I have a 2007 Toyota Corolla. Unfortunetly my warranty is up. Big surprise huh? Anyway I need a new ECM and the dealership wants to charge me $700.00 to replace it. I was wondering if this is something I could replace myself at a fraction of the cost?
The engine control module is covered under the federal emissions warranty until 80k. If you need a body control module, that would not be covered.
Why do you think you need an ECM? These are pretty reliable…Google “used Toyota parts” and you should be able to find a salvage yard unit.
You can also get repaired units for about half the cost of the dealer prices if you really need one.
Well the car would stall while drivining it for one, or not start. I took out the fuel injection fuses and put them back in. After I did that the car would run fine for a few days, and then I would have to repeat the process. The dealership said that the code that came back was that I needed a new computer.
I also had to replace the ECM in my '06 Corolla. This problem is not all that unusual. I tried unsuccessfully to get it rebuilt. Ended up buying a new one from the dealer.
Your car is an '07. If the car has less than 80k miles on it then if it really needs an ECM this means the bill is on Toyota, not you.
ECMs are warranted under Federal mandate for 8 years/80k miles.
How Many Miles On It ? It Must Be Over 80K, Eh ?
Apparently there is a problem with these ECMs. A TSB (Toyota Technical Service Bulletin) written for Toyota Technicians alerts them to this problem involving certain 2005 - 2007 Corolla and Matrix models, ones equipped with th 1ZZ-FE engine.
They are covered under warranty for 96 months or 80,000 miles.
Some symptoms include: crank /no start and /or MIL (Check Engine Light) on and DTC codes PO601, PO606, PO607.
A revised part began being installed in vehicles after a certain VIN and the revised part also replaces the ones that croak.
Have your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) checked to see if you’ve got the old kind or the newer kind. Either way, but especially if you’ve got the old kind, be polite and ask for assistance from Toyota since they made a batch of questionable parts.
Ask to speak with a zone rep. and /or call Toyota customer assistance and explain the situation. Anything they can do for you will help. How can they sell a car that people perceive to made for the long haul with short haul brains (the car’s brain, I meant)?
Above all be polite, but insistant, consistant, assistant, and persistant, and maybe good things will happen.
CSA
I want to thank everyone who responded to my problem.the car has 67,000 miles on it.the light on the left side went on.not sure why.asked autozone to tell me why.results was I needed a ecm.error code reads po171 system to lean bank one.called dealer,said it was okay to drive as long as the light is not bleaking.can I do it with out taken to dealer,and save $300.00?seen it done on u tube.
Thanks Ellie
Are you the OP for this thread Ellie? Just w/a new handle? Or is this a different problem and different car and a differentt owner? If the latter, suggest you post this as a new thread. Click on maintenance/repairs on the upper left corner of this page, then “ask a question” or whatever that blue box says on the upper right corner of that page.
As far as your symptoms, usually a shop would check the real time fuel trim measurements given that code. Has that already been done?
This is almost certainly a bad intake manifold gasket.
A common problem with this vintage Toyota.
It’s a $5 part (plus markup and labor if you don’t DIY).
Be sure an updated orange silicone gasket is used, not the old style black rubber.
I’ve seen dealerships change ECMs on cars where they’re not needed, because they couldn’t be bothered doing any diagnosis. The customer was charged a bunch, and ended up getting the car repaired properly elsewhere. I myself repaired a car that the dealership changed the ECM on without effect. The problem turned out to be a bad coil.
I strongly recommend you go for a second opinion to a reputable independently owned and operated shop with a good reputation for doing diagnostics.
A P0171 code could also just be a dirty MAF sensor. It is located in the duct between the air filter and the throttle body, next to the air filter. Two screws on top, then pull up. Clean it with some MAF cleaner ($7 @ most parts stores) and reinstall.
I have just had the same problem and solved it today. I went to AutoZone also and the read out said it was a Code PG171 Indicates that the Bank 1 System is too lean for a predetermined period of time. So I was prepared to go to the service garage tomorrow. On my way home I noticed that I needed gas. While filling my tank and preparing to screw the cap on I noticed I did not hear a click. I was wearing gloves as I normally do and removed then and tried again to tighten until I hear a click. This time it was successful. When I started the car and pulled out of the station I saw that the check engine light was gone. Could the fix be that simple? Was I not tightening the gas cap enough? Just a thought for you to ponder. Good Luck.Oh yes my odometer is at 82,000
While I fail to see a relationship between the EVAP system and the metering of bank 1, I suppose anything is possible… but I suspect it was a coincidence. Post back if the CEL returns.
No it wasn’t that easy. To turn on the MIL (check engine light), that code has to be detected for two consecutive drive cycles. To turn the light off, the code must not be detected for three consecutive drive cycles. Since you didn’t do three consecutive drive cycles right after filling the tank and tightening the cap, that had nothing to do with it. If the code is detected again in the next ten drive cycles, it will turn the light back on, after ten drive cycles without the code being detected, it is erased from the computer and everything starts over again.
I have no idea what a drive cycle is but I have put over 500 miles on the car since the problem and the light is still off. Works for me. lol. If it comes back I will take it in for maintenance. Thanks to all who replied.
A “Drive cycle” happens every time you get in the car, start the engine, drive for a while, then park, and stop the engine… It is something – sort of a granularity – the engine computer uses when testing the functionality of the emissions system. There’s many tests the computer does that you don’t even know it is doing while you drive the car. Some of these only occur when something happens to trigger the test. Like the gas tank transitions from 1/2 full to 1/4 full. Or when the vehicle speed stays between 0 mph to 50 mph over the course of fewer than 5 miles and Park, Drive, and Reverse are all used. When those triggering events happen, then the computer does the test for that “drive cycle”. There are some drive cycles where one test is done but the other isn’t, etc etc. And some tests have to be done twice on consecutive drive cycles before they are considered accurate. @keith is saying the CEL may not be turning on b/c those conditions haven’t yet been met. So the test isn’t being done. And with no test, no CEL.
That all said, the evap system is a complicated gadget-controlled function. And it is entirely possible a faulty gas cap could confuse the engine computer enough to make it think, or in fact there is, a lean burn condition happening. On newer cars the fuel system is sometimes pressurized to test for leaks, or sometimes a negative pressure is used, same idea, to check for leaks. That could possibly affect fuel flow from the tank, and if there was a problem might prevent the full rate of fuel flow, and a lean burn condition. Unlikely, but conceivable at least.
Wow. There’s a lot of misinformation here about code setting criteria, code clearing criteria, drive cycles, and some other things.
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This is a costume party, everyone is dressed as a mechanic.
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