I wanted to know if anyone knew what the cost of a ECU is for the TSX, because I wanted to find out the total cost of having a spare ECU get reflashed and get matched to my immobilizer and then keep the original one for when i take the car in for service or decide to sell it...

has anyone gone through this process or know the cost of the TSX ecu?

 

Sorry, no answer from me... but I am looking into the same thing too, so guys, please chime it

I actually have additional questions. Say if I find a wracked TSX ('04 MT), besides getting its ECU, should I also get the immobilizer and keys that are matching it? I would think that it would make things a whole lot easier if I get that entire set. I mean, with the whole set, will this be how I would get Hondatafied?

• send that set from the wracked TSX (ECU, immobilizer, keys) in
• Hondata does their magic, sends the whole set back to me
• I remove my stock ECU and immobilizer, store them away along with my original keys
• I install the flashed ECU, its matching immobilizer, and use the matching keys to drive my Hondatafied TSX from then on

Please verify if that makes sense.

 

look on ebay, I almost bought one a while ago. One will come up every couple days

 

Good question, I'd like to know as well. On Ebay they were going for about $150. Austin was trying to sell an extra one he has for $200. I decided to hold off b/c I don't have the money for the reflash right now...

 

Well search on the forum for it. But I know some people who had 05s and told Hondata they were sending an 04 were rejected. Hondata wouldn't do it. I was going to do the same thing but I decided just to wait for them to flash the 05. you might want to do the same thing.

 

well i have a 04 TSX anyways, so i would just be looking for a spare 04 ECU... and then use the same immobilizer for both so the only thing i have to change will be the ECU when i plan on swapping them... i understand my car will be off the road for a few days while i send them my spare ecu and my immobilizer...

 

Thanks for the heads-up man.

As long as they are working on the solution for '05, I am cool to wait... I really ain't planning to do any mod this year anyway, but just thought to throw my questions out since this is a good thread to do so

I am sure Hondata is eager to get it working for '05+ TSX too, they need to increase the number of ECUs they can flash to make as much profit as possible

 

The ECU is matched to the immobilizer which is matched to the keys. You can't mix these parts up. The ECU will not boot up without the exact right immobilizer and key connected to it. This is why Hondata requires all three to do the reflash.

So a spare ECU will do you no good unless you can get its matching immobilizer and keys to go with it. I suppose you could get keys from an acura dealer if you got the ECU and immobilizer, but that might be difficult and would certainly be expensive. They might think you're planning on stealing a car.

 

He's correct. Even if you get the complete set of ECU, immobilizer, and keys...you still have to deal with the fact that your tumbler in the ignition matches your original keys.

Unless, of course, you zip-tie the new key to be held inside the new and matching immobilizer ring while hooked up to the wiring harness that connects to the new ECU. Yes, I have done this (in an RSX, but it still works the same in our cars). Then you just put your key in your ignition and start it up.

 

oh wow... much more complicated than i expected... thanks for clearing this up i think i am better off saving up for an exhaust...

 

Thanks guys for clearing it up. Wait for Hondata to crack '05 ECU... I will.

So for the very first '05 user (sorry, forgot his name) who sent to Hondata, I guess Hondata had made the '04 ECU match up with HIS immobilizer (and keys) for it to work then?

 

yeah thats what i thought they did... thats why i wanted to try to set up 2 ecu's for the same immobilizer and keys... one would be my fun ecu the other would be stock...

 

Yeah, but that was for Hondata R&D and a special cirsumstance, normal 05 owners (like us) couldn't have them do that.

 

Understand understand...

OK, I pretty much understand the whole thing now (as far as what I need to know anyway)... I will wait for Hondata to do '05 for sure.

While we are on this subject, let me throw this out too... a friend (more like a friend of a friend) of mine has RSX-S with the Mugen ECU. I don't think Mugen has a ECU for our car/engine and my friend has confirmed that. What I am curious to find out here is that. No one seems to have ever mentioned even the possibility of a Mugen ECU for TSX. I doubt it's becoz we are Mugen I know I am not, but I know Mugen stuff are VERY expensive.

One thing I know of the RSX-S Mugen ECU is that it's not a send-in-your ECU and reflash thing, it's actually a replacement ECU that Mugen has "pre-programmed".

Thoughts, anyone???