173 ecu chip - check engine

[Zorin]

Hi,

I recently purchased 173 ecu with ebay chip for my m20b25 (89 325ic) and once installed in my car it set the check engine right away - but no code is present. I disconnected the battery and will check tomorrow if the code is back. Is it possible that the code was set by low octane gas in the tank ? The chip is for 91. The car runs fine with the check engine on.

[Midnighttuning]

cheap ebay chip = Bad checksum

renders your diagnostics useless till the problem is fixed... You need to buy a legit chip to solve the problem

all the best!

[Zorin]

The chip is by DIGITECHNIK.
I needed the ecu and chip was a "bonus".
Is it possible that low octane gas is the cause ?

[Midnighttuning]

The chip is by DIGITECHNIK.
I needed the ecu and chip was a "bonus".
Is it possible that low octane gas is the cause ?

Never heard of them...
I'm calling it a checksum error
Low octane will not cause a CEL

cheers

[Zorin]

Never heard of them...
I'm calling it a checksum error
Low octane will not cause a CEL

cheers

they are on ebay.
i guess stock chip needs to go back.

[DmcL]

it will run fine just the light will be on..

this seems like a bit of a hit or miss problem because most of the ones ive had anything to do with do not throw the engine light even with the checksum untouched while i have heard of 1 or 2 cases where the checksum not being corected has caused the engine light to come on. from what i gather it seems to happen moreso on USA/canadian models and not on european/UK models or atleast thats my experience so far.

also +1 to fuel octane not causing a CEL. these ECU's arent that advanced..

[Zorin]

yeah, i am not a fan of cel lights on so i rather put the stock chip in it.

[george graves]

People always say that these ebay chips are all suppose to be copies of markD turner or dinan - but when they don't work right, you know they aren't.

Here ya go OP: http://www.turnermotorsport.com/BMW-...1995-cars.aspx

[Zorin]

People always say that these ebay chips are all suppose to be copies of markD turner or dinan - but when they don't work right, you know they aren't.

Here ya go OP: http://www.turnermotorsport.com/BMW-...1995-cars.aspx

i rather put the stock back into the ecu - i got the ebay chip as a bonus.

[Zorin]

reset didn't help - check engine came back on
replaced the chip and no check engine

[george graves]

unplug the battery over night? - That might reset the ECu - don't know. What else did you change to the car at the time of doing the chip?

[Zorin]

nothing was changed - battery was unplugged for 18hrs - flashing cel.
replaced the chip and no cel.
i guess previous owner assumed that cel was ok :-)
engine is stock m20b25 with 190kms.
the original 173 ecu had cracked connector so decided to buy another one as replacement and it came with the chip. i swapped the ebay chip with the oem one.

[george graves]

So the cel was flashing before you installed chip/ecu?

[Zorin]

no, before all was fine - no cel - once i installed ecu with the ebay it started flashing.
original ecu was fine except cosmetic damage to the connector.