ECU NEEDED!!!! PLEASE HELP!

Post Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:01 am

Hi, my bmw has broken down and the engineers report is that the ECU has packed it in. I need a motronic control unit 0261200073. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The car electrics work fine, the car just wouldnt start. When RAC picked me up they said that there was no spark to the engine because something was bypassing it and he thought it might be the alarm, but that all checked out fine.
cheers for your help.

Post Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:11 am

I very much doubt if there is anything wrong with your existing ECU, especially if this was diagnosed by the RAC.
ECU failure is not unknown, but "blame the ECU" is the favourite diagnosis of those who don't know what they're doing.

Post Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:25 am

agree with Brian, this needs looking into before splashing the Ã‚£Ã‚£ dude

the ECU cany just fail, unless you've ha troubles starting in the past ?

Post Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:49 pm

i have a old ecu from my 325 1991
motronic
0 261 200 173
different number to yours may work???????????

Post Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:01 pm

i have an o73 ecu

pm me if you decide to change it

Daz

Post Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:34 pm

sounds morel like a crank sensor to me ?

Post Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:01 pm

m-dtech wrote:sounds morel like a crank sensor to me ?

Would be my first check!

Post Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:09 am

yeah, thats what the rac guy said. he said it would most likely be the Crankshaft sensor but when he towed me home he asked me to start the car as a check and it started. so he said it can't be the crankshaft sensor. i got a rebuilt ecu fitted yesterday and it started fine. i stil dnt think that was the problem but at least its running... for now. i need to get the car tuned coz its out of synch which is probably coz of the new ecu, any recommendations. im in Reading

Post Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:24 am

Duff craank sensor often "repairs" itself when cold.
New ECU will take an hour or so of learning settings before settlind down.

Post Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:04 am

so u think the heat has caused the crank sensor to go? whats the best way to find out if it is the sensor? where abouts is the sensor? sorry if i sound ignorant, its just i cant find any info in the haynes manual and i checked on the net and it said its either on the gearbox or the engine??
cheers

Post Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:18 am

Crank sensor is a small metal cylinder sitting at about 10 o'clock position (viewed from the front, looking back) around the toothed crank pulley on the engine.
All that is inside of it is a coil of very fine wire, which after many years of service, can break. As the car cools down, the sensor contracts slightly, and the broken ends touch, restoring the sensor to life, untill it gets warmed up again.
DC resistance of the sensor should be about 540 ohms, but for the reasons above, this is not a conclusive test, except to confirm a dead one.
Best check is to swap for a good second hand one, readily available off here if not from a scrappy.

Post Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:53 am

How much do the crank sensors usually go for? Where abouts can i find one on this site? Cheers for all your help guys.

Post Fri Jul 07, 2006 9:14 am

fez wrote:How much do the crank sensors usually go for? Where abouts can i find one on this site? Cheers for all your help guys.

Ask in"E30 parts wanted". Make your whereabouts known; there may be a zoner living near you willing to help.

Post Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:13 am

cheers guys.