Thanks.As the country’s leading diesel computer reconstruction specialists, we’ve worked hard to become the one-stop Diesel ECM (Engine Control Module) resource for commercial truck fleets, diesel mechanics, and private truck owners. Does anyone know what could be causing the ECU to blow repeatedly and make it OBDII undetectable after it goes out? The dealer is my last hope and before I go there and get lubed up, I just wanted to see if anyone may have something else for me to try. It seems like there is a short somewhere, but no one is able to locate it. I’ve had a mobile ford Tech look at it as well as a wiring harness rebuilder but both were unable to locate any reason for new ECU’s to be crapping out after a few start up processes. We opened many places along the engine wiring harness to inspect for chewed or damaged wiring. I had all fuses and relays checked, both in the engine fuse box as well as the BCM fuse box in the cab at the passenger side foot panel. The speedometer would show up as dashes only, no miles. I repeated the process, got another programmed ECU, and it did the same thing, started a few times, and then it was dead again. After ordering a replacement ECU online and having it programmed to my VIN number, as well as the PATS reprogrammed to my existing keys, the truck did start a few times, but the next day when I went to drive it, it was dead again. All other modules were discovered except for the ECU. After hooked up to a diagnostic machine, the ECU was not found. The truck would NOT retain any of the error codes for a scan tool to pick up on prior to it not starting again. No crank, no start, just the same error messages cycling thru on the dash screen. This sequence of errors started happening a little more frequently over the next few weeks until one day, it would not start again. I pulled over, turned off the truck, waited a few moments, started it up, and was back on the road driving again with no issues. Didn’t think anything of it until one day when the truck went into limp mode after many warnings came on the dash screen starting with low oil pressure, engine hot, advance track fail, check 4×4, and a wrench popped up. Once idle picked up after stopping at a light, it went away and wouldn’t happen but a few more times or so per day. Months ago I started getting a “low oil pressure” warning on my dash screen. If the engine control unit is not working, then it won’t be able to send electronic input to the engine. You may still get your engine to crank but that’s all it will do. If your car simply does not start and you can’t figure out why, then it may be because the engine control module has gone bad or stopped functioning completely. You will need to use a diagnostic scanner to confirm what the actual issue is. If you’re lucky, it will only mean the engine control unit is in trouble and not the entire engine itself. This warning light could mean any number of possible issues with the engine. One of the most obvious indicators of a possible ECM issue is when the check engine light illuminates on your dashboard. This will drive down the vehicle’s fuel economy, which means you’ll be paying more money at the gas pump. Often times, it will start burning more fuel than usual just to sustain its normal driving needs. When the engine control module is glitchy, the engine might not always know the right amount of fuel to deliver to the internal combustion process. But even if you experience it one time, you should do something about it right away. The engine stalling will likely be inconsistent, so it may stall sometimes and then clear up at other times. This doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong with the engine itself, but it does mean there could be a malfunction taking place with the engine control unit. 2) Engine StallingĪlong with a weak engine performance, you could actually experience the engine misfiring or at least stalling a lot. If you notice any kind of acceleration issues, then it could be because of a bad engine control module. This will ultimately affect your ability to accelerate the vehicle as you step on the gas pedal. Your engine will start to have bad timing and it won’t get power as efficiently as it used to from the internal combustion process. 1) Bad Engine PerformanceĪ big symptom that you will notice from a bad engine control module is poor engine performance. Here are 5 common symptoms of a bad engine control unit in a vehicle. But it is important that you recognize these symptoms as they arise, so you can do something about it right away. If you have a bad ECM in your vehicle, the symptoms will become more than obvious. Top 5 Symptoms of a Bad Engine Control Module