Chevy place says 159.00 for new ECM with core. Anybody have a better suggestion. Stock engine with about 55k on the clock. Car is an automatic.

 

chevy price is probly a 'rebuilt',not new... will come without any chip inside (chip for 89 was 'discontinued' by GM several years ago to help them drive customers away and insure bankruptcy)

same -165 ecm was used in hordes of late 80's chev s-10, gmc s-15, four cylinder fuel injected pick-ups...will need to transfer your chip...check your local j-y first, price should be under $50 if you ask for it by 'service number' and FOR A S-10 (at least double price for same ecm if you ask for 'vette' part)... if all else fails i have one here for $75 shipped, no chip.

btw, very strange, a couple of years ago (none since) i had three buds cars have 'apparent' ecm probs that we finally traced to ONE badly corroded 'pin' in the ecm harness connector...different pin in each...pita since the pins look good until actually backed out from the connector, whereon the corrosion is obvious...to check the connector pins in a vette, remove the pass side seat, put your feet into the rear luggage space, lay on the floor and work in comfort with the connector hanging in your face, remove each pin/inspect/reinsert before doing next pin to avoid mixing.

 

I'll check that. I did have a loose resistor on the PC board for the A/C under the driver's dash. Soldered it and A/C's been working good ever since.

If you check my posts, you'll find I've been dealing with this rich condition, trouble codes and poor mileage for a couple of months. I've been replacing sensors as codes come up and have replaced injectors with FIC Bosch III 22lb I think. I'm down to only a couple of electronic items. I will be replacing CTS this morning to be sure it's going into closed loop. If that doesn't do it, then I guess its replacing ECM.

If that doesn't get it, then I guess I'll be paying somebody to figure it out. I've always been a gearhead and I'm really chapped over not being able to figure this one out!

Thanks for the tip.

 

I will just consider myself lucky. But I am sure it is just a matetr of time before it happens to mine !

 

I bought mine at O'Reily's auto parts. You need to keep your stock chip and cover.

 

GMPartsDirect.com----$110.00 + Shipping

 

Seems like a likely thread to bring up with this datapoint. I did see a similar situation in another thread but can't find it, I really tried.

While chasing what wound up being an intermittent fuel pump hot line, I changed the ECM in a fit of trying to get an 88 stable for an event.

Only one I could put my hands on was a GM reman from the local Chevy dealer, seemed like having a "known good" would be worth it. As soon as I put it in I got codes for the MAF circuit and MAF burn-off circuit.

I figured I must have clobbered something in my flailing. Once I found my intermittent I could not find anything in the MAF stuff, so I swapped my old ECM back in. No codes.

So the GM reman was NG, and of course the parts manager instantly assumed I was trying to give him my core back for a refund. It was not a fun conversation, he was accusatory from the get-go. While I do understand this part could be installed by a gorilla out of their control, I've been in the electronics business for a very long time. Needless to say I'm not very happy with the parts manager at Conway Chevrolet in Pepperell Mass right now.

After getting past the initial accusation I was not able to get past "This sure looks like a used part". Of course it does, it was a reman. He did not want to believe the aluminum case would not be new. ($%(!@^)% idiot.

My concern now is making sure the GM reman facility finds out they let a bad one out. Any organization needs this kind of feedback for their quality process.

Thanks for listening,
- Jeff

 

There are no "new" ECM's - never have been short of a redesign (and there haven't been any that I'm aware of, though the '85 or '86 got a redesigned PROM). They're all rebuilds and if replaced under the original warranty, that's what you got, so don't knock yourself out looking for one.

 

I just replaced mine in an 85. I got it at autozone and it was less then $100. Worked perfectly.