Thread: SLABS ECU replacement?

Originally Posted by bell1975

I'm unsure what this reference to ABS/CDL/TC/HDC aware SLABS ECUs is about?

Am I right in thinking that the earliest Disco 2s don't have an ECU that compensates for CDL being engaged in terms of the ABS/TC/HDC operation?

Yes, there are three possibilites with CDL engaged:

- Pre-facelift ECU which treats CDL engaged as an error state, ETC is inhibited, HDC, EBD, and ABD operate with reduced performance, and ABS/ETC warning lights illuminate.

- Pre-facelift ECU with "lobotomy". Cutting blue/black wire from the diff lock switch on the gearbox prevents the SLABS ECU from detecting when CDL is engaged, so applies normal parameters at all times. ("Ignorance is Bliss" perhaps?)

- Post-facelift ECU, applies revised parameters to ABS, HDC, EBD, and ETC to suit CDL.

The post-facelift ECU's are what I'd describe as "cdl aware".

cheers
Paul

So a transplant of a late SLABS ecu in to a early negates the need to cut wires?

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

So a transplant of a late SLABS ecu in to a early negates the need to cut wires?

Yes. The SRD000150 and SRD500070 at least will correctly respond to engaged CDL.

It remains to be seen how easy it is to transplant used ECU's.

cheers
Paul

I've got the car if someone wants to send me a late unit. Where's the SLABs located? The most difficult part of the car to get to (this would be behind the heater matrix right)

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

I've got the car if someone wants to send me a late unit. Where's the SLABs located? The most difficult part of the car to get to (this would be behind the heater matrix right)

It's easy enough to get at. You need to remove the trim panel under the glovebox and glovebox lid to access. You also need to remove the BCU and ACE ECU's.

RAVE section 70.65.01 details the procedure.

My ECU cleared customs this afternoon so I should have in the next couple of days.

In the process of pulling my old slabs ECU. The one in the car is an srd000070 and this disabled the TC and lit the dash lights. So you definitely need the srd000150 or srd500070 ecu's.

The deed has been done and the D2 is now running with a SRD500070 SLABS ECU.

The process is pretty straight forward:

Remove the kick board and Glovebox lid and remove the BCU.
ECUTransplant5.jpg

You also need to unclip the brown cable clamp attached to the ECU bracket (bottom left of the above pic).

You then unplug the connectors from the SLABS and ACE ECU's.
ECUTransplant4.jpg

Next step is to undo the 13mm nuts holding the ECU bracket. This requires a long extension to reach the nuts. You loosen the top nut - I found I need to undo so the top of the stud was a few threads below the face of the nut. I found the best way to get the bracket out was to slide the end closest the firewall downwards.
ECUTransplant3.jpg

Once you have the bracket out it's a simple matter of removing the nuts securing the SLABS ECU and swapping the units over.
ECUTransplant1.jpg

My D2 had the SRD000070 ECU installed. There was a recall on all D2's built prior to 2nd July 2001 to replace earlier versions of the ECU with the SRD000070 ECU so it's likely most early D2's will have this part installed.
ECUTransplant2.jpg

Installation is the reverse procedure.

The moment of truth
At this point I was a bit concerned that I'd be faced with pulling the new ECU out again, but this was not the case.

As it turns out a Nanocom is sufficient to perform the upgrade. All I needed to do was change settings from AIR to COIL to suit my D2 and clear 2 sensor related faults that were stored in the replacement ECU. After these two tasks the ABS Lamp remained lit, but this is apparently normal and extinguished once I was travelling over 15km/h.

I have done a short drive to test CDL function and it all appears to be behaving as intended. Starting with CDL engaged illuminates only the Diff Lock lamp, and disengaging CDL is accompanied by 3 chimes.

I was a bit surprised when I got the 3 chimes at start up, but had no warning lights. I've searched and this behaviour was discussed in a thread back in Jan 2011 and is apparently normal with the later SLABS ECU's - and just like a MY04 D2a
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-...ml#post1398800

Anyway I can say with a fair degree of certainty that these ECU are not locked to a single vehicle and the setup doesn't require anything more than a Nanocom or equivalent tool to change settings to suit the recipient D2.

cheers
Paul

Nice, I like your work.

If people have airbags they would need to program the new ECU with the old height settings as well.

Cheers
Ron