Suspected ECU fault

Hi all, been a lurker for years but finally posting!
So. I've got a K11 Micra Tempest, 03 plate, 1.0 engine. A couple of weeks ago I started it, drove it up the road from where it had been parked to outside the house, switched off the engine, and loaded the car for whatever I was gonna go off and do. Upon starting the car up again, the engine ran for about 5 seconds then cut out. The engine warning light was going beserk, flashing on and off erratically. I turned the ignition off and on again, and tried to start the car hoping it might just magically be better. 5 seconds after ignition, the engine cut out and the warning light started flickering again, before going out for good. I then got no warning light, solid or otherwise, nor any spark action or fuel feed. I've borrowed a diagnostic computer from my local mechanic to see if that could pull an error code off the ECU, but it just gave me communication errors / ECU not available leading me to believe the problem is with the ecu itself(?)

I've pulled the ecu out and there's no external sign of corrosion or damage, but I gotta be honest that's kinda where my understanding of the car... ends. This is a NATS ecu and I have tried both keys for the car to make sure it wasn't NATS freaking out over a key having been magnetised or something. I've asked a few local garages, but our local Nissan dealership won't touch anything that old, and the other garages don't deal with NATS. So... How do I actually go about either fixing, getting fixed, or replacing a micra ECU? Am I right in thinking that because immobiliser and NATS it's not quite as simple as plug and play?

EDIT: I've also just realised that like a total monkey, I've left it sat with the handbrake on. Which has now seized. Is there a quick and easy way to un-seize it before I go pulling wheels off?
Cheers guys,
Luke
 

r-reg-sr

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Site Supporter
i got the exact same problem
put a new ignition switch to eliminate worn down switch...no joy
swapped out ecu and passenger side pillar nats device and used matching key...no joy...((as i did a swap before and know it's matching ecu, passenger pillar device and matching key that worked before.).. still no joy
starts for 5 seconds then engine check light is back flashing away.
checked fuses relays best i could.

cannot figure it out so going to message fusion motor sports (Ed) when they are back open on 7th February. more than likely will send it there.
 
i got the exact same problem
put a new ignition switch to eliminate worn down switch...no joy
swapped out ecu and passenger side pillar nats device and used matching key...no joy...((as i did a swap before and know it's matching ecu, passenger pillar device and matching key that worked before.).. still no joy
starts for 5 seconds then engine check light is back flashing away.
checked fuses relays best i could.

cannot figure it out so going to message fusion motor sports (Ed) when they are back open on 7th February. more than likely will send it there.

Might sound silly but you sure its not something as simple as a faulty MAF not reading any air so car stalls?
I had the same issue on mine when I was trying to get it running ITB's with a MAF that I later found to be completely faulty, it would start for a few seconds and then die. Mine was showing P0100 from OBD2D.
 

r-reg-sr

-------
Site Supporter
Might sound silly but you sure its not something as simple as a faulty MAF not reading any air so car stalls?
I had the same issue on mine when I was trying to get it running ITB's with a MAF that I later found to be completely faulty, it would start for a few seconds and then die. Mine was showing P0100 from OBD2D.

it would be something that has shut the injectors off as when i swap ECU,passenger pillar module and matching key it starts for 5 seconds. after that initial start it doesn't start anymore
 
it would be something that has shut the injectors off as when i swap ECU,passenger pillar module and matching key it starts for 5 seconds. after that initial start it doesn't start anymore

Ah right okay. Not really sure then as you mentioned you have checked fuses/relays, I would say injector wiring but very unlikely all of them would have gone faulty at the same time.

Best of luck with finding the fault mate, keep us updated please, thank you.
 
So my mechanic has had a go at repairing the ecu (apparently there was no power to the pins, so we do have confirmation that I was right and the ecu was the problem), and now the ecu "works" but doesn't seem to be communicating with the immobiliser ?

Am I right in thinking that if I can get my hands on an ecu with a matching serial number then it will just be plug and play? I do have the option of just taking it to vospers Nissan but I'd expect that to cost an arm and a leg!

When you guys said you usually just swap the full ecu kit, how tricky is that? I mean obviously the ecu itself is a tight squeeze but not exactly hard, the ignition looks fairly simple, I'm not sure where the immobiliser is? And pulling the doors apart to do the locks is just something I've not done before.

... Yeah. That's where I stand. Any advice on next steps and / or where to find parts?
 
Also (and I know this is a daft question but just for my own peace of mind) which number on the ecu is it that would need to match? Would it be 0261207584? (that's my ecu that ain't playing ball BTW)
IMG_20210112_174100.jpg
 
Well aware that I'm spamming my own thread here (sorry), but I've just spoken to my mechanic and he told me that NATS is not transferable even with matching serial numbers, and that I'd need to find an ecu with an immobilizer and key. Looking online however there are DOZENS of ecus but seemingly none with the key except very early pre-nats ecus. What I don't understand is that if NATS is non transferable then what's the point of anyone selling or buying just the ecu? I feel like there's some misinformation somewhere here?
 
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