ECU replacement.

[ayemattyyy]

how hard is it to replace an ECU(engine control unit) on an e30? Looking at an otherwise clean car and would like to know how hard it might be to replace. Thanks!

[smonkbmw]

how do you know it needs to be replaced? symptoms?

its not hard. 3 screws above the glovebox, 2 bolts in the ecu. its all right there.

[ayemattyyy]

the seller said the car's on it's fourth ecu but say's it's something different. how could I ask him to test it to find out what's wrong? The engine cranks, but get's no ignition.

[nando]

is it getting spark? if there is no spark at all, either the coil/wiring is fubar'd, or the crank sensor isn't working. if the car is getting spark then the ECU and crank sensor are probably fine. I'd be amazed if a car went through 4 ECUs though - something else must be wrong.

[E30 Cabrio]

On a scale of 1 - 10 with 1 being the easiest and 10 the toughest, it's about a 1.5

I agree though - ECU's rarely fail and whatever is causing the ECU to fail so frequently could be a symptom of a bigger, hidden problem.

He could also be BS'ng you about the ECU being the cause of the car not starting and it could have other problems that aren't as easy to fix as an ECU

Buyer beware.

See if you can find a cheap ECU on ebay or locally and swap it out and see if the car starts and runs, but I would be hesitant to buy and drive a car that goes thru ECU's so quickly.

Good luck.