Cranks, no start nightmare

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 5:22 pm

Great that you've got it running again!

Todd B wrote:I understand why the wrecker ecu didn't work in my car. I didn't have the right key for it.

IIRC, thought it was NB8B onward that required matching key.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:47 pm

From a quick look it looks like at least some NB8As did to.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 8:47 am

Can confirm NB8A did have the immobiliser.

Mine's a 99 build and has the OEM sticker on the sunvisor carrying on about immobiliser and chips in the keys etc.

Todd B · Postby **Todd B** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:17 am

FWIW, my car is an April 98 build, and I just have a standard steel key with no chip or battery in it.

manga_blue · Postby **manga_blue** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 1:32 pm

My personal opinion is that immobilisers are so evil that their malevolence spreads from car to car, even infecting cars that never had immobilisers.

Glad you got it going again, Todd.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Wed Mar 30, 2016 11:51 am

Todd B wrote:FWIW, my car is an April 98 build, and I just have a standard steel key with no chip or battery in it.

Given your using a standard steel key, does the ignition key barrel on the steering column have a black ring around it? If it does, this is the sensor for a chipped key, in which case suggests a JDM ECU may have been swapped into your car to get around the key/immob/ECU compatibility issue. If so, this might explain why the ECU from the wrecker wouldn't work as it probably would have been an ADM ECU.

Todd B · Postby **Todd B** » Wed Mar 30, 2016 9:43 pm

I'm going to say "no" to a black ring around the ignition barrel. I just took a look at it, and there's the black trim ring that says, "Acc" and "On" on it, but the actual lock cylinder is silver.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Thu Mar 31, 2016 8:54 am

Mine's the same as Todd describes.

I can't remember though if there's anything behind the column trim, I didnt take note last time I had it off.

93_Clubman · Postby **93_Clubman** » Thu Mar 31, 2016 11:38 am

Todd B wrote:Except that the immobilizer light was on.

Given above, guess this begs the question is the immobilizer factory or aftermarket.

Todd B · Postby **Todd B** » Thu Mar 31, 2016 2:21 pm

The way I figure it, my car does not have a factory immobilizer. But the car that I got the ecu must have had one, and so it was looking for a signal from the key or ignition switch. Since that wasn't there, the immobilizer light was on. I can't figure out though why my car even has an immobilizer light! Perhaps it is just some standard equipment that other markets get and Oz didn't.