which ECU will work?

[supplyrat]

Hi,(this is my first post) I .have an 82 vanagon,2.0,a/c,cal engine,manual trans. 02 sensor. my original ECU (2 circuit boards inside) burned up 2 pieces inside and my FI stopped squirting. had a ECU from a FED engine but was told it would not work. put it in and it did work. I have eliminated my CAT(partially plugged up) and replaced exhaust w/aftermarket.(using FED heater box on drivers side) I welded a bung into the exhaust fot the 02 sensor but was told that the FED ECU will not read it. my mileage has dropped but the tail pipe is not sooty. should I get the CAL ECU rebuilt and use the 02 sensor(AFM is CAL) or just continue to use the FED ECU w/o the 02 sensor. thanks

[Randy in Maine]

Do you have a series resister? I was thinking that CA models don't (done within the ECU) but Federal models do.

[supplyrat]

I am not sure. there is some type of resister on the firewall of my 83 FED parts van(where the double relay goes)

[supplyrat]

just had a thought. since I am using the FED ECU, should I also use the FED AFM ?

[Gypsie]

I like the logic of using the like components as long as they are both functional.

You may (for fun, science, and calibration) want to put the o2 sensor to work by getting a gauge to hook to it.

2cents.

And welcome to the forums.

[Amskeptic]

just had a thought. since I am using the FED ECU, should I also use the FED AFM ?

As a general rule, yes, compatibility is always required . . .
BUT,
some compatibility demands were to remain within emissions regulations, not because they couldn't play with each other.

Believe it not, your engine has the final say. If it runs well, enjoy.
Colin

[SlowLane]

just had a thought. since I am using the FED ECU, should I also use the FED AFM ?

I have two AFMs rebuilt by FIC. One is CA-spec, one is Federal spec. They both use the identical same Bourrns potentiometer inside. The only possible difference between the two must then be in the spring tension and the wiper position.

As far as your present set-up goes, it's very confusing that it works at all. The Federal ECU doesn't have the internal resistors for the the injectors that the CA ECU does. There aren't even pins on the Federal ECU to connect to. The wiring harness is different between the two systems as well. So there should be no way that your injectors would be getting any voltage to them.

So I'm wondering if perhaps you didn't have a Federal-spec system to which someone had attached a CA-spec ECU. That might have worked.

[supplyrat]

I totally agree, let me tell you the whole story. Last june I was replacing the engine seal and had the AFM unplugged, went to start the engine and it ran a couple if seconds. hooke the AFM back up but it would not start. The next day I started to put in some of the new parts that I had been stockpiling since my last 2 years in Afghanistan( trying to beat the price increases and scarcity of parts) put in my new coil and it started right up. next day it would not start and I put in my rebuillt elec. distributor and ign. module(dizzy had very loose wires inside) it started and ran for a day and stopped running, acted like no fuel. wired to fuel pump to come on with the key and it ran for a day and quit.could only get it to run w/ the cold start valve streight wired. pulled out one injector and saw that it was not squirting. worked on it for a couple of weeks and gave up and went to Kosovo. Albania and Armenia for a month(tried to find some german hubcaps but no luck) got back and put the FED ECU from my parts van(83,a/c, FED) and it ran! I know my 82 Adventurewagen is CAL. it has 13 pins on the double relay,23 connectors on the ECU harness (just bought a NOS in the box harness for only $260) the fed harness only has about 18 connectors. I melted 2 pieces inside my original ECU. p/n starts w/ 039 (which means it should be FED, CAL starts w/ 071) it has 2 circuit boards inside, the ECU from my parts van has p/n 039 but only 1 circuit board inside. I replaced the CAL drivers side heater box w/ a FED and took out the CAT. I made up 2 one inch thick spacers and put on a 70's earnst muffer that hooks directly to the heater boxes, also welded in a bung for the 02 sensor, but felt it was just making too much heat under there so put on extractor type which is farther from the engine and put a bung in it also but don't hav the sensor in it anyway since the ECU can't read it. mpg has dropped but has good power and the exh. pipe stays soot free.thats my story and I'm sticking to it.