Where to get a new or rebuilt PCM?

StG58 said:
ECM's are going to be a problem for our TJ's going forward. Mine failed at about 100k miles and had to be rebuilt. A company out of Florida did a fine job of it for me. Talking with the tech down there, he explained that the components rarely go bad, but the solder on the surface mounts fails due to shock and vibration. It causes intermittent bad connections and makes the computers go stupid. Blows out ignition timing, fuel map and transmission shifting. I've got a manual 2.5, so it was just the timing and fuel that was going wankie on me. Already have a plan and parts list put together for when you can't get rebuilt ECM's any longer. New one's haven't been available for several years. There's directions available online to do your own repairs, but like has been mentioned, it's non-trivial between the potting and the soldering involved. You get lucky with the 2.5. Mechanical distributors and carburetor intake manifolds are still available, and pretty cheap. The gauges and a gauge dashboard insert are still available from VDO.
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Would you mind sharing the name of this company? I'm sure that would be helpful to a lot of us.

It's the same problem with the ECU on my old BMW M5. It wasn't the components that went bad, it was the solder that would come undone due to the high heat, shock, and vibration.

Drizit said:
I think a lot of people will resort to a V8 swap, a carborator (and fake odb2 computer for etest locations) or aftermarket fuel injection computers and a transmission swap of some sort for autos.

I know a guy who was able to rebuild the tcm on my Mazda and I've seen him working on a 5.9 Cummins ecu. But I've no idea if he's willing to do a jeep ecu. He doesn't seem to like American stuff. (the Cummins uses bosh everything so I guess it doesn't count)

—
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
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I agree with this. At some point it's going to be impossible to get a replacement PCM. When that day comes, the only option will be a V8 swap, or perhaps by then someone will have come up with some sort of aftermarket engine management system, but it would have to control the transmission as well on the later model TJs with the 42RLE, since the PCM and TCM were one unit on the later models.
 
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My post looks like it was moved to a how-to, but anyone willing to play surgical doctor and take their pcm apart to see what they can find?
 
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I am dealing with the same problem with my PCM. My TCM tells my PCM to shut down the engine cause my tranny temp was over 600 degrees. And since Jeep incorporated the TCN into the PCM it all has to be changed. Who was the engineering genius that suggested that

My jeeps starts right up after about 30 min or so but you cant live like that. It will run for about 45 min before the shut down. Sending my PCM out for "repair", "rebuild" or will be replaced. The part number for my PCM "P56044528AE" is avoided like the plague. That is the number after the software update. Most of the repair places say that they cant do this model. The original number was "P56044529AC". Could it be that the software update screwed it all up? Never read about this in any of these forums. So I will be keeping my fingers crossed that the company I am sending the PCM to does a good job and sends me a stable PCM. I will certainly let everyone know what happens and if it is a good job they will be the busiest company in the world.
Its a shame Jeep, Chrsyler, Fiat whomever lets this hang out there. I know I am not the only person with this problem.
 
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I have no expectation that this will do much if anything, but if enough of us take a moment (if you haven’t already) to submit an NHTSA compliant who knows?
The website compliant link; https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
I tried to write my information about my problem with the PCM as it regarded to control of any safety equipment an the possibility of unexpected engine shut down do to incorrect transmission temp readings and hard shifts at higher than expected rpm.

The whole process takes only a few minutes, puts you on the recall notice list for your vin as well.
Clark
 
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tworley said:
My post looks like it was moved to a how-to, but anyone willing to play surgical doctor and take their pcm apart to see what they can find?
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I spent 5 years as a intermediate level Avionics tech. (soldering new components). Before going to sheetmetal.
Even i don't want to disassemble an ECU. So many things can go wrong with it.
 
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Hey, guys, I have a question regarding this subject.

When it comes to all this stuff (ECM, PCM, TCM), I am pretty clueless. What I would like to know is for a '98 4.0 with a 5-speed, is there any reason to share the concerns that you folks with the later models and automatics have? Please advise. Thanks!
 
Boinked said:
I spent 5 years as a intermediate level Avionics tech. (soldering new components). Before going to sheetmetal.
Even i don't want to disassemble an ECU. So many things can go wrong with it.
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I don't have this issue as I have a 5 spd with ax15, but I'm reading posts where people are parting out a perfectly good rig because a computer is no longer available. What is there to lose in tearing it open? I would imagine there are computer/electronic repair shops that could even solder parts in, again, what is there to lose? Just thinking out loud. It sucks to see so many jeeps become worthless due to this issue
 
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Squatch said:
Hey, guys, I have a question regarding this subject.

When it comes to all this stuff (ECM, PCM, TCM), I am pretty clueless. What I would like to know is for a '98 4.0 with a 5-speed, is there any reason to share the concerns that you folks with the later models and automatics have? Please advise. Thanks!
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My understanding is that it's like certain other TJ parts. If you don't have a problem, you're not likely to. That's just from my research though. YMMV, etc. Not all of the boards were soldered correctly it seems. A few, but the issue is starting to rear it's ugly head now that our TJ's are getting miles and time on them. Mine cacked a hairball. It's rebuilt. Don't think I'll have further issues. That's why I never bought the parts for an ECM delete.
 
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tworley said:
I don't have this issue as I have a 5 spd with ax15, but I'm reading posts where people are parting out a perfectly good rig because a computer is no longer available. What is there to lose in tearing it open? I would imagine there are computer/electronic repair shops that could even solder parts in, again, what is there to lose? Just thinking out loud. It sucks to see so many jeeps become worthless due to this issue
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Not worthless. Several shops will correct the issues. There's a link above to one such shop.
 
StG58 said:
Not worthless. Several shops will correct the issues. There's a link above to one such shop.
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It seems they are very hit or miss though, based on all the threads on WF, JF, and here. Either a shop cannot rebuild, they replace a cover and call it good, or the problem rears its head again after short time.
 
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tworley said:
It seems they are very hit or miss though, based on all the threads on WF, JF, and here. Either a shop cannot rebuild, they replace a cover and call it good, or the problem rears its head again after short time.
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That's probably true. Haven't had a lick of trouble out of mine in about 18 months or so now. Maybe I just got lucky or something.
 
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tworley said:
It seems they are very hit or miss though, based on all the threads on WF, JF, and here. Either a shop cannot rebuild, they replace a cover and call it good, or the problem rears its head again after short time.
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This is true. It was the same issue when I had the ECU on my E39 M5 repaired. Shops were hit and miss. Some could do it, others couldn’t. Most just wanted to replace it with a re-manufactured one.
 
StG58 said:
My understanding is that it's like certain other TJ parts. If you don't have a problem, you're not likely to. That's just from my research though. YMMV, etc. Not all of the boards were soldered correctly it seems. A few, but the issue is starting to rear it's ugly head now that our TJ's are getting miles and time on them. Mine cacked a hairball. It's rebuilt. Don't think I'll have further issues. That's why I never bought the parts for an ECM delete.
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Thanks, Chief. With 204,000 miles on it, maybe that's a bullet effectively dodged!
 
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Well I am hoping the people I sent my PCM too can fix it. I opened it up to see inside and it will take a very bright light and a magnifying set up to go thru what looks to be hundreds of connections. If I can find a core that matches my PCM I will try to repair myself and keep as a spare
 
the electronics could be duplicated and if so would it be allowed for a new vendor to make new PCM for the 2005-2006 if the dealer still did the software? I don’t know what they would cost to make, the circuit board probably the most expensive part in small numbers, but a 2006 pcm can’t be too difficult a technology to reproduce and if the demand was high enough might be very reasonable compared to the dealer $1399 price to have the old one rebuilt.
 
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