shaqhammer

Does anyone know were I can get a stock ECU for a '94 ? I live in Cali and I have to get my car smogged in a few days but my check engine light stays on all the time.
I took my car to the dealer & even a few shops & they all told me that I need a working ecu because they all couldn't get any codes to come up. I thought if your ecu was not functioning your car wouldn't run?
Well if anyone has any suggestions please help if you can...

Thanks

bureau_c

Your ECU is functioning, its just not functioning 100% correctly. Is your current ECU stock? I'm not that familiar with the Cali smog tests, but is the Check Engine Light in and of itself something they would fail you for? If not, I'd give it a shot as-is (assuming your ECU is in fact stock). There's a pretty fair chance whatever is wrong isn't affecting your emissions at all.

jds

zhill

Just go check the for sale sections. And searh for the mothod to reset the ecu.

rynberg

zhill is right. The first thing to do is to reset the ecu to clear the code and see if the light goes away (that is, if the ecu really isn't throwing any codes). You reset the ecu by unplugging the neg battery cable and holding the brake pedal for 30 seconds.

If you need another ecu, there's always a few for sale in the classifieds forum.

Bureau_c: Yes, you will fail smog check in California for either a check engine light that doesn't light up on start up or one that comes on while the car is running.

Talon

Make sure you list whether you have an auto or 5 spd if/when you go looking for an ecu.

Engberg

I think failing inspections because of a CEL is a pretty standard thing, not just California. You should pull the code and see what it is, but I'm assuming the shops did that. If it's lighting the CEL it should be throwing a code.

shaqhammer

Thanks alot good people, i'll let you know what happened...

shaqhammer

I just reset my ecu & the light still stays on,Damn!,i'll just try to find a used one in the classified section...

bureau_c

Here in Florida, even when we did inspections, nobody but me was in the driver's seat, so if I had a CEL no one would see it but me. I used to live in Missouri, but its been so long I don't remember what they did during inspections, or if they even had them back then. Hmmm...pretty bogus though. I have a speedometer sensor error code that keeps popping up and lighting the CEL. Why on earth should that cause me to fail an emissions inspection???

I know...I am falling into the trap of applying logic to government bureaucracy!

jds

Engberg

I'm speaking Technically, in Texas they would tap my brake lights check my wipers and give me a sticker...laziness rules there not law BUT that was a station I found through word of mouth. At another station I failed becuase they said my tires were too worn and that I had to have them replaced before they'd pass me.

rynberg

That's a big mistake when talking about California...

They can fail you for smog in this state for having an aftermarket intercooler. So, essentially only the companies big enough to afford to pay for CARB certification (like Greddy, HKS) have emissions-legal parts. All other aftermarket parts are illegal.

Going into more detail, I passed smog a couple of months ago. My numbers were actually below the average passing vehicle, despite having a downpipe, intake, and SMIC (with stock ecu back then). I would still have failed the smog based on aftermarket mods if I didn't find a non-**** smog station who ignored the visuals.