Toyota. Celica SR 1998

[AlecJane]

Hi everyone we have a Limited Edition Toyota Celica SR 1998.  It has had an engine rebuild.  A month ago the tick over kept dropping out.  We called our Green Flag guys out and by the time the mechanic had finished the engine was dead.  He said he had checked all the fuses but there was nothing wrong there.  He said there was no spark.  The garage it was towed to eventually got around to looking at it 3 weeks later.  They have said ‘the computer is faulty’. We did not know a car if this age had a computer!  They say they are sending it off to be looked at as Toyota no longer make the part?  What’s your thoughts please?

[DerekHa]

Hi there Alec.

Sorry to hear that your has died on you.

What your garage call the computer or brain is properly called the ECU. They've been around in various forms since the early 80's though not all vehicles had them then but all cars have them now.

Not sure that Toyota could still supply one being nearly 25yrs old, (would be very expensive) but others here will be able to advise you on that. eBay may be a source for one so long as it's known to be good and you get the right part.

Also there are places around that can refurbish/remanufacture ECU's when they've died. BBA Reman are one I know of and have used in the past for repairing car electronics.

Being as that garage took so long to look at the car do you trust them?

 

[AlecJane]

Hi DerekHa that is the question.  It seems as we cannot move the vehicle without great expense we will have to see what this garage comes up with.  It seems strange that it started as a rev running too low and ends up with no spark whatsoever.  Would the ECU do this?

[DerekHa]

Hi again.

A bad ECU, Engine Control Unit, can cause all manner of problems ranging from minor irritations to stopping the car dead in it's tracks. It's quite possible the ECU had started to develope a fault at the time the tick over was cutting out and then has gone on to be terminal and give up the ghost totally. Your garage could well be right that the ECU has failed.

Best to wait for someone like Flash22 to advise you, his knowledge seems to be without limit and if he don't know he knows where to find out! Old Frostyballs is also a font of knowledge!