation, we tried a different 190 ECU which the dealer had in stock - hey presto [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image] So far, I’ve only driven the car back from the dealer (20 miles), but it seems okay. I’m at Oulton this Saturday, so I will be giving it a proper test then [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image]

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Thanks Pesky, it does appear that every ECU is different…The first 190 ECU they sent me last week was actually a PRE-RECALL one!! Cn you believe that! We rmoved the wheel sensor altogether because they didn’t believe us (even thought the code on the box said it was an old one) and the revs were not limited at all.Getting a proper one this week.As for idling, well our original 177 ECU would idle between 1000 and 1200, which seemed normal. The new 177 ECU idled at anything from 350rpm to 750rpm, as if it was desperately trying to stall. The higher revving idle is much nicer, it stutters badly from the lower revs when trying to pull away.Strangely enough when I fitted RussT’s old 177 ECU I STILL had the very low idle. so god knows what I’ll get on Saturday…Ah well, it would be boring if it all worked strtaight away.

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I’m still on the old 190 ECU and don’t think I’ll bother trying to fix what ain’t broken as the new ones seem a bit of a lottery. Is there a significant improvement in low-revs running with no loss at the the top end? I’m not keen to have my Exige messed about with for no good reason.

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quote:Originally posted by Ally:I’m not keen to have my Exige messed about with for no good reason.Is insurance a good reason?!

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No! [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image]I think the fire issue is, as you have mentioned Ian, only applicable to catalyst equiped cars. The thought of fitting the new ECU and it fooking up my car would be enough to make me spontaenously combust anyway and therefore presents more of a fire hazard. [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/wink.gif[/image]

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How’s the SR3 Ally?They’re brooming fast! They were coming out of nowhere at Silverstone a few weeks ago!Ian [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image]

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It’s been a huge buzz the two times I’ve tracked it but it’s in storage at the moment until I get a bigger garage built next to my house, amongst other things. Roll on Spring! [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image]

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AllyNot doing Knockhill this weekend.Dave

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I’ll be there Dave - wearing a woolly jumper. It’s gonna be cold. [image]http://www.exiges.com/ubb/NonCGI/images/icons/grin.gif[/image]