Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing ECU change needed

Wow ! seriously impressed with your electronics knowledge Roger

So am I..

My electronics knowledge is at the opposite end of the spectrum to Roger's so I can't help in that sense.

However, I do wonder if an ECU repairer couldn't supply you with a re-conditioned ECU and perhaps if you gave them your spare Key, they could code the ECU to suit your keys.

Must be someone in Sweden but in the UK I know of this company very local to where I live.

ATP ECU Testing & Repairs

Also check out their ECU Decoding section about how to bypass the immobiliser.

ECU Decoding

Can't hurt to have a chat with them. They might know someone in Sweden

..and I can't even handle a multimeter properly.. wonder where I am on any scale..

Thank you Bob (and the rest of you) for your supply of useful information including ideas and possible solutions.
Just by chance I found ATP yesterday and had a quick look. I will dig a little deeper and take your advice on contacting them.
And, yes, it would surprise me if there wasn't anyone here in Sweden that knows how to solve my problem. It's all about connections..

I’m afraid my electrickery knowledge is from the Ladybird book of electronics, I just like playing

It’s a shame it not a Duratec Thomas, I have spares… I hope you get it sorted quickly and let us know how you get on.

Very nice thought Roger, much obliged (if that's the appropriate expression... )

Ladybirds book... looks great I had to look it up - about my level too I guess. We had something similar called 'The Little Electrician'. I'm a little more into old fashioned electric stuff than electronics.

Hopefully it will be done by the time spring is here to stay and I'll let you know how it develops.

Todays developments:
Searched the net earlier in the week and strangely enough I found a used Escort 1.8 Zetec EEC IV ECU complete with transponder and 'antenna' for a very reasonable price. It arrived today. Looks alright but now I'm to nervous to just fit it and try to start the engine. There are a few things I'd like to check before that. It has lots of numbers and other info just the same as my original ECU but some details differ.
On the label everything looks fine but on the other side of the multipin connector there are a few discrepancies, as follows:
1. The first line says something about OSRAM and the numbers are different. Second line identical = ok.
2. 'Plastic imprint' under the info as of above is the same but further right, just left if the Ford 'marking, it says 3B on my old one and 4c on the new one. I've seen 'codes' like that in reference to transponders in the immobilization systems. Could that be it and if so, is it a problem if I change ECU, key transponder and immobilizer antenna?
Basically I feel it should work but just to be on a safer side it would be nice to hear if anyone has any knowledge regarding my questions..

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15CBFU39wIHwh0Q4_6HvtJbYbzkfaXLhv/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15KJ6udssWV5_ps7T6N5pT0yKt81p6ITe/view?usp=drivesdk

Two things to consider, the ECU's hardware codes and the software codes. When I did mine I wasn’t too bothered with the software codes as I was flashing with my own map. But regarding the hardware codes I was VERY careful that they matched. I found there were many different hardware codes for the Mondeo ECU’s and the pcb’s were all different. Any change in the cars build and it was a slightly different PCB installed. Obviously diesels and automatics are different too. You defiantly don’t want different hardware! I ‘believe’ your hardware code is SME-505 and it looks like they match ok. But I would take the covers off and inspect both sides of the pcb to check (component by component) that they are absolutely identical, even check the pcb part number and version if you can find it.

Regarding the software. When you are confident that the hardware is correct I think you have two options.
1. Send both ecu’s off to somebody that can take your map and install it into the donor ecu. There are a few people in the uk that can do this. If it can’t be done with a programmer like KESS2 then swopping the eeproms over might be another option.

2. Or take a flyer and just install it!!! My “personal opinion” which is a guess (and I really don't know), is that Morgan most likely only used the regular Ford tune. I suspect it is a standard tune with limited functionality. I would guess again that things like the ABS have been turned off so that it doesn’t throw an error code to keep the engine management light from coming on. I believe some of the functionality can be turned off and on using Ford’s own IDS software. Ford dealers use it.

The immobilizer….. Do you have the original donor ECU’s keys or chips? If it’s the same as the Visteon in the Duratec it will probably need new chips assigned.

Good luck....

Thank you Roger, quite a few things to consider I appreciate your efforts
I'm trying to find someone who might be able to help me without ruining me. I'd feel more comfortable if I had an 'expert' checking things. I think I can manage the hardware check though and make a decision depending on what I'll find.

A few new questions comes to mind:
- If I take the 'flyer option' - is there's any risk of destroying any components or corrupt any software/data?
- As I'm sure I have fed 5 volts to 'ground' into the ECU, isn't there a possibility that my 'map' is corrupt and that installing it in the donor ECU could leave me with two unusable ECU's ?!

Your immo question: I got one transponder chip and the antenna/sensor with the ECU. That should give me the option to plug-and-play... I suppose.

Thanks again

If you take the flyer option there will always be a risk of damaging hardware, the million dollar question is how big or small is the risk. You have to do everything you can to mitigate that risk before taking the plunge. You could email Mark Baldwin at the factory to see if he can advise. He was very helpful with me but he didn’t really know the detail regarding the Duratec ecu as the factory doesn’t touch ecu’s. The engine supply and ecu configuration was subcontracted to a company called Power Torque. I tried to talk to them directly but understandably they were not very communitive. Perhaps you could try one of the bigger uk Morgan dealers to see if they could advise. I didn’t go down this road but maybe say somebody like Tony at Williams, he is always very helpful. Message me if you need these email addresses.

I don’t personally see that you would have damaged or corrupted the map by grounding the 5v to a single sensors but I’m not an electronics engineer. It’s quite common to copy the map from a failing or damaged ecu to another. But I guess there is perhaps another possible fail scenario causing the problem to consider, albeit remote. Maybe it’s not the ecu that is damaged? Depending on the sensor wiring and which pins were shorted I guess there is a small possibility of having maybe damaged another engine sensor somewhere else on the loom, possibly?

That’s brilliant that you have one of the original chips. I think that should be able to ‘plug and play’ as you say but you cannot assign any new chips to the immobilizer. You need two originals chips to do that. However you can easily clone the one you have. In the uk very often key cutting shops in the high street have cloning machines to do this. They use a different type of chip for cloning but it physically looks the same.

Just for information....
The Duratec ecu’s has been modified by Power Torque. The extra label below has reference to their own tune. My guess is that they take a regular Ford tune, turn off the ancillaries that are not required and do a very simple map tweak to add that subtle exhaust popping.