ECM failure @ 2 years

[WavesSandAndSun]

Last night my car died while driving, and wouldn't start back up. The engine light was on, so I coasted over into a neighbor's drive, and checked in with OnStar. At first she told me the problem was "the engine and transmission" but eventually I talked some specifics out of her - "failure" of my ECM. I'm at 326XX miles, luckily 4000 miles before my bumper-to-bumper runs out.
After about 30 minutes when the tow truck arrived, he tried to start it, and it came on and was able to move into a more convenient spot to load it, but the light was still on.
It's at the dealer now, and I'm waiting to hear whether they're going to give me a loaner car (as was promised when I bought it, but hasn't panned out for any of the problems I've had so far.) They have to do additional diagnostics before officially determining its a warranty repair and whether its eligible for a loaner.


Has anyone else had this happen? Does it just get reflashed? Or possible that it needs replaced?
I drive an 09 5 speed hatch, just celebrated her 2nd birthday this month. It kinda makes me wonder if this is going out 32k, what can I expect 4, 10, 20, 50 thousand miles down the road?

[petrified.rabbit]

most likely not the ecu if the light was on AND it restarted. I would bet the o2, or the coil/spark plugs were the actual issue.

From my understanding, onstar can give you codes, but the people at the call center have no idea what they mean. So you probably have an engine or transmission code, and that is what she was able to tell you.

Let gm fix it, i personally don't think you have much to worry about, well maybe not 50k down the road, but nothing worse than any other car.

did you do spark plugs yet? the replacement period for the standard plugs is supposed to be around 24k miles?

[WavesSandAndSun]

Yep, I did my spark plugs right at 25k.

Well, I called the dealer this afternoon, and the service manager told me it appeared nothing was wrong with the car. She said it was "like a sick kid" that when you take it to the doctor they're not sick any more. Sounds like some BS to me.
I asked if the light was still on and what the code was, and she said the tech working on it was out to lunch, so she couldn't give me any more info. I wish I had checked it with my boyfriend's scan tool before they towed it.
They were supposed to call back before closing, but apparently I'm going to have to wait til Monday to find out anything.

I did drive by there to see if they had even moved it, and it was in fact inside, so that was reassuring.

[WavesSandAndSun]

Just an update...this happened again, and I checked the fault code myself. P16F3 which is suposed to be "internal control module redundant memory performance malfunction"
I found this TSB: http://www.dixie-electric.com/tsb/TSB_171.pdf
The first time around, dealer said there was no code logged, and no CEL when they started it. (I call BS.) This time (even though it's past warranty) I'm going to print out this info and make a copy of the report from the first time and go to a different dealer. Hopefully they'll fix it, because the TSB was published before I even bought the car so I feel like they should have caught it the first time, and since they didn't they should fix it now.

[thehunterooo]

Yeah give that to them and see what happens, when it is something like that, I doubt any of the techs/mechanics that work there have ever seen that problem (you are the only one I have seen with the problem myself ).

[petrified.rabbit]

that code and tsb is for a no start (no crank) not a running then stall.

The TSB says a software update iirc, its sort of a "fail safe" because cycling the key on off is a function to the computer, for things like resetting the oil light, etc.

I'm not saying the ecm isnt bad, but be prepared. If you have an intermittent no start (actually on start up) and have to cycle the key on and off once or twice to start, that is what is supposed to throw that code.

The odd thing is that you get the light and that code after the running stall. does the engine not crank over when you cycle the key after the stall? The code could be related to that.. I would still relay to the "basics" for the stall, fuel and spark.

[WavesSandAndSun]

Okay thanks both for your input. Other than these occasions, I never have a no crank or start problem. After the stall, it doesn't crank.

Re: fuel and spark...this time, it was below freezing when it happened. I put heet in my tank about a week ago in anticipation of the weather. I don't buy the most expensive gas (I don't buy the cheapest either) so I usually use that stuff a few times over the winter just in case. My other car is a 63 bug and I guess I got into the routine of doing it after I had a frozen line my first winter in KY.
I did my spark plugs about 3500 miles ago, and about 7500 miles before the first time.

Yesterday morning the light was off, and I went to the closest dealer (different than the one I went to before) and they told me they could run diagnostics for $100, and that if the ecm needed updating they could do that for another $50. He said there was no chance of getting it warrantied, because it's past 36000, and that there was no way to show it had anything to do with the first incident "because a lot can happen to a car in 12000 miles." He gave me an "okay, crazy lady" look and a number for GM. I called but they were closed so I did an online report/info request thing and also made a report with NHTSA.

I called the other place and they said to bring it in that they would try to flash it under warranty, but that if it didn't turn out to be that, it's $85 diagnostic charge and then whatever cost of other repairs on that. So I have an appointment there this afternoon. She said it should take an hour to an hour and a half. Hopefully that doesn't drag out into a week like last time.

[petrified.rabbit]

If you want my honest opinion, stop running the heet, the problem should go away. In my opinion, its possible the methanol is going to take the narrow band o2 outside of the perimeters the computer uses, and stall the engine by continuing to retard timing.

This car has a warm up circuit, etc. If you have winter gas in winter, etc, you should have no use for additional additives. Gas companies put "more" in gas today than they have in previous years. I have only run "additives" in old gas, and even those times i bought straight methanol, etc. NOT those bottles where you don't know what else is in them. Not that I am telling you to go buy a gallon of denatured alcohol at home depot and pour it in your tank. But I am wandering.. Back on subject.

Is it about the same time of year as it happening the last time? recently after switching to running heet?

[WavesSandAndSun]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll stop the heet. I just never really thought about it because it was so normal for me.
The first time happened in warm weather though, probably 2 months after I had last used it.

I did go back to the other dealer, gave them my printout of that tsb, even though as you pointed out it didn't match my problem exactly. They apparently overlooked that, and flashed it, didn't charge me anything. They also said that it had not logged any codes (again) and that if I had any more trouble that they would go through all the red tape to replace the ecm as warranty. Got it all on paper too.

So, I was completely shocked, and pretty satisfied. hopefully that fixes it, but to be honest I don't have high hopes.