Help fix a potential bad e-bay deal....DME Chip Question.

[Dave M]

Background:

I may have goten bad deal on e-bay when I purchesed a DME for the M50(405). I know I've got little chance of seeing my $$ again, but I'll feel better if I at least try to build a case. In short, I thought my DME may have been bad due to intermitent running issues, but I have since identified the fuel pump power source as the culprit and fixed it. So I receive the 'new' DME in the meantime, try it out for fun and it runs like **** right away (missing/running on <6 cylinders-car shakes at idle). I let it idle a while and it doesn't change. I re-instal it, same thing. So I e-mail the seller.

The seller is, of course, stating that its fine and the problem is due to, as he states he states "Your spark plugs may be fouled, if this ecu is chipped it'll be dumping extra fuel into your engine" (read whole story below). So, on that note, I cracked it open and saw what I believe to be a stock chip. Just want to confirm.

Chip info:
Black chip
# on white sticker01 001 486 759
Its made by AMD and has 1986 typed on it.

Does this sound like a stock chip??

Just for fun, here is his response to my e-mail regarding the problem.

OK, this unit was removed from an awesome running and driving 1992 BMW 525i with a 2.5L engine, I know so because I drove it for 3 weeks to work in October. There should be a service sticker on the backside stating a service was done on March 30 1995. I only had one of these with that sticker (the chip I received had NO service sticker). A lumpy idle on one cylinder would mean that this ECU doesn't match your MAF sensor or your MAF sensor is confusing your ECU. If your fuel injectors aren't clean when you insert a chipped ECU then your engine wants to stumble at low RPM and clear up at high RPM. Your spark plugs may be fouled, if this ecu is chipped it'll be dumping extra fuel into your engine. The ECU does not control spark to the spark plugs, it controls the point at which the fuel injector opens and closes. It reads what the MAF and MAP sensors tell it as far as air entering the engine and the vacuum produced, those sensors tell it how much fuel to spray into the engine. Take the MAF mass air flow sensor off and see if there's moisture, dust or oil in the intake tube, that may confuse the MAF sensor. I will not issue a refund because I state in the listing the item is sold as-is, I will not send you a replacement because I do not have one. If you had a good working unit why would you buy another? Something on your end isn't working and if I was there to install it I would know exactly what is wrong. ...michael

Thanks for reading,

Oh, and thanks to Nat for selling me another DME (just in case ;) )

Dave M

[BillionPa]

switch the chip from your DME into the new one and see if it works. if your DME is 403 or 405 it "should" work.

also i copied this from somewhere:
*Distributorless systems are suffering failed coil packs. This burns out drive components on the ECU. It is essential to replace offending coil pack before replacing ECU!

[ryan roopnarine]

as an internet super stud with a stock DME chip from either a 403 or 405 car sitting right in front of me (the dme was original with the car, the car was produced on 7/91) whose dme should straight swap into your car, this is the description.

turn the chip so that the U cutout on the side of the chip is facing 12'o clock.

mine says:


B58 038
i U1500233C
m (c) 1989

this is printed in white letters on the chip itself, not on any sticker.
I don't know what the i on the side means for sure, but as somebody who worked in a semiconductor manufacturing facility, it looks pretty damn close to the Intel I symbol to me.

turn the u to 9 o'clock

(first two letters are covered by yellow dot, eeprom light protection i guess)
**867 357 098
these numbers are printed on a silver sticker.

[Qube]

Are you SURE it's AMD and not AMP?

[Dave M]

Are you SURE it's AMD and not AMP?


Thanks guys.

Ryan, the chip is black and type is very generic black on a white sticker, much like a part#. I have heard that some stock chips have a white sticker. The 1986 is interesting if it refers to year of origin.

Qube, it sure looked like AMD. Whats AMP?

Anyone else have a hunch?

[ryan roopnarine]

Thanks guys.

Ryan, the chip is black and type is very generic black on a white sticker, much like a part#. I have heard that some stock chips have a white sticker. The 1986 is interesting if it refers to year of origin.

Qube, it sure looked like AMD. Whats AMP?

Anyone else have a hunch?

the year is the year that the company that designed the blank eeprom copyrighted their design on it. mr. dsylva, if he isn't too busy, probably wouldn't mind answering a general purpose question about it, he'd probably be the one to ask. it sounds to me as though that might just be a unoriginal blank eeprom that somebody burned a copy of the dme software to, but if you say that some come with the white sticker, perhaps i'm mistaken.

