Due to a few people asking about this, and too many drivers paying to have it done, and the lack of good, detailed instructions available, here's my take on how to do this chip swap.
Chip replacement for SLC,
Tools needed:
Steps:
1) Disconnect positive battery terminal.
2) Peel back rubber hood sealing strip from passenger side plenum lip. Lift up black plastic drip tray. Observe black plastic air filter screen. Use long screwdriver to pry locking tab back on fender side of screen towards the fender.
3) Slide air screen towards passenger side and remove. Remove any loose debris (dead leaves, twigs, etc.).
4) Observe ECU mounting bracket. Notice single nut securing the bracket. Use ratchet with 10mm socket and extension to remove the nut.
5) Undo the ECU wiring harness by pulling the black plastic two prong handle on the wiring harness towards the front of the car slowly. Gently pull the wire harness away from the ECU body, rotating it 90 degrees clockwise as you do so.
6) Now for the tricky part (getting the ECU out). Place the contact end of the wiring harness down into the air intake hole to get it out of the way. Slide the ECU towards the passenger side until it comes free from its "tongue and groove" mounts. Continue sliding it over, then position it so the bracket is pushed down into the air intake hole. Rotate it 90 degrees clockwise until the end (non wiring loom contact end) is facing the front of the car. Gently slide the ECU out, while holding the black plastic plenum drip tray up.
7) Ensuring a clean work environment, prepare to remove the chip. Do this in the house, it's a lot cleaner there.
8) Ensure to ground your body (you need to discharge static electricity stored in your body) by touching, and keeping in contact with any bare metal that is properly grounded into the floor or equivelant. Failure to do so, could raise the risk of static electricity damage to all electronic components(your ECU printed circuit board, chip, etc.). If you can't keep grounded, be sure to touch a door knob first, he he he. Remove clothing that promotes static electricity, do not walk on carpets, etc.
9) On a clean table or work bench (cleaner the environment, the better), use the Torx driver to remove the four screws holding the ECU cover. Loosen them diagonally a little at a time to ensure even pressure release. Upon removal, gently pull the black ECU cover off, and slide the ECU PCB out.
10) There should be a white plastic cover on the chip from the factory. This is when you use the small tip screwdriver. Insert the tip into the slits on the side of the white chip cover and very gently pry outward to pop one side free at a time. Remove the cover.
11) Very carefully, inspect the chip mounting. Notice how the chip sits about a 1/16" above the socket. Notice the orientation of the chip. There is a notch in one end that faces away from the wiring harness connecting pins. I usually use the small screwdriver to slowly pry the chip from the socket. I start at one end and insert the tip of the screwdriver between the top of the mounting socket and the underside of the chip. I slowly lift up a little on one side, then do the same on the other side, back and forth, evenly, until the chip can be lifted STRAIGHT UP by hand. If you don't lift it straight up, you might bend some of the chip's contact pins on one end.
12) Insert new chip, checking the notch end for proper orientation. Sometimes, a new chip will not fit very well because the two rows of pins are cambered out too much. I fix this by placing chip on egde (on a clean soft surface, like newspaper, etc.) and very gently bending the row of pins, flipping it over doing the same, test fitting..., bending a little more, until it fits properly in the socket. The chip must fit squarely (parallel to socket surface) in the socket. Don't try to force it to hard. You should end up with about 1/16" gap again, but a little more is OK.
13) To assemble ECU: hold black plastic cover with the opening to the left, and the side with more white sticker codes facing you. Slide in the ECU board with the mounting bracket facing downward. Install Torx screws by hand, and tighten slowly in a diagonal manner to keep the torque pressure even. Tighten until snug. Do not over tighten, as the O-ring will get disformed and might allow moisture to enter the ECU and damage it.
14) Installation is the reverse of removal. When connecting the wiring harness, pull the black handle on the wiring loom all the way out, then seat it against the ECU pins, and slide the handle towards the back of the car. This will pull the wiring loom connector snug with the ECU. Reassemble all the other components in reverse of removal order. Do not over tighten ECU bracket nut.
15) After everything is back in place, start engine, and enjoy.
16) If engine turns over, but doesn't start, check the wiring loom connection. If it still won't start, remove ECU, and check the chip position. Is it seated far enough into the socket? Is the notched end in the right position? Did you hear/feel a static electricity "zap" while doing the procedure?
***G60 is similar, but the wiring loom connector is different. The release handle is in the rear, and must be pushed toward the rear of the car to remove wiring loom***
Jason
'93 SLC
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