Buying Used Aftermarket ECU
 

Im just curious, is there anyway of telling if the ecu is aftermarket or not? Outer shell can be the aftermaket, but how would you know if the actual inside is the aftermarket ecu or not?

I want to know this because I'm about to get a used m2 ecu, and im not sure if its actually m2 tuned ecu, or even working. (not that i suspect the person)

If not, i guess we all are taking chances when we buy an used aftermarket ecu...though, that applys to everyother used things that we buy.:(

if you buy a used m2 ecu, you will have to send it to m2 or somewhere else to have it tuned, unless you have the exact same mods the other person had on it. i dont think they are able to be tuned as easily as others like the apexi pfc.
i doubt anyone would sell you an ecu that has an m2 case and is not an m2 ecu. if your buying it off a person on this forum, you shouldnt have to worry. 90% of the people on here are trustworthy.

M2 ECU cant be distinguished from the outside from a stock ECU. I bought mine off the forum from jpandes and love every bit of it.

You just need to buy from a good forum member.

Takes a somewhat trained eye. You need to take off the ECU box cover (four screws, I think), and look at the where the stock EPROM chip is located. There should be another small "board" soldered onto the stock motherboard, with another EPROM chip plugged into it. But even that's no guarantee that you have the proper aftermarket ECU.

Im pretty sure people in this forum wouldn't fake anything out, since we all are on the same boat. But I'm buying it from the "thepartstrader.com" he lives in my city...anyways, I have question about getting it tuned. I've heard from time to time, that you can run a stage 1 (intake,dp,exhaust) tuned car with stage 3 M2 ecu...its just gonna run rich. not true?

Dont buy an M2 Stage3 ECU if you want to get it tuned. Get your stock ECU tuned then.

Get M2 ECU Stage3 if you plan on running donwpipe, intakes, catback and better intercooler up to 13-14psi.
Thats it.