[attack eagle]

Background:

I may have goten bad deal on e-bay when I purchesed a DME for the M50(405). I know I've got little chance of seeing my $$ again, but I'll feel better if I at least try to build a case. In short, I thought my DME may have been bad due to intermitent running issues, but I have since identified the fuel pump power source as the culprit and fixed it. So I receive the 'new' DME in the meantime, try it out for fun and it runs like **** right away (missing/running on <6 cylinders-car shakes at idle). I let it idle a while and it doesn't change. I re-instal it, same thing. So I e-mail the seller.

The seller is, of course, stating that its fine and the problem is due to, as he states he states "Your spark plugs may be fouled, if this ecu is chipped it'll be dumping extra fuel into your engine" (read whole story below). So, on that note, I cracked it open and saw what I believe to be a stock chip. Just want to confirm.

Chip info:
Black chip
# on white sticker01 001 486 759
Its made by AMD and has 1986 typed on it.

Does this sound like a stock chip??

Just for fun, here is his response to my e-mail regarding the problem.

OK, this unit was removed from an awesome running and driving 1992 BMW 525i with a 2.5L engine, I know so because I drove it for 3 weeks to work in October. There should be a service sticker on the backside stating a service was done on March 30 1995. I only had one of these with that sticker (the chip I received had NO service sticker). A lumpy idle on one cylinder would mean that this ECU doesn't match your MAF sensor or your MAF sensor is confusing your ECU. If your fuel injectors aren't clean when you insert a chipped ECU then your engine wants to stumble at low RPM and clear up at high RPM. Your spark plugs may be fouled, if this ecu is chipped it'll be dumping extra fuel into your engine. The ECU does not control spark to the spark plugs, it controls the point at which the fuel injector opens and closes. It reads what the MAF and MAP sensors tell it as far as air entering the engine and the vacuum produced, those sensors tell it how much fuel to spray into the engine. Take the MAF mass air flow sensor off and see if there's moisture, dust or oil in the intake tube, that may confuse the MAF sensor. I will not issue a refund because I state in the listing the item is sold as-is, I will not send you a replacement because I do not have one. If you had a good working unit why would you buy another? Something on your end isn't working and if I was there to install it I would know exactly what is wrong. ...michael

Thanks for reading,

Oh, and thanks to Nat for selling me another DME (just in case ;) )

Dave M

my reply would be:

You can have it back, I've sent it, and I've also filed a complaint with my CC company and closed my paypal. Your description of the item i recieved doesn't match the item you sent, and what you sent doesn't work.
I will be getting a refund whether or not you are willing to give one. You will also eventually have that money removed by paypal, so don't spend it yet...
Thanks and have a great day.

[Dave M]

my reply would be:

You can have it back, I've sent it, and I've also filed a complaint with my CC company and closed my paypal. Your description of the item i recieved doesn't match the item you sent, and what you sent doesn't work.
I will be getting a refund whether or not you are willing to give one. You will also eventually have that money removed by paypal, so don't spend it yet...
Thanks and have a great day.

Good idea, but as I believe the $$ was withdrawn from my bank account, I don't know if that would work. I'll confirm, but I'm almost positive it was not on credit. I'm an e-bay newb and looked into the dispute resolution type stuff. I can have e-bay formally help 'arbitrate' if I initiate the process. I have sent him a couple of e-mails insinuating what you've written, as in, "you claimed it had a service sticker and it arrived without one......."

I'm going to copy your text and use it if I have the opportunity. BTW, beautiful black touring :D Thanks for the help,

Dave

[Qube]

Good idea, but as I believe the $$ was withdrawn from my bank account, I don't know if that would work. I'll confirm, but I'm almost positive it was not on credit. I'm an e-bay newb and looked into the dispute resolution type stuff. I can have e-bay formally help 'arbitrate' if I initiate the process. I have sent him a couple of e-mails insinuating what you've written, as in, "you claimed it had a service sticker and it arrived without one......."

I'm going to copy your text and use it if I have the opportunity. BTW, beautiful black touring :D Thanks for the help,

Dave

Dave, as I have posted before, you most CERTAINLY can get your money back even if you paid through bank. All you need to do is go to the bank branch (that part sucks) and explain to the manager. That's all. They can do a reversal. They may require you to sign an indemnity, but that's it.

[attack eagle]

And you'll have to close your paypal out (after deleting you bank info etc.) because paypal will charge you once your bank (or CC) issues a refund. Paypal considers a transaction successful if you recieved a box with something, anything in it.

They (and ebay) are set up 100% to benefit and protect the seller, not the purchaser.

IN the future, use a real CC, as their protection is for the purchaser, not the seller. And just resign yourself to the occasional negative feedback when a seller tries to scam you and you call them on it...