'96 getting ECU not to see transmission

[five20too]

Hey all new member with a question or 2. I have a 1996 Sidekick motor in my Samurai and the check engine light stays on. Now I'm not using the factory transmission and I know the codes are from the transmission only. There are 2 of them, though I can't remember them both off hand. One is something like transmission shift solenoid A and the other one something else tranny related. So I've been messing with this for a while now. Got it just about all ready to go but would like to get this resolved so I can use my CEL in case there is a problem. I just purchased an ECU from a manual tracker of the same year. My automatic ECU has 4 blue socket connectors and the manual ECU has 3 yellow ones. My 2 end connectors on the harness will fit the standard ECU as they do in the original ECU. The problem is that the small connector won't plug in. It has 12 sockets whereas the yellow socket has 14 pins I believe. I was hoping I could just plug in the ECU from the standard and it wouldn't look for the transmission, thus not giving me a code. Is there something I'm missing here? Does someone provide a service where they can take apart my ECU and take out the part that looks for the transmission? Thanks for any help.

[fixkick]

welcome,...aboard. mate.
importantly is you have a OBD2 1996, Suzuki in that Samurai now.
and the 4speed transmission is missing,
the 96 is the last year of TCM, so the ECU you used (unstated tag numbers) is expecting correct data from the TCM box. and will never do that.
so you get lots of transmission errors, sure it will, how can it not? it see the gears fail and reports that. it must.
there are 2 ECU, if you look here you see it. see link below from my 4speed page.
what makes you think you can resolve this.?
1; YOU CANT Reprogram the ECU ,its not FLASH memory equipped, it's pure ROM. (fixed)
2: we cant fool it, with a liar box. sending fact transmission signal to it, that be super hard to do.
3: or put in the 5speed , ECU. per below. E11 ECE.


the 1997 and 1998 are worse, the TCM moved in to the confines of the ECU and was renamed PCM. and more errors to turn on CEL.
you need the dash 71E11 not the E21 (A/T) (all have the same Prefix code)
see it?
http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/EPC-ECU96-98/...N_ECU1.pdf


the TCM shifts the transmission (shift solenoids x3)
the ECU tells the TCM load and RPM data and more (via the secret serial link pin, undocumented ) a COMM link.

The TCM shifts, the box, and then if errors happen the ECU it told the error and report it , and the OD lamp flashes, (TCM does that OD flashing and has its own DTC error codes0
in 1997 all that moved to ECU (PCM) on box car, 1 brain. not 2.

The wrong ECU. that is what you have. (and no it can not be re-flashed, it has no Flash EEPROM inside)
that is why there are so many ECU , 1000's world wide uses. endless..... types....
good luck to you.

[five20too]

Thanks for the quick reply. I bought the -71EA1 ECU, but from what I gather from your reply, I need to get the -71E11 ECU. Am I correct? The reason that I bought the auto engine for the swap was because I needed the bell housing. I really need it not to search for a transmission.