Technical Locked out! ECU + Keys + Ignition swap?

[EloThere]

Hello! Long time no post (might have blown up my Coupe on the nurburgring..!)

Question: if i bought a used ECU, ignition barrel and matching key(s), would this work to start my car? I have found a matching set near me on the used market for £110, which is infinitely cheaper than any other option I’ve found. Happy enough to fit it all myself.

(Part no. Matches exactly)

Context:
I bought a lovely 1.1 SPI Seicento back in November, and on the 2nd of Jan was the victim of a burglary. Both keys were taken (from different places, before you say!)

I now can’t get my insurance to cover a repair without a ‘new’ (never been in a car before) set of locks fitted to the car. And not a single locksmith in Yorkshire/Derbyshire can find a replacement, even Fiat/Stellantis’ vintage branch themselves!

I can of course pay a private locksmith to get new keys programmed, but that’ll be expensive (cheapest quote for a single key was £325 i believe from Phoenix) and will match the same as the old key, not exactly secure…

Thanks for the help!

 

[bugsymike]

Hello! Long time no post (might have blown up my Coupe on the nurburgring..!)

Question: if i bought a used ECU, ignition barrel and matching key(s), would this work to start my car? I have found a matching set near me on the used market for £110, which is infinitely cheaper than any other option I’ve found. Happy enough to fit it all myself.

(Part no. Matches exactly)

Context:
I bought a lovely 1.1 SPI Seicento back in November, and on the 2nd of Jan was the victim of a burglary. Both keys were taken (from different places, before you say!)

I now can’t get my insurance to cover a repair without a ‘new’ (never been in a car before) set of locks fitted to the car. And not a single locksmith in Yorkshire/Derbyshire can find a replacement, even Fiat/Stellantis’ vintage branch themselves!

I can of course pay a private locksmith to get new keys programmed, but that’ll be expensive (cheapest quote for a single key was £325 i believe from Phoenix) and will match the same as the old key, not exactly secure…

Thanks for the help!

On later vehicles you have to have the ECU, BCM, speedo, chipped keys etc. I am not sure if just those you mentioned will be enough, what does the seller say?

 

[FiatMatt94]

I don't see why the used parts with all matching numbers wouldn't work if you'll be changing the whole lot, this would probably be the best option as although used will be genuine & also if you're on a budget as long as the barrels, keys etc are decent, although you can buy new aftermarket keys & barrels off eBay but unsure what the quality would be like I think we all know the answer to this one , the only elephant in the room is it'll be unknown if the ECU works until you plug it in, another thing that could be worth doing is as you'll have a spare ECU assuming the replacement works is send the other one to a specialist firm to have the key code immobilizer removed/deactivated as there are still a few firms that do these early ECU's & at some point the SPI Immobilizers will start playing up as they were prone to it on all SPI Fiat's, I think on newer MPI cars onwards they improved them, anyway if you did this with the spare ECU then if this problem ever did arise which it no doubt will at some stage being an SPI you'll have an Immobilizer bypassed ECU ready to go straight in & be used without having to reprogram any keys etc

 

[icheatatscrabble]

I would definitely check the product number on your ECU and see that it matches with what you are interested in buying. Also there was no mention of the receiver ring in the list of parts you mentioned buying for £110 - make sure this is included too.

 

[bugsymike]

I would definitely check the product number on your ECU and see that it matches with what you are interested in buying. Also there was no mention of the receiver ring in the list of parts you mentioned buying for £110 - make sure this is included too.

Always useful to have the antenae ring that receives the signal from the chipped key, although I believe it just transfers the signal to the computer.

 

[icheatatscrabble]

Always useful to have the antenae ring that receives the signal from the chipped key, although I believe it just transfers the signal to the computer.

Didn't know that - learnt something new!

 

[EloThere]

Hey folks sorry to revive a dead post - been in the hospital a bunch lately.

In the end, the kit did have the reviever collar thing which sits on the end of the ignition barrel, and while everything seemed to match, it didn't work. Returns were accepted though, so no harm done.

In the meantime, I contacted three locksmith companies so far to try and assist instead, while I had no free time to do it myself.

I've got a fresh barrel, and three keys at this point, but no company I'm in contact with seem to actually have a reader for the EEPROM to pull codes off/issue new ones. Orange/Tango units are apparently needed for reading/writing codes for this model, but my knowledge in this sector of electrics is outside my range! Different story if it was laptops

I'll update as and when a solution is found - hopefully I can find a company that actually has the right tech!

 

[EloThere]

There is some good news to this, in the end :^)

I managed to get a new barrel, with key + chip which matches the factory immobiliser. That much is sorted now, and I can get the starter motor going.

Now onto my second problem - I have found out there is some sort of additional upgraded immobiliser system in the car, a Laserline (model 288, from the label on the unit) - and it is both extraordinarily loud and preventing her from firing up!! Lessons are being learned, that much is true.

I didn't realise that the key/remote I was given on sale of the car wasn't factory. Both the remote and the 3-pin touch key were taken in the burglary, so the whole immobiliser system is a big roadblock now. I'm going to contact Laserline themselves tomorrow to get some advice, if anybody has some for me here?

 

[bugsymike]

There is some good news to this, in the end :^)

I managed to get a new barrel, with key + chip which matches the factory immobiliser. That much is sorted now, and I can get the starter motor going.

Now onto my second problem - I have found out there is some sort of additional upgraded immobiliser system in the car, a Laserline (model 288, from the label on the unit) - and it is both extraordinarily loud and preventing her from firing up!! Lessons are being learned, that much is true.

I didn't realise that the key/remote I was given on sale of the car wasn't factory. Both the remote and the 3-pin touch key were taken in the burglary, so the whole immobiliser system is a big roadblock now. I'm going to contact Laserline themselves tomorrow to get some advice, if anybody has some for me here?

Aftermarket immobiliser systems are a pain in my experience, hopefully Laserline will be able to help you, failing that all you can do is look for anything that looks non factory wiring as in most cases the people who install the aftermarket stuff tend to be a bit shodddy, often using crimp on connectors, insulating tape that peels off, strange colour wiring, etc.

 

[EloThere]

Heyo all - another update.

Found an official partner of Laserline, based 10 minutes away from me (an errant ray of good luck..!) and I'm having her trailered there tomorrow morning. They've said it shouldn't be a big job to bypass or remove, whatever I want.

Will see how long they quote and get back to you all with the results :^)

 

[EloThere]

Laserline system has been bypassed, yet still no dice! The fuel pump is still not priming, and there is the CODE warning light on the dash (one with the key), which is staying illuminated. (It was installed properly, looks like it was a dash-out type job, so the techs have simply left it in, while bypassing the wiring)

Did I need to source a matching ECU (matched to the keys and immobox) for the 1.1 SPI? I was under the illusion that the immobox/keys would all talk to each other once they were swapped! my (still original) ECU is P/N 46534753, label reads IAW 16FM.E6

If so, I've heard talk of "uncoded" ECUs. Sounds like I might want one of those, if anybody knows where to source one!

The saga continues.

 

[bugsymike]

Can you have the code read using MES or similar to confirm the exact problem?
If that is the problem there are ECU Decoding companies that can "De imobilise" the ECU so it doesn't need coded keys etc. However you will need to sort some other device to keep Insurance company happy.
Is it possible with all the hassles you have had that different keys etc. have got mixed and don't match the ECU you have.