ALH, want a spare ECU

Twinkieflyer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Location
Blacksburg, Virginia
TDI
2002 ALH 5spd
Ok, so my next problem is, I want a spare ECU.

I realize from reading the immobilizer will not allow it to run. So I thought I would buy another off eBay and send it for delete. Sounded good, but when I went to do that the place said they could sell me one, but I needed the part number.

So for a 2002 Jetta I need to pull out and verify mine is that right?
Or is there some easier way.

The end objective is embarrassing, I don't wear tin foil but I want this vehicle to survive electronics failure...

I also only have one key fob. Can I get another one while I am at it.

Thanks,
Bill
 

Celco

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Location
Warren, MI 48092
TDI
2002 Golf 4dr ALH 5-speed
I dont know if it shows part number or anything noted to see what is actually in there... but there is some info displayed when looking at VDCS Engine screen. No sure if that will help though. No hard to get at the ECU though so you can take a peek.

Key fobs can be reprogrammed thru VCDS. I think you can resync them to the car with a key in door/ignition on:eek:ff/turning key sequence.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
The tin foil comment makes me wonder what kind of electronics failure you're concerned about. Keep in mind that the ecu and the key are only two electronics components that can be damaged in the car. The cluster is a third, comfort module a fourth, and then there are multiple solenoids and relays that can be damaged.
 

Twinkieflyer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Location
Blacksburg, Virginia
TDI
2002 ALH 5spd
Anything that will stop it from running. Not concerned about incidentals.
And thanks for your excellent high mileage kit. Really saves time putting everything together.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Immobilizer is in the cluster. The injection pump has a shutoff solenoid that could be damaged by a power surge.

Glad the kit worked out for you.
 

Enabled

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Manual, BMW 328d SW
Any knowledgeable tuner/ecu expert can 100% clone your ecu (should use same part numbers). Then the car will be none the wiser.
 

Twinkieflyer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Location
Blacksburg, Virginia
TDI
2002 ALH 5spd
Any knowledgeable tuner/ecu expert can 100% clone your ecu (should use same part numbers). Then the car will be none the wiser.
So do I need to pull my ECU to have it cloned? I would assume so, and then who can I send it to? Is there a place that has cores to use?

But if the cluster fries, I am stil sol, so an immo delete might be better.
 

Enabled

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Manual, BMW 328d SW
Cluster can be cloned too :)


I keep a digital backup of my cluster and my ecu, without needing the physical item somewhere on a shelf. If something fails (extremely small chance), then I can restore a used one into my car as needed. I understand keeping the parts if it was a Countach or something, but these cars are nowhere near that status.

VWs are getting scrapped left and right, so salvage yard or ebay is a good source for parts.

But honestly, if it hasn't failed yet, you have a greater chance of an inattentive driver destroying your car on the road than electronics failure.

And even if you have electronics failure, the data can still be acquired from said module... Unless total burn or something.
 

Twinkieflyer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Location
Blacksburg, Virginia
TDI
2002 ALH 5spd
I see, gets complicated. So I probably need to find a comfort zone, and I think that is a spare ECU with immo defeat.

So I probably need to pull it, get the same part number and send it off.
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
Hopefully it's not an EMP thing that's the concern. Most of that is debunked: if you have it somehow plugged in THEN you might have an issue (more risk to EV folks). Of course, if there are EMP events I'm thinking that I might not be in the mood to be swapping ECUs;)

I do, however, have a couple of diesel vehicles that have basically no electronics: it wasn't an intentional choice, just turned out that that's what I could afford at the time.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
I've kept a lot of major spare parts ever since the rebuild of the original '01 jettawreck and then the more recent rear-ending that totaled the 2003 and the ensuing 1.8/TDI conversion project car. Multiple oil coolers, injection pump, turbo, egr coolers, etc., etc. And a complete donor corpse car, soon to be two as the salt corrosion consumes the 2001 until I find another suitable swap chassis. Most all "spares" have gone unused-so far...
Anyways, a cluster and ECU have never been on my shelves or bins. Figured would deal with that if/when it ever occurred, which doesn't seem likely and the relatively low cost to source those makes the priority rather low.
 

Twinkieflyer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Location
Blacksburg, Virginia
TDI
2002 ALH 5spd
I am an electrical engineer, high power switching, and I love the fact I can turn off the power in my airplane and it just hums on...

Nothing like a magneto, or better yet two.

Electronics need backup. I wish I had an older diesel with no ECU.
 

maxmoo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Location
Lakefield, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2000 golf, 2001 golf, 2000 beetle, 2003 wagon, 2004 golf, 2004 jetta, all diesels
I am an electrical engineer, high power switching, and I love the fact I can turn off the power in my airplane and it just hums on...

Nothing like a magneto, or better yet two.

Electronics need backup. I wish I had an older diesel with no ECU.
That's the solution.
I see you're from Virginia.....do you have any inside knowledge?
EMP's......not if but when?
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
EMPs will only likely have an effect IF you're tied into the grid: careful about plugging in block heaters! I've followed enough of this stuff over the years to feel fairly confident that the odds of my equipment being affected is so low that it's not worth the extra hassles. It's like what an offshore sailboat racer said of his preparations- if you lose the big boat then what can you expect of the small one? (invest energies in keeping the yacht seaworthy!)

