Just wondering who uses which of the many control unit companies as I was quite happy with a well known one until recently and had a bad experience. Your thoughts on the ones you use would help me chose who to use in the future please ?

Hi
I used to use BBA but they just take way to long to do anything now.
I now use ECU testing, how ever I try not to use anyone unless its the last resort.
I have had mixed results from both, nothing ever bad though.
I prefer to source and fit a used unit, rather than test / repair, its sometimes cheaper anyway.

Very few of these "black paint"repair companies give reliable service.My limited experience with them suggests that in most cases they cannot test the unit adequately anyway.Always wondered how it is possible to test an Ecu if it is not on the vehicle??.My thoughts are that if I think a repair can be carried out correctly,I would use either AC tronics of Colchester,or Avilec on the isle of Wight.Another point that I dont quite get,is why would you get an ATe abs repaired when a new unit is the same price or cheaper from main dealer?

We used to use BBA, but have had only bad experiances the last 3 jobs they attempted to do for us.
2 jobs ended up with refunds after bouncing it back and forth to them, and then them saying they could'nt actually fix, and the other, after having to send it back 3 times for a differnt fault each time it came back, was a new ecu.
We have now started using Actronics, so far so good.
Andy

Thanks for the replies guys, all useful information, I am at the stage of deciding who to use for my next issue, a corsa transmission control unit as the company I usually use has carried out a repair on a control unit that I did not ask for (requested as part of immobiliser set) and returned it faulty when it worked ok to start with. I returned the unit for test and was charged an admin fee (return postage) and guess what, on refitting it worked ok !

I agree that sometimes, either replace or advise, customer to go source a used part and " on their head be it should it not be a quality one".

Has anyone tried Bosch?

http://www.bosch-repair-service.com

I only found their website for this recently but you would assume their standards are a little higher.

Matt

AC tronics have never let me down ,abs and dash probs but bba waste of time and when they have done them they return faulty.
But will look into bosch next time..

Hi Matt yes we use Bosch for SatNav/Audio repair ect. You can register for free and get quotes for repairs on almost all the Bosch products. All the quotes seems to be a fixed price of around £175 for Ecu's. The last time we used them was for a Nissan Qashqai broken screen the charge was just over £300 a really quick service. The customer had been quoted £1200 from dealers.

For Ecu's and dash panel inserts we have been using ACtronic's for years never had problems unlike others we have used.

Keith

I am surprised ATP not been mentioned yet. Used them for near twenty years without complaint.--and yes, there were ECUs twenty years ago!

I use ECU testing, never had a problem with them & find them honest & fair.

I sent a PD EDC 16 PCM to Actronics - along with the vehicle key & dash panel as requested and it came back with a 'tested okay' report .

It patently wasn't "okay" because a new ECU resolved the fault (injector drivers dead).
But when the PCM was returned from Actronics with "tested okay" stamped on it, I then wasted a good deal more time retesting before arriving at the original conclusion - ECU deceased.

A phone call to Actronics with the confirmed failure of their testing processes proven, garnered the admission - they couldn't accurately test the injector driver circuit & therefore were unable to accurately state the PCM was definitely "okay".

The engineer I spoke to said it is impossible to test certain circuits accurately unless it is plugged into the car.

We've had bad returns from BBA & others & have now given up with ECU testing to the point where we won't even fit a unit the customer has sent for repair. The aggravation involved when it doesn't work or comes back with new & interesting faults it didn't have before being reapered (genuine typo) isn't worth the hassle of the "it was fitted wrong" "no it was repaired badly" shenannigans that goes on with some of these bandits.

I have however heard good reports on the Bosch Ecu repair service - I just wouldn't use them due to a complete lack of trust in the repair processes applied by some of these companies.
How do we vet if they can actually do the job properly? we can't.

The best test rig I have found is the vehicle, once I have proved what is wrong, I will then phone and find out if the company in question can replace/repair what component that has failed within the ECU. (in Jon's case the injector drivers)

ATP have been good over the years, as has Robin at The ECU Doctor.

Mark

If i believe i have a ecu fault, i will pull it

a part and test it on the car and then if i can not

repair it myself i will tell whichever company i

decided to repair what is wrong and what needs to be

replaced.