dabatman99
New Member
Anybody know if I can use one of these (from ebay) to reprogram the new (used) ecu that I got from a junkyard to fit my 2005 honda civic?
Ok, tough luck with the cars ecu :/I understand your concerns about it being illegal and it possibly being a device "that would easily let you steal 'unstealable' cars". I should clarify a few things. I bought my car a few weeks ago from a guy who didn't know much about it, or anything much about cars in general. The car had a miss in it (like it was missing on one cylinder), and I found that to be a faulty coil pack. I cleared the faults and the car ran smooth again. Shortly after I was getting a P0135 code (o2 sensor heater fault). I replaced it with a new DENSO sensor (the correct one for the 2005 civic lx). The problem was still happening. I began researching on various civic forums and tried to figure out what the problem could be. I found out that the 2001 to 2003 civics used a narrow band O2 sensor and was a different setup than my 2005 civic lx (as it uses a wideband sensor, complete with relay etc.). I then began to think that maybe somebody might have changed the ECU. Upon removing the ECU, I confirmed that someone did in fact change the ECU and that it was from a 2003 civic! I wanted my car to work properly and get the best fuel mileage, so I decided to buy an ECU from a junk yard. I was able to find one for 100.00. Now from my understanding, the ECU needs to be programmed to accept my keys, as I haven't changed any of that stuff. I called the dealership and they said they could do it for about 90.00 plus tax; however, they are 100kms away from me, and if I can find a tool that I can use for my own personal use, then I'd rather do that instead of giving money to a dealership every time I have an issue with an ECU, or ignition switch etc. It seems that everywhere I go, somebody is always taking my money, whether its the government or the "stealerships". To be honest, what I'm doing here is using what I've bought and paid for with my own money and trying to make it work, but if I have to, I will go to the "Stealership" and give them a bunch of money so they can hit a few buttons and make everything good to go. I was just hoping somebody out there could help me out. I'd appreciate it.
Ok, ya that airbag recall is probably something you want to do... After what is it, 5 years? My local dealer finally has parts so im going to get mine done next week i think. Its too bad no one else had advice but i have never heard of an individual owning one. If you couldn't find anything on a google search then its probably not a safe investment. I cant see it working well for how cheap it is. But when your at the dealership you could ask if they have heard of that brand or type. Probably not the guy at the counter but if you get to see the guy doing the work they might know more.well, I called the dealership, and booked an appointment for Wednesday. I'll see how it goes. There is also a recall on the airbags that they are going to do. I wasn't getting any feedback on the key programmer, so I too was a bit eerie about it, so I decided to pass. I know that the chinese equipment, is often very useful, and sometimes worthless, and it was a chance not worth the investment. Hopefully I can get this ECU flashed and running with the O2 sensor working and the EGR system working again. I just want it all back to original. This is my second civic I've had, and I sold my first to my son. He needed a reliable car to get to work, and although my car had alot of kms on it, it was still bulletproof. I've put alot of time, money, and maintenance into it as I too commute over 200kms (round trip) a day in travel with it. My first civic was excellent on gas getting me up to 39mpgUS highway. I found this other civic and it is an LX with few more options than the previous. I'm working my way through the newer civic fixing things as I go. I need a car to be reliable. I would have gone with a TDI jetta, as they are more fuel efficient, but I feel in the long run if you run into any serious maintenance (ie fuel pump etc), then that defeats the purpose of the extra fuel economy. I find parts are a bit more expensive online for the VW as well. Civic has been the #1 car in canada for 18 years now. Thanks for your help, I'll keep you up to date to let you know how I make out.