If lots of stuff is disrupted via EMP there will also be the issue of big disruptions to the roadways! One of my non-electronics vehicles is a 4wd tractor (diesel, of course): I bought it not as some sort of emergency escape vehicle (though it's always good to make things multi-functional, so in that regard I CAN understand people looking to reduce complexities that could fail in emergency situations), but for tractor work. This tractor will go where my truck cannot.
 

Twinkieflyer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Location
Blacksburg, Virginia
TDI
2002 ALH 5spd
For my comfort level I will buy the spare and do immo delete. Then deal with the key.
I have the water heater but no need to plug in here. Doesn't get below teens. Need to find new headlights, get paint job.
 

Rrusse11

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Location
PA Deutsch Country
TDI
2002 Golf, 5spd; 05 Jeep CRD
'Scuse my ignorance here, but there are 2 ways to defeat the immobilizer?

1. The more common way is to delete/overwrite in the ECU.
2. Defeat the immobilizer in the car's instrument cluster?

So with a defeat either way, no need to program the key fob in any
way? As long as it is cut correctly, key should work, and the
radio signal fob buttons should also lock/unlock doors and hatch?

So with my already in hand spare ECU, same part #s, I still may have to get it pinned to the car.
Even though my immobilizer has been defeated. Or get it's software re-written?

Hmmm, I'll have to get a hold of Jeff and find out what he did.
With my latest upgrade he told me he'd de-immobilized the car,
the question is whether he rewrote the cluster or the ECU.


 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
That's not always true.
That's why I said "likely." ;) (tests show that the likelihood is very low; "low" doesn't mean cannot happen) I'm not one to assign total certainty to anything: as long as time exists anything is possible; learned a long time ago how to recognize the difference between "possible" and "probable."
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Hmmm.

I have the matching Cluster, ECU, wiring, accelerator pedal, ALH Engine, etc., from the donor car in my 84 Vanagon. I installed the ignition in the dash (two key system). But, while at the 2013 TDI Fest, Jon did me a Malone tune and the Immoblizer delete.

So, as I remember, he took the ECU apart and un-solidered something (chip or something). Thus, I have no flashing light in the Cluster.

Also, why would the ECU have to have the same part number? Is this a match issue with the Cluster? Or, does it involve all the other bells and whistles? The reason I ask, I have an extra ECU that needs the immoblizer deleted. Thought I might install it and go back to stock boost!

To the OP, I've never worried about losing the electronics in any of my cars down through the years .......... and, haven't lost any thus far! The ECU in my old 83 Vanagon still works fine..... same with my 1976 Beetle. Yes, different, but still electronics.
 

bobbiemartin

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Location
Jacksonville, FL
TDI
2010 Tiguan TDI 4Motion, Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD
I'm not aware of a method to modify the cluster for an immobilizer delete. I've had several Malone ECU immobilizer deletes. I can't say for sure, but I believe it is software based only. In any event, the immobilizer light will stay on. All you have to do is remove the cluster, take out the needles and face and put a piece of electrical tape over the immobilizer light. Once reassembled, you will never see the immobilizer light. With the immobilizer delete, you can swap keys and clusters with no programming required.
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
I'm not aware of a method to modify the cluster for an immobilizer delete. I've had several Malone ECU immobilizer deletes. I can't say for sure, but I believe it is software based only. In any event, the immobilizer light will stay on. All you have to do is remove the cluster, take out the needles and face and put a piece of electrical tape over the immobilizer light. Once reassembled, you will never see the immobilizer light. With the immobilizer delete, you can swap keys and clusters with no programming required.
But then you must only swap with a cluster that also has a piece of electrical tape over the immobilizer light.:D
 

bobbiemartin

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Location
Jacksonville, FL
TDI
2010 Tiguan TDI 4Motion, Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Just to make it clear

So with a defeat either way, no need to program the key fob in any
way? As long as it is cut correctly, key should work, and the
radio signal fob buttons should also lock/unlock doors and hatch?

Correct – no ECU programming of the key in any way. If it will turn the ignition switch, the car will start. The key will still operate the remote door locks. If you add a key, you will have to program it to the door locks, but that is easy. The remote lock and immobilizer are totally separate inside the key and have nothing to do with each other.
[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]So with my already in hand spare ECU, same part #s, I still may have to get it pinned to the car. Even though my immobilizer has been defeated. Or get it's software re-written?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]If the immobilizer has been deleted, you just have to swap it in. Nothing else. Basically it's plug and play. You could take any compatible immobilizer delete ECU and put it in another like car and drive it away. Other than the (always on) immobilizer light it would run normally.[/FONT]
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Any good instructions or "how-to" links on removing the cluster faces and/or clear plastic lense cover? I attempted it on the gasser 1.8 cluster to see if I could remover the clear cover and cracked it. It apperared to be glued to the cluster unit around the tabs.
Not trying to hijack the thread, just wondering about following the budget method "remedy" for the flashing immobilizer light.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Well, as I stated in Post #24, I used all the bits and pieces from the donor car (2002 Jetta) in my conversion project, including the Cluster. After the Immoblizer delete, there is no light on in the cluster..... light free. And, Jon (JFettig) did remove the back of the ECU....... I watched him do the work using a solider gun/stick in their "shop" in the hotel room!

Interesting....
 
Top