My dealer knew I had an aftermarket ecu/ecu reflash. Guess how? BY THE STICKER ON THE ECU!!! They told me "it looks like you have an aftermarket ecu by Cobb, version 1.8". I find this ironic because dealers can't detect because they don't have the technology and tools but they can detect it with their eyes.



If you want to know the reason why they looked at my ECU, read on. The reason they looked at my ecu in the first place is because of a CEL code that came on. It was a P0122 - "IAT sensor circuit low input". This happened after an amplifier install by goodguys. So I went to the dealer (at Senator Subaru in Sacramento) and asked them to check it out and they said it is most likely caused by the amp install because they ran the power wires through the same firewall hole as the wires. So I called GoodGuys and they agreed to cover the charge if the dealer could find a direct cause. So then I gave the go to the dealer to check out what's wrong with it. First they charge me $80 to just check pull the code (even though I knew what code it was since I pulled it at Autozone). Then they said it will probably take about 3-4 hours of labor to find out what's causing the cel code by pulling out each wire from the firewall hole and testing it. Well, after 3 hours later, they called me and said that everything looks fine. The IAT sensor looks good and so does the wire itself. There were no rips or anything due to the amplifier install. SOO, they said it is most likely due to me having an aftermarket reflash. Something in the ecu is wrong so they said I should contact Cobb. So I called Cobb and they said that it's virtually impossible for the ecu to pull a code since they don't mess with certain parts of the ecu (that may have pulled the code). Well the light went out for some reason now after disconnecting the ecu and checking everything. and now, I'm fricken stuck with a $330 bill for the dealer not doing anything. (I thought GoodGuys were responsible in the first place so I gave them the go ahead to diagnose my car.) For all we know the problem is probably still there because they didn't fix anything. They even admitted that the code may still pop up in the future and they're blaming it on Cobb. And Cobb is not taking fault.

Anyone know where I should go from here or am I just so outta luck? btw, i already payed the $330 yesterday but was just wondering what everyone thinks.

 

ummm, i think that sucks..... just my $.02 sorry im not being helpfull.

if it comes back, pull the sticker off your ecu and take it to a different dealer, but if they replace the ecu then you lose your reflash.... i dunno

 

AccessPORT = no sticker!

 

Im going to request that no stickers of any kind be placed on my ECU when i get the EcuTek reflash.

Hopefully that should do it....


-K

 

you DID try resetting your ecu to see if the code would reappear before you went to the dealer, right?

 

yea ive tried to digconnect the positive and negative terminal from the battery and then pressing the brakes a few times. the light would just come back up.

 

Goodguys fault, obviously. Sorry dude, good luck.

 

the only problem with that is the dealer might have already put it in the national database that the warranty is void- thats how we do it here- once a dealership service voids a warranty they have to register it so... i have had a couple of customers that their warranty was voided without their knowledge... but it showed up on my company computer that it was... his car was modified.
resources like carfax.com can receive the info as well.




aloha from the summit of Mauna Kea

 

shouda taken that sticker off...or waited for the AP...mine gets delivered tomrrow!!!!

 

are you sure it will be delivered tomorrow? did cobb tell you this? they kept telling me next week, and then 2 months later i get it. but oh yea, its worth it. haha.