hi, my ecu is broken and im trying to get a new one for my '98 maxima. Nissan is asking for $900. a website like ecu-direct is asking for about $400. and junk yards are asking for $100-150 for a used one. they are all telling me that the codes must match on these ecu's and that i need the same exact one. they all tell me even though that its a '98 the 2 DIGIT code must still match else it will not work. and there are like 50 different ones for a '98 maxima. nissan and ecudirect have any code available, but junk yards are limited , and it has been very hard to find my code. i wanna buy one from a junk yard of course. but i also heard from someone that you can switch an ecu from any 4th Gen maxima and it will work with no problems. how is this if nissan,ecudirect, and even the junk yards are telling me otherwise. has someone done that? do you have to mod something before hand? please help me out, thanks.

 

thats what they think because nissan tells them that. I have a 95 automatic ECU in my 97 5 spd lol. with that being said there are some differnces in pins in differnt years but as long as you get another 98 ecu matching your transmission youll be fine and it will work fine

-Ryan

 

if you have no plans to get a jwt or TS upgrade then just get one out of a 98 and make sure you match your transmission. will work like a charm, i would even post in the 4th gen classifieds to see if a member here has one for sale, you can also check ebay. bottom line there is nothing hard about this, those jokers at the junkyards are misinformed

 

im sorry, but what is a "jwt or TS" ?

 

two companies

 

what kind of companies? for what kind of parts?

 

I'm feeling nice today.

TS is Technosquare, JWT is Jim Wolf Technology.

Both of these companies make ECU upgrades for our cars, with advanced ignition timing, remapped air/fuel ratios, and removed speed limiters. A JWT ECU also can be programmed to extend your rev limiter. Incase you're unsure what all of that means... in short, it makes your maxima faster. heh.

If you buy direct from either of these companies, the normal price is $595 + a core swap (you send them your stock ECU along with the payment).

If you hang around the 4th gen. classified forums here on the .org, you'll be able to find a used stock ECU that you can use for hundreds cheaper than nissan and that other vendor are quoting you. If you're interested, you may even get lucky find a TS or JWT ECU for sale from a private party who won't need a stock ECU in return.

Hope this helps, good luck either way.

 

i just got the new ecu, and for some reason my check engine light keeps coming up. before when i had my old ecu, the check engine light never came up. i resetted the ecu and the CEL was still there. why is this? would a new ecu cause some electrical problems?
P.S. i got the same ECU code as my last one if you would think thats the reason

 

what code are you getting? why do you think it's a bad ecu?

 

His check engine light is on.

 

lol...
please provide the following info:
what was wrong with the ORIGINAL ecm? broken is not specific enough
what codes are you getting?
what part code is on the old ecm?
what ecm did you get?
a/t or 5spd?
does the car run?

 

i broke the original ecu because i tried to play with it, my code was 3G and i got a used 3G off of a junk yard. autozone said im getting like 14 codes, didn't write down which ones. it is an automatic and yes the car does run. when i had my old ecu the check engine would not light up while the car was running. i wanted to do a self-diagnosis because i thought it was ghost codes and i messed up in the process. in the new ecu, my check engine is showing up.

 

Well, Im not the one with the ECU issue, ask the original poster.

 

www.car-part.com

98/Auto ..

 

i tried a 97 ecm in my 95 and got 14 codes also. 7 (pending) came up immediatly and the same 7 set after i started the car. all seemed to be for the evap system. my part #codes didn't match, and i knew the ecm wasn't 100% compatable but i was trying to solve a different issue. seems strange that you get that many codes with the same 3g ecm. double check the harness at the ecm, loosen the bolt and make sure the plug is going in evenly and all the way in. i'll check the one i have at home later and see which one it is, maybe you could try mine.

 

i was inquiring about the replacement ecm he got, i'll try to be more specific in the future....

 

I was replying to the original poster