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Thread: replace a 09 and down e38 ecm with a 09 and up one?

  1. #1

    replace a 09 and down e38 ecm with a 09 and up one?

    so I've seen some references in posts about someone doing this. but I can't find their original posts.

    I have a 08 e38 ecm, it seems the o2 offset tables used to help idle richer with a bigger cam do not work in this year/code ecm(mine, I've put test numbers and nothing). but they seem to work in the newer one watching tuning stuff. along with the other changes that might come in handy one day.

    does anyone know what all goes into the swap? is it a 09 and up or 2010 ecm? does it need to come from the same car? like should I look for the 09/10 year corvette ecm?

    would it be plug and play? use hpt to change vin and start tuning? or would I need to flash it with the oem gm update thru the acdelco website for 45$? I have access to that if needed.

    guess I'm looking for the details of what hardware I need, and if pin outs change.


    thanks. I'm searched a lot and all I see is how different they are. don't see much about swapping from one to another.

  2. #2
    Tuner in Training
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    Only experience I have here is the 09 G8 to the 09.5 G8 ecm. The issue I ran into is I lost some bcm functionality like cruise control. So something to be aware of if you like full functionality. It may be something (bcm) that can be reprogrammed as well, but was further down the rabbit hole than I wanted to go.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by STL_G8GT View Post
    Only experience I have here is the 09 G8 to the 09.5 G8 ecm. The issue I ran into is I lost some bcm functionality like cruise control. So something to be aware of if you like full functionality. It may be something (bcm) that can be reprogrammed as well, but was further down the rabbit hole than I wanted to go.
    interesting. yeah, I'd wanna keep everything working. there's even a split in the year for the active shocks. from 08 and down to 09 and up they changed something. there's a ex gm suspension engineer that offers suspension tuning by sending the module into him for flash, bringing it up to current specs but he only does the 09 and up. 08 and down he doesn't support. I asked him once if a 09 module would work in a 08 car plug and play. he said he had no way of knowing. I could try it.
    I won't lie, I was curious about maybe being able to swap to a 09 module and shocks too if this all works together.

    I should look up bcm part numbers too I guess.

    thanks for the insight

  4. #4
    Tuning Addict
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    There could be conflicts with, literally (using 'literally' in the literally correct way here), every other module in the car. If there are conflicts and the modules are the same service number as the '09-up then they can be reprogrammed, if they are different they'll need to be replaced, if that's possible (physical fitment is usually the same year-to-year but not always). If this is in the vehicle GM put together, that is. If it's a swap and ECM is standalone it doesn't matter because there's no other modules except the TCM if there is one (early ECM/OS only works with early TCM/OS, and late with late, and it's not unusual for a T43 to be a different service number on either side of the early/late breakpoint).

    TCM if it has one, cluster, airbags, BCM, ABS, FPCM if it has one, etc. If the ECM shares the network with it it could refuse to play nice, and unless you can find the exact individual who has done the same swap on the same vehicle, you won't know if it can be made to work until after you swap it and exhaust all the potential fixes.

    shorter version: I do not think this is a wise solution to a seemingly minor annoyance like whatever with the O2 offsets.
    Quote Originally Posted by SiriusC1024 View Post
    I think they're junkyard rebuilds.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by blindsquirrel View Post
    There could be conflicts with, literally (using 'literally' in the literally correct way here), every other module in the car. If there are conflicts and the modules are the same service number as the '09-up then they can be reprogrammed, if they are different they'll need to be replaced, if that's possible (physical fitment is usually the same year-to-year but not always). If this is in the vehicle GM put together, that is. If it's a swap and ECM is standalone it doesn't matter because there's no other modules except the TCM if there is one (early ECM/OS only works with early TCM/OS, and late with late, and it's not unusual for a T43 to be a different service number on either side of the early/late breakpoint).

    TCM if it has one, cluster, airbags, BCM, ABS, FPCM if it has one, etc. If the ECM shares the network with it it could refuse to play nice, and unless you can find the exact individual who has done the same swap on the same vehicle, you won't know if it can be made to work until after you swap it and exhaust all the potential fixes.

    shorter version: I do not think this is a wise solution to a seemingly minor annoyance like whatever with the O2 offsets.
    luckily in my case it's a manual tranny, so no tcm. but sounds like everything else could be random. sounds like it would basically be buy it and try it. if it works cool, if not. oh well.

    I looked up bcm part number and oddly it's the same number from 08-13. but my 08ecm has the lower spit os is seems.

    on a side note. I've only flashed a few modules from the acdelco site. how does one flash a different year os then the cars vin number says it is of the part number is the same? or is that something only those ebay ecm sellers can do?


    the offsets thing seemed like a big deal? watching tuning videos, it seemed like adding a cam it would run lean on closed loop idle, making the idle worse and the smell from no cats worse. my exhaust doesn't currently offer a cat mid pipe. they are working on it, but it's going to be a long time. they have a few more vehicle to get prototyped. but even then. running the car leaner at idle doesn't sound great?

    my hope was this in the long run would have more benefits in other places too.

  6. #6
    just incase any one else runs across this in a seat later. this place seems to do what I'm looking for. 2010 ecm. plug and play for a 06-09 ecm.

    https://dsxtuning.com/products/dsx-t...09-c6-corvette

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by SiriusC1024 View Post
    I think they're junkyard rebuilds.

  8. #8
    Senior Tuner
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    What offset tables are you referring to?

    The only o2 settings I miss in some OS's that others do have are the proportional an integral controls. The o2 mv offsets rarely do anything at all.
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