code 53, engine running well - fixed

[muzuke]

Hello, This is my first suzuki and 1st post, hoping to get some help!

I have recently got a 1994 Vitara 5door- Manual - 16V -G16A

After some trouble with the original engine (oil & water mixing) I went for a used engine, Japanese import - G16A 16V

The swap was dead simple as everything was the same, The car is now running and is good fun to drive although a bit rough/thirsty to my liking

My problem is with an check engine light that keeps popping up - code 53
if I remove the battery for a few minutes it goes away only to come back a few days later.

apparently this is an ECU bad code??, the car starts and drives pretty much ok, I can cruise on the motorway at 110km/h no problems.

any idea what this could be?

[fixkick]

welcome partner !
94 16v. OBD1 car.
53s have 2 meanings, 3:?
1: wrong ECU.
2: EGR thermo probe. disconnected.
3: ecu has corrupted memory (bad ecu, very very bad ecu)

#1 and #2 are related.
calif ecu in fed car or the reverse or the prob wire fell off.

my guess is the JDM has the wrong EGR valve missing the EGR thermoprobe. it has 2 wire sensors.
1994 is the transition year, from no probe to all cars having it, fed/cal in 1995.
the solution is to look at under hood sticker , see calif words?
and for sure ECU partnumber.
http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/EPC-ECU96-98/...9-95NA.pdf


the ecu pn must be right, and match EGR.

the 58B90 and 59B30 must have the EGR gt thermoprobe attached or a 10,000 ohm resistor to fool it (for testing only wink wink)

[muzuke]

Thanks for your quick answer!

I have had a good look at my EGR - From the old and the new engine.
Basically The old one had the EGR blanked off, and related piping blocked by factory plugs.
It had only 1 black electrical switch in front of the intake.

The new engine has all the EGR stuff including air hoses to a second green switch.
We used the same wiring loom/ECU from the original engine and it all hooked up nicely.
The connector to the green switch was on the original loom so that was hooked up.

BTW, I forgot to mention I live in Mauritius, a tropical Island in the Indian ocean!

I just hope its not an ECU error, because it is very hard to source parts out here.

[muzuke]

The CEL light and code are finally gone. I basically removed or disabled the parts conected to EGR system, to match the spec of the original engine.
Engine seems to be running better and drinking less fuel.

[fixkick]

Congrats !!! and no more limphome mode...
your ecu is not usa ECU. i bet.
the ecu will in fact throw 53s if the EGR is set wrong. the egr must match your ECU, which you never stated.
or ECU even has.sticker on top.

33920-58B30 (30 means M/T)
US MT

US means usa
mT mean means manual tranny

yours will be missing the US. or have other words

there can be over 50 eCU used world wide, one car. and there is no list showing all markets. anywhere.
i bet you have this non usa body tag next to battery , this is key tag , to have ordering parts. or getting smog parts right.
the FSE xxxx tells options.
http://www.fixkick.com/specs/Body-TAGS/h...ge_10.html

[Nunapitchuk]

Taking a break from my transmission problem, I checked to see why my check engine light comes on and stays on. The check engine light clearing switch under the dash has no effect on it. Disconnect battery for a long time and reconnect makes no difference. Checked for the code and get only 53 repeated over and over. Disconnected the EGR wires, no change.

So the engine appears and sounds to be running perfect. Book says ECM not correct spec. What? So I read the numbers on the ECM and they are:

33920-58B40
E2T41 581 (followed by either r1 or maybe an M -- can't tell)
2Z15B T2
FED-AT

So, I look at the link Fixkick provided (Thanks) and it appears that I have a 1993 ECM in my 1995 car. Some previous owner must have replaced it.

Do you agree with my diagnosis?

Is there something harmless that I can do to continue using this ECM, but make it quit turning on the check engine light?

I think I have another ECM in my parts car (same car as mine, but assembled in Japan instead of Canada). Should I try swapping with that ECM if it is original. Haven't checked because still buried in snow.

What is actually causing the computer to detect that it is not in the correct car?

Does someone sell new ECM's for my car? Or other options available?

[fixkick]

that switch under the dash , the nag switch on FEDeral USA cars only, not calif, not canada market.
is a timer, switch only. but is ok now, CEL codes not not frozen.
53 means you are :
1: RUNNING The calif ECU in a Federal body. (seems not)
2: or the EGR EGRT thermal sensor is missing , all 95 cars i think have the EGRT sensor.
3: or the EGRT, sensor wires fell off the same.
4: radical answer, running federal harness in a calif. car.
5: the firmware is corrupted, as in bad ECU.

This is easy to figure out.
open the hood, look up, see that USA white mandated sticker there (even shows spark gap) and advance timing? degrees. bingo.
see the words on the bottom text there, words CALIFORNIA there, then it is a CAL car, if not its a FED car.
now we know what it was new day one.
58B40 means, FED ECU (e03 code) 92,93 only car, automatic. only. and is missing the IAT sensor used next year and all years newer.
so someone put in the wrong ECU.


there are 2 ways the ECU knows its in the wrong car,
1: EGR MISSING. EGRT sensor.
2: or the CALIF ground pin missing, B1 or B2?

think this is your issue.
did you look at the EGR main first. (rear of intake, see intake tunnel 4 rear, see that EGR there?
see if the sensor is there, and the 1 wire attached?
if the wire dangles there, and no EGRT sensor present , just ground the wire with any 10,000 ohm resistor, brown,black,orange bands. this ends 53s. in 99.9% off all cases.

[fixkick]

THE ECU turned on
the CALIF ECU scans pin B17 for the EGRT,(thermoprobe sensor)
if it is missing if fails. 53
theory:
if the Fed ecu scans it same pin , and sees it , the many be it fails too , 53. i have not tried this test.
the best way to find out is.
look at B17 pin on ECU, on your car there is a wire there 1995 body.
this wire is RED with green stripe.
it goes to EGRT sensor, 1995 if sensors is there with B40 ECU it may do 53s, so if there,unplug it (EGRT) to fool the ECU thinking its 92 car.
let me know what works.

[Nunapitchuk]

Yes, it has temp sensor on EGR. I disconnected battery to allow code to clear. While battery disconnected I unplugged the connector to the EGR temp sensor. Hooked battery back up and check engine light right back on again. No change.

That is why I was wondering what could possibly trigger an ECU from a '93 to give a code 53 if it is on a '95 car. Could it be the IAT?

It is Fed (not calif spec) -- both car and ECU.

It seems strange to me that the '93 ECU would have something to trigger code 53 if it was in a '95 car -- were they programming for the future back in '93? Ha.

So, I wonder, is there any other thing, besides the EGR that would cause code 53 on that older Fed ECU. If the engine is running good then the ECU is good, right? I mean, if the ECU was corrupted or capacitor went bad then it would not run good right?

[Nunapitchuk]

My mistake. When I tried it without the EGR wire connected I still had the check engine light. I tried reading the code again, but the check engine light just remained on without flashing. I flipped the check engine reset switch under the dash to the other side and then the check engine light flashed code 12. I cleared it again by disconnecting the battery for awhile. When I tried it again the check engine light turned off. So it seems to work, no check engine light with the EGR temperature sensor wire disconnected.

I am wondering about why my fuel gauge is not working. It appears to be connected to the ECM when I look at the schematic. So I am wondering if having the '93 ECM in my '95 vehicle could possibly cause my fuel gauge not to work. Do you know? Maybe it is something else. I did install a new fuel pump assembly. Will be doing more study to figure it out, but appreciate any insight you may have.