2003 ECU removal procedure

[67rustavenger]

I need to remove the ECU from my weekender in order to send it out for repair.

Since I have proven to myself that I am not very skilled with the vans delicate electronics and don't want to screw it up any worse than I already have.

What's the procedure for removing the ECU without damaging anything in the process of removing the ECU?

I have the battery disconnected and can see the ECU but, I cannot see the fasteners that hold it in place.

Do I need to remove the grill, lower body valance/panel and headlight to access the fasteners for the ECU?
_________________
I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!

There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!
2003 Astrovan? GFYS again, Xevin!
Don't let your bad ideas remain, ideas!

[bikes!]

You shouldn’t have to remove the grill. It’s a bit awkward but you can remove it from above. It’s held onto the bracket with plastic clips. If the plastic rain cover is still there, it just sits on top of the connectors. If you are having a hard time doing it by braille the first time, then removing the grill and left headlight gives you plenty of room to work.
_________________
VWs past: 66 Kombi, 76 Westfalia Camper, 17 GTI; present: 02 Eurovan MVW, 17 Alltrack SEL & 19 Golf R

[67rustavenger]

The rain cover is in place.

I just looked again with a flashlight and felt around a bit to see if there were any fasteners are accessible.

I'm gonna take a look with a mirror and locate the plastic fasteners you have indicated that hold the ECU in place.
_________________
I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!

There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!
2003 Astrovan? GFYS again, Xevin!
Don't let your bad ideas remain, ideas!

[67rustavenger]

Ok, I finally managed to get the ECU removed from the van.
It's not a fun task.
There really isn't a clip or fastener holding the ECU in the support bracket. It just rests in place in the bracket.
Simply pull up on the connector wiring and the ECU slides out of the support bracket.
The tricky bit is getting the ECU cabling disconnected.
On either end of the ECU, the cable retainers, the clips need to be released to remove the ECU.
To release the cable clips, pull the finger grooves away from the ECU laterally, you can use a screwdriver the gently release the cable clips, once the cable clips are free the cables lift off the ECU very easily.

Then it's just a matter of getting the ECU past all the other cables blocking access to the ECU from being removed.
_________________
I have learned over the years.
Cheap parts are gonna disappoint you.
Buy Once, Cry Once!

There's never enough time to do it right the first time. But there's always enough time to do it thrice.
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo!
2003 Astrovan? GFYS again, Xevin!
Don't let your bad ideas remain, ideas!

[Endopotential]

Curious what you're doing with your ECU? Are you getting the immobilizer deleted?

When I fried my ECU last summer, I had a headache trying to get a replacement reprogrammed so that it would accept the SKC from the van. It took some proprietary software only available from a VW dealership.
_________________
2002 Eurovan Weekender

[67rustavenger]

[qval]

A few years ago I thought I had fried my ECU. There was no nothing going on with the engine (I think other than turning over). Vcds wouldn't talk to the module, though the transmission computer communicated just fine. I had been trying to diagnose a misfire by removing spark plug wires from the coil pack (2000 weekender), when I zapped myself and the engine died abruptly. Turns out there's a fuse (duh) which is located at the very top of the fuse/relay block. I love and revere that fuse, he gave his life so others could live on. It took a bunch of studying the wiring diagrams to find it (fuse S102 15A on page 72/10 of the wiring diagram for the Eurovan since September 1998). I'm pretty sure it's the upsidedown 15A fuse:

I got to it here by removing the knee pad (push in two tiny gray pins on the side, then pull out the side cover, remove the 13mm hex bolts revealed, and one more facing the other direction on the other end of the knee bolster, wiggle free). You can also drop the fuse/relay panel, pick you poison...

So be sure to check that fuse too! I'm not sure where it sits in your van but wiring diagram reading advice: the numbers across the bottom of each page are columns, and if a wire disappears with a number, you're supposed to jump to the column indicated by the number in the rectangle.

It probably isn't the fuse but it's worth checking