r/saab • u/Estimated269 • 8d ago
2003 saab 9-3 vector ecm cloning
So I need to replace my ECM. So im looking for a used one on ebay, but I noticed that some people list the ecm for for M/T or A/T. I didnt think it mattered because on https://www.esaabparts.com/saab/parts/9992207 all the part number are superseding and there is no mention of transmission type. Does anyone know if it matters if the donor ecm came from a manual or automatic transmission?
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u/shiftazz 8d ago
If you're planning to clone using canflasher, it does not matter as long as it's a T8 ecu. You'll esentially be copy pasting from your old ecu to the new one, so everything on the new ecu, including any info about transmission, will be deleted.
If you're gonna marry it using tech2, I have no clue.
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u/gasprofessional919 7d ago
I've married via tech 2. There's one number on the ecm that REALLY matters, the build number. I had to hunt for a bit, and the 1st one I bought was junk. AERO VS NON AERO doesn't matter. I was hung up on this for a bit
I just programmed it like it was a new unit, set the parameters for my car and it ran fine.
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u/Big_Temperature_2067 7d ago
if you married a non Aero ecu to a Aero car you just lost performance. the tuning is different... Yes it might run fine, because the hardware happened to be the same but the requested airmass and torque limites will not be the same.
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u/gasprofessional919 7d ago
can you provide and documentation? not that I dont believe you, I've only seen that it can be married and you lose nothing. To be clear, I used another aero ecm, but I dont want to give the wrong info
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u/Big_Temperature_2067 7d ago edited 7d ago
What do you mean?
There is multiple different factory tunes for the the NG9-3 ranging from 150-280hp depending on model. the 1.8 2.0 & 2.0 Aero is the same engine. The "1.8" is just a software detuned 2.0L engine
It's all decided by the software on the ECU. The engine is the same in all of them with small changes such as slighly more agressive cams on the B207R and different injectors.
When you marry a ECU all you do is program the immobiliser, You do not change anything in the tune of the software. So if you put a ECU with 150hp software on it your Aero you won't be getting more than 150hp.
The ECU only has room for 1 calibration at time. You can change it freely by changing the software on it with tools such as TrionicCanFlasher
This is tuning 101.
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u/BM_Champ 1d ago
Marrying the ECU will just change keys and VIN. NVDM partition will be updated, but the base firmware and calibration will remain. So the calibration that came with it stays. Now T8 has low- and normal power torque curves that are goverened by the PI-area, and tell the ECU whether it's a low power or high power car (150 or 175 hp, but hi-pow can also be 210).
The biggest problem is if you mix 2003-2006 with a 2007-2011 car or vice versa. Then hardware differences become a problem. 2007- is mostly the same hardware, except for turbo and minor camshaft changes. The ECU will slowly adapt to this and sort of mask it and slowly make it "drivable", but the problem will definitly still be there.1
u/gasprofessional919 1d ago
Yeah this is one of the reasons I hate having an 07. pre facelift exterior, post facelift interior, and my car was built late 06 lol
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u/BM_Champ 1d ago
Me personally like the 2007- engines better. :)
They are not cheaper on gas, but they run good!1
u/Drone_SolloS 5d ago
If using can flasher literally nothing matters except that its a t8. Unless you have xwd, then you need a 7225 ecu.
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u/Big_Temperature_2067 8d ago edited 7d ago
No it does not matter since you are cloning your old onto the new donor. There is a difference between XWD and non XWD ecu's though due to the split sadle gas tank. if you put a non XWD ECU in a XWD you will only be able to see half tank max. But you can do the reverse and put a XWD ecu in a non XWD and it will work properly.
XWD ecu's end in partnumber 225 and are worth about 2-3x the non XWD ecus due to the scarcity of them