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ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:37 pm
by deano1351
Ok, iv just been given an ecu from a friend who believes it to be chipped, we quickly plugged it into my 325i touring and it fired straight up and seemed to rev slightly quicker but i couldnt take it for a spin because i need the car early tommorow and dont want to break it, the serial number on the ecu case is a 173 type and iv opened it up and on the chip itself it has just one long number which is...... 1267355705 and i can just see that the chip is an AMD one if that helps. Does anyone here know what this is, i can take a picture if it helps, sorry for the nerdy question but it would be a right result if it was a superchips one or similar, cheers Dean

Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:45 pm
by Speedtouch
Sorry to disappoint you, but that's a standard BMW chip (I have one just like it, identical part number, in a 173 ECU!)
http://www.promotron.com/list/bmw.htm
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:48 pm
by EndaW
AMD is the maker, these were also used aftermarket.
does the chip have a window ?
Post a picture of the chip.
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:50 pm
by dobbie82
looks like a standard one, a quick google gives this:
BMW 325i 2.5L E30 125KW 1726366 94118 M13 CHK:507F BOSCH 0261200173 1267355705
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:50 pm
by deano1351
Dam ok, is there a chance then that its a sport one as opposed to a touring one, i only say because the revs seemed more snappy, ill give it a proper try at the weekend
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:51 pm
by dobbie82
assuming the last number is the chip number, the one before it is the ECU number and the thing before that is the ecu manufacturer, Bsch in this case
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:52 pm
by dobbie82
erm anyone care to decipher this comprehensive list
http://www.elecauto.com/vol240.htm
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:52 pm
by Speedtouch
No, Sport engine is identical in every respect to the standard 325i
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:53 pm
by EndaW
1267 is the software number, this shoul dbe matched if the car was chipped properly, it doesnt mean the car is not chipped now.
Post a pic of the ecu inners showing the chip.
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:07 pm
by deano1351
Here you go, hope this works

Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:08 pm
by Speedtouch
Label's been lifted so it may have been reprogrammed...
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:08 pm
by EndaW
Thats original by the looks of it, are there any noticable solder marks on the pins of the chip or do they look original ?
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:12 pm
by deano1351
Cant see any solder at all, the label is lifted though on three corners and its only just been opened after years of sitting in my mates shed and the tabs to open it looked like they had been played with before, thats why we thought something had been done
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:13 pm
by deano1351
I suppose it could have been reprogrammed, i guess ill have to wait for the weekend and plug it back in again with fingers crossed
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:14 pm
by EndaW
Its hard to say but I would guess its stock.
Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:15 pm
by Speedtouch
Well if it offers no gains, I can provide you with a chip that will!

Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:18 pm
by deano1351
Haha nice plug speedtouch, ill give you a call if this one doesnt work out. Thanks for all your input everyone, much appreciated, ill let you all know what happens with it

Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 5:55 pm
by deano1351
Well iv just swapped them over and the new one was no different to the original apart from the the original had a code ending in 380 and the new one i tried ended in 173, didnt make any difference in how it drove though

Re: ECU question!! Thinking caps on please
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:02 pm
by Speedtouch
The 173 is preferable, since the 380 contains extra idle control circuitry that is reknowned for blowing its diodes.