Hi, apparently my 2001 GS300 has a bad ECU according to the dealership. If I were to buy a used ECU of the same year would I have to get the ECU and keys reprogrammed for the car? or is it a simple swap over?

 

You will need the matching transponder key that goes with that ECU. It's plug and play if you have the pair.

 

If the ecu comes with a key it is simple. If no key you will have to have the ecu either flashed or a key added to the eeprom. You can also swap the immobilizer eeprom from one ecu to the other. Some locksmiths can do this. If you feel adventerous I have been giving preprogrammed eeproms away with virgin files written to them. It is pretty simple to swap out the chip

 

I'd first start asking if the ECU is really bad. Unless there's an electrical short/over-voltage, an ECU going bad is a 1:1,000,000 occurrence.

Why does the dealership say the ECU is bad? What symptoms brought the car to the dealership, for them to diagnose that the ECU was the failed part, and needs to be replaced?

 

 

I have tried getting the ECU sent to SIA Electronics but they were unable to repair it.

 

 

Must have missed this epidemic of bad ECMs/ECUs... of all the cars we've owned, and all the cars we've heard of in our car community, there hasn't been a bad ECU in the group.

Yet, a good reason to grab ECU's, when they come up at the local pick-and-pull...

 

@Mauser I know this is bumping an old post but I am interested if this is something you're still offering.

 

I would like to try one of those flashed chips you have