Astra TS - ECU issue, Opcom and related

Hi all, hoping for some guidance.

Daughter has a 2001 Astra TS CD, Auto. Still a nice car given the age, neat, tidy, drives great (or at least used to!) and only 106000 km. It recently developed an issue of the Traction Control Light illuminating, at times accompanied by the Emissions light and usually Limp Mode. A few fault codes to go with it. Usually accompanied by a noise (whine) from the passenger side of the engine bay (transmission area perhaps?) which lasts for a few minutes after start up and disappears. The thing is still driveable and performs fine by manually selecting gears.

Whilst the faults are usually consistently occurring, at times can start the car and they don't exist, then kick in after a couple of minutes. The noise I mentioned kicks in at the same time...and goes away after a couple of minutes. Whether it is the cause of the errors or created by an electrical/ECU/TCU issue is a ?

So it's been to a mechanic and referred to an auto-electrician. The result has all been inconclusive. Auto-electrician's advice was that based upon codes and past experience with Astra's (not that complimentary about the electrics!) it could be a few things - TCU, ABS Ctrller, ECU?...lots of time and money could be expended without solving and it wouldn't be worth it for the value of the car. I am struggling with scrapping the car given it's condition so want to have a crack at sorting it myself. Logic says to me that not all of the possible causes could occur at the one point in time so starting with the ECU seems to be the way to go.

So I've done a fair bit of research on-line to see what I could learn and try and would appreciate some info from those that may have been down the path before, particularly:

1. In regards to a second-hand ECU, do I need to try and find one with an exactly matching number, and what do the numbers on the unit mean? (GM Siemens, 09 158 670 / S 01 001 08 / 5WK9 153)

2. Opcom seems to be the software to use. I've concluded that I'll need a diagnostics interface/USB adapter like the one at the link below for Opcom on my PC to interface with the ECU and make settings changes on the new ECU. Is that correct?
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16-Pin-A....c100677.m4598

3. Any other hints and tips?

Thanks and cheers.

Gally

Hi, did you end up fixing it?

I think I have the same problem, although I think I'm going to go the route of trying to solder the ECU connections back together...

something along the lines of this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXzAyoW744o

let us know how you went...

thanks

Hi abrave
Apologies for time to respond. You may be sorted by now.

After quite a bit of time learning and diagnosing, including buying the clone Opcom dongle off eBay, I became quite certain that it was an ECU issue, specifically a grounding issue caused by temperature after the car had been running a few minutes.
I came across ecuman.com.au who has a small business in Brisbane. Seemed very knowledgeable and experienced in Astra ECU matters. Shipped him the faulty ECU, he sourced a second hand replacement and cloned the config from my original for a very reasonable price. New unit is a later version (Simtec 7.?) than the original. His advice was that they'd sorted out the probs that were in the earlier version and it should last the lifetime of the car. The replacement unit arrived, I bolted it in, connected it up and the car has run perfectly ever since. One very happy customer. If it's not too late for you it'd be worth making contact with him. (and so much for the original auto elec advice to scrap the car)

Cheers

Yep agreed, I dropped my ecu off to him yesterday with a another one that worked and he copyed/transfered all the details across to the new on. $100 to transfer all the details across. Alot cheaper than going anywhere else (though I haven't looked or been quoted but seeing all the prices floating around the web). I went and collected the ecu back off him today and installed it and it worked straight away. I would reccomend him as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TS_ASTRA_

Yep agreed, I dropped my ecu off to him yesterday with a another one that worked and he copyed/transfered all the details across to the new on. $100 to transfer all the details across. Alot cheaper than going anywhere else (though I haven't looked or been quoted but seeing all the prices floating around the web). I went and collected the ecu back off him today and installed it and it worked straight away. I would reccomend him as well.

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and that's a great price too mate.

Yea it was, origionally I was thinking it was 150 to get it transfered but when I went to pay it was only 100. I got the ECU for $40 from a guy near by that had a totalled CDI, (it was a shame though cause it was missing the windshield and drivers window and it had rained some what recently so the front leather interior was soaked and I would have been intrested in the interior :/). But all up 3Hr's of driving and $140 for the whole transfer and ECU was well worth it. Hasnt played up so far so touch wood the ECU I got was good, and thanks Gally for the reccomendation for Ecuman.