Spare ECM

pantherqs · 07-10-2009, 05:07 PM

If I were to purchase a spare ECM from my dealer, do I have to take it in to get programmed for my car or can I just plug it in when I get home and be ready to go?

07-GXP · 07-10-2009, 05:49 PM

The ECM will arrive without a tune on it.

If your getting it flashed with an aftermarket tune (pcm4less,werks,etc...) this isn't an issue as they will flash it with their own tune.

However if your just keeping it as a stock spare, you will have to get the dealer to load it, though I suppose one of the aftermarket guys could probably load it with a stock tune as well...though I highly recommend getting it tuned

Deep-GXP · 07-10-2009, 06:00 PM

A new ECM will come completely blank. You need to have the dealer flash your current tune onto it or you can send it to someone like Westers Garage for an aftermarket tune and he'll take care of all of it (that's what I did).

Good luck getting your dealer to flash your stock tune onto the new ECM though. Maybe it's cuz im younger and im only 22 yrs old but when I went and tried to do it they basically told me hell no. They questioned my ass so much about it. I told them I just wanted a spare ecm just incase something happened with the stock one and he was just like nah I can lose my job over this and bla bla BS bla BS bla bla bla.

pantherqs · 07-10-2009, 06:20 PM

Well, I do have HP Tuners, and I plan on using the new ECM to screw around with. Would I be able to just read my old ECM, put the new one in, buy the credits for the new one and load the tune on there?

Or is this Tech2 territory.