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RPM Technik is one of the UK’s leading independent Porsche specialists. RPM specialise in all models of Porsche from classic through to current.

Burnt out ECU - help needed please!

I don't think these can be reprogrammed so you may need the other gubbins as a kit(ie DME immobiliser keys) from the same donor car as the ECU is matched to those other parts and to the cars VIN.

You also need the proper Porsche diagnostics tool to re-flash anything.

I'd never try to repair any slightly burnt ECU when for 400/500 quid you can buy a used set of matched electronics vs spending hours or days trying to get it to run.

You may only end up spending more money and pulling your hair out in the long run.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=Porsche 996 ecu &ssPageName=GSTL
 
You can only swop a second hand ecu if you have the IPAS codes for it , even then its a bit of a fiddle .. DME and alarm control units have the same immobiliser code .. you need the chassis no. and V5 of the donner vehicle if fitting just a dme basically to recode it .

If you are just using it for spares to repair your old one then its fine .

bank 2 cam solenoid seems to be the fault , pin 52 i would expect is at the other end of the plug so not at fault ..

As these are not cheap to replace then perhaps bank 2 only ... i'm also not sure if bank 1 can be replaced with the engine in situ .. the garage will say ... i'm pretty sure that one of these banks needs the bracket removed / engine drop to replace either way .

I'll just add .. there are some amazing people on this forum that will help as much as they can :thumb:
 
So we have an intern in my office at the moment - an electronics engineer and software engineer. Basically a genius. He was in LA last year with an Irish team who qualified for Elon Musks Hyperloop trails... Look it up if you haven't heard about it!

Anyway we were chatting away and he was telling me that most of the time electronics fail are because of capacitors and how he fixed a €400 C Class Merc gearbox ecu by replacing the 12 cent capcitor...

So i showed him the photos above and straight away he started talking in a language that I only partially understood (mosvet transistors etc)- but essentially he said (only having looked at the photo) that either the battery is stuffed, or alternator voltage regulator was gone or faulty, or the demand component (bank 2 solenoid) was faulty. Which correlates to what others have said above.

he's said that fixing either of the ecu's in the photos is not realistic - it could be done in theory but you would be chasing faults forever on it).

Hope you get it sorted
 
Whip the alternator out and change out the brushes and regulator.....costs buttons and you also have a refurbed alternator. A new battery is less than 100 quid with a 3 yr warranty.

Your biggest cost is the ecu kit/gubbins lifted from another donor car otherwise to try to do it any other way is going to be grief stricken, costly and time consuming.

Give a respected Indy like Jasmine porchlink or 9m a call as they may have the electronics to do the job and will tell your guys exactly what they need for the transplant. They will need all the sticker details from your existing ECU.
 
A quick update for everyone, and for the benefit of anyone who encounters a similar issue in the future (I hope not for their sake!)

Turns out it was a burnt out variocam solenoid (bank 2) that did the damage. I knew I was running with bank 1 out of action for a few months, but kept putting off getting it replaced.

So, as someone now speaking from experience - as soon as you think/know one of your variocam solenoids has gone (a rough idle is the obvious symptom), do get it changed ASAP if you can!

Thanks to everyone for their support and suggestions - much appreciated.

Will
 
NorfolkWill, many thanks for taking the time to post the actual cause of your burned out ECU hopefully it will save some other owner suffering similarly.

I`m guessing here, though wondering if the solenoid burned out due to some sort of extra mechanical resistance in the variocam operation, which then may have caused the solenoid to suffer overload (draw excessive current) and eventually burn out, (shorting out internally) which then overloaded the ECU outputs for the solenoid causing internal burning of the ECU ..?

Of course the solenoid could have burned out due to vibration, eventually breaking down insulation in it`s windings..? Perhaps a fuse on those outputs could save an ECU..?

Just thinking in type and claiming zero automotive digital experience.. :?:
 
thanks for posting the follow up Will, always good to see how something is fixed a d the knowledge will be kept in the 911uk hive mind.
 
Luddite said:
NorfolkWill, many thanks for taking the time to post the actual cause of your burned out ECU hopefully it will save some other owner suffering similarly.

I`m guessing here, though wondering if the solenoid burned out due to some sort of extra mechanical resistance in the variocam operation, which then may have caused the solenoid to suffer overload (draw excessive current) and eventually burn out, (shorting out internally) which then overloaded the ECU outputs for the solenoid causing internal burning of the ECU ..?

Of course the solenoid could have burned out due to vibration, eventually breaking down insulation in it`s windings..? Perhaps a fuse on those outputs could save an ECU..?

Just thinking in type and claiming zero automotive digital experience.. :?:
Click to expand...

i'm pretty sure its just a case of the solenoid wires shorting together internally .. i've seen this a couple of times over the years but not one that had caused this kind of damage .. always possible though with wiring .

There is no fuse or any kind of protection as standard .
 
Iain, many THANKS for taking the time to provide the answer to my ECU question, very much appreciated. I can understand that when a solenoid is diagnosed as damaged internally that it may be normal just to replace it, thus problem solved.. I on the other hand have been known to cut things apart to try to determine the cause of failure..(-: My thinking on fusing was as a possible modification that may have been a worthwhile consideration if such failures were a semi regular occurrence.
 
The lead where the wiring exits the solenoid is at a sharp angle .. this seems to be the place it shorts out at .. a design issue perhaps :dont know:

Either way it's rare but does happen .. but a blown ecu is unlikely but possible .

This is only applicable to early cars with vario cam and not variocam plus .
 
eabeukes said:
Any chance you could post the part numbers for the solenoids?
Click to expand...

I don't have them I'm afraid - all done through my Indy mechanic! I'm sure someone on this thread will be able to help though...
 
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