I think I just killed my Maxima. I was checking my fluids this morning and seeing what i needed more of in the garage before i hit the auto store to stock up on supplies for my tune up. I decided to check my ecu for codes while I was at it too.
So I took my trusty philips head and pushed it into the hole and started to turn when suddenly I have the urge to sneeze. An explosion come out of me and what happens, I just broke that little screw and stabed my ecu with my screwdriver! As soon as i realized what happened I tried to start my car and nothing happens. Did I just kill my ECU? I check my fuel system fuses and ignition fuses to make sure i didnt short anything. They were all fine. My battery light was on so I tried to jump it, no go. She'll crank, but thats it. Any other clues or tips for me to try. I've just spent the past 4 hours tinkering and I'm very tire and frustrated. Anything is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Sucks, when you sneezed, did you leave the screw in self-diagnostics mode? I guess your only solution would be to try to open up the ECU and fix what you broke... :-\ or get another one.

 

what he ^ said. prollly gonna have to open yer ECU up and see if yuou can fix it. i think theres some more info on this kind of situation in one of the stickies under the how to pull your CEL codes.
good luck man. mb a good time for a new ECU??

 

guess you have to unplug that ecu and take it out, put a new screw. if that don't work. just get a use one for now at a junk yard. That suck, you stab that ecu.

 

oncd I forgot the screw on diagnostic mode, and the car functioned in a really weird way. RPMS too low... hard starts a bunch of things.. try to rotate the screw back to the normal mode... my guess. but I don't know mucha obut that.

 

What a bad time to have to sneeze. Terrible tragic but oh so funny, simply because the sneeze came at the worst time.

But Is anything physcially broken? dented? does the scew still turn? so the car will crank but no fire?

If you are 5-speed, I'd try to push start it after exhausting all other options. Good thing about a 5 speed, as long as the alternator is good, and you have gas you can always start a 5 speed.

 

I remeber that my cel shut off, but no codes. I think I did leave in diagnostic mode. I tried to trip the remaining lines to take it out but nothing happened.

 

God bless you and your ECU.

 

Lol your a big *** brute lol, bad luck like watchama call it, get another ecu from the junk yard, go in and say you gotta get something like a dash board or something, you go in there and take the ecu out and stick that sh*t in your pocket and make haste.

 

WTF kind of comment is this? Who the hell wears pants with pockets big enough to fit an ECU? Besides, why would you give such bad advise?

 

Your just the most unlucky **** in this board. If you had that sensation that you were about to sneeze, why didn't you pull out?? General rule of thumb, pulling out on time is the best practice one must develop.

BTW that screw isn't a phillip, rather a flat head screw.

Oh and another thing, even if you leave the ECU on diag mode. You can turn the ignition off and back on and the ecu should be out of diag mode after that.

 

[QUOTE=DR-Max]BTW that screw isn't a phillip, rather a flat head screw. QUOTE]

That's a good idea. Good luck man hope you fix it.

 

I dont get why u guys dont just borrow a OBDII scanner from autozone. It not that out of the way and sure beats messing up the ecu.

 

Because pulling codes off of the ECU is practically idiot-proof. It couldn't be any easier. You should try pulling codes from any later model Toyotas! You have to make a jumper wire and select the correct pins inside the diag box. Now I can see other people messing that up.

 

I forgot to mention in my original post that I'm one of those lucky guys that own a 99 cali spec. Instead of the nice big flat head screw we get the tiny little plastic philips head. I'm going to call a few junk yards maybe I'll find a cali spec. Anyone know any online vendors that sell ECUs? Too bad Technosquares and JWT dont do 99 ECUs, otherwise I'd send it out.

I'd go to autozone but there isn't one in my town, closest one is a a few towns over. I use a mom and pop shop down the street and they charge to check them, So I've always just used the screw driver. I'm planning on picking up an inexpensive OBDII scanner off of ebay now.

 

If you can't find the ECU locally, I would suggest going to Car-Parts.com You should be able to find what you're looking for their. 99 Cali spec is going to be a little harder to find. I assume you have an auto. Good luck with that though.

 

How compatable are ECUs? Will I be fine as lond as its a cali spec, auto with no TCS?

 

It is going to have to be a '99 too.

 

definately a 99

 

dude, look where he's from... he's from trenton. i'm from the camden area and people around here tend to think like that too. it's cool because he's in the ghetto, so just chill out homie! lol im just messin wit you xD

 

Are you sure about that because last time i checked the JWT ECU in my 1999 was doing just fine.... Are you 5speed or Auto? Do GXE's have the chipped Key?