Diesel with BECM issue.

Hi all,
While NANOCOM connected to the car, just checked the BECM section.
It gives the message 'unable to communicate with the ECU...'
Also, found that the engine is 'Motronic' instead of 'Early EDC' though all fuelling and other parameters are indicated under EDC section.
Changed the engine to 'Eraly EDC' but BECM is not accepting it.
See pictures please. Your views are appreciated.

kapilamuni said:

Hi all,
While NANOCOM connected to the car, just checked the BECM section.
It gives the message 'unable to communicate with the ECU...'
Also, found that the engine is 'Motronic' instead of 'Early EDC' though all fuelling and other parameters are indicated under EDC section.
Changed the engine to 'Eraly EDC' but BECM is not accepting it.
See pictures please. Your views are appreciated.
View attachment 128077 View attachment 128078 View attachment 128079

Click to expand...

To make changes in BECM you have to go into diagnostic mode. Connect Nanocom with ignition turned OFF. Go to BECM section. You should get a message on dash display "Diagnostic Mode" change settings then write to BECM. Changes to BECM cannot be made with ignition on or with engine running.

Thanks. I thought something wrong with my car, having motronics.

Checked it as told. The engine set to 'Late EDC'. Since mine is not that, changed to 'Early EDC'.

Well, it refused to start. Just kept on cranking.
Changed back to 'Late EDC' and it started.
Now I'm confused as the car is 1997 MY , and must be 'Early EDC'.

As far as I know, Early EDC was only 1994 (pre production) and maybe up to 1996 vehicles. 'Late EDC' was from around '97 onwards. I think there were quite a few 'revisions' or 'refinements' in the P38 design/wiring etc around '97 - probably to address some of the problems found with the first couple of years worth of production models!

Motronic will work to start the vehicle, as the later petrol ECU's and the 'Late EDC' Diesel ECU's (probably as they're both Bosch units) use the same immobilisation strategy.

May be I've misunderstood.
I thought 'Late EDC ' means engine with EGR & MAF
and 'Early EDC' means non EGR with IAT sensor. (mine came with this setup)

Also, whether late or early, all diesel ECUs are BOSCH, I believe.

You would think that the Early/Late EDC was with the changeover, as with the 'gems/motronic' petrol differences.

But it isn't (as you've found out). I don't know exactly WHEN the changeover was, but from the BECM point of view, it's to do with the immobilisation strategy that the ECU expects (again, as you've found out). and this happened sometime before they changed to the 'later' engine with EGR and the likes.

The early EDC ECU's are Bosch aswell, yes - but they obviously handled the immobiliser differently to the 'late' version used in most of the production years of P38.

Marty

My 1995 one is late EDC so you didn't stand a chance. I found the same as you.

kapilamuni said:

Well, it refused to start. Just kept on cranking.
Changed back to 'Late EDC' and it started.
Now I'm confused as the car is 1997 MY , and must be 'Early EDC'.

Click to expand...

If i had seen this earlier could have told you that. Sorry. Early late EDC has nothing to do with fitting of EGR in 1998. They are all late EDC.

No problem Lesson learnt.
Also, I didn't know that to access BECM, need to switch off the car.

Thanks.

kapilamuni said:

No problem Lesson learnt.
Also, I didn't know that to access BECM, need to switch off the car.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Wammers mentioned that in post #2, maybe you missed it ...

Nope. After that only I changed to 'Early EDC'.