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International Automotive Technicians Network
05 Corolla used PCM install
Posted to Technical Tips Forum on 3/27/2013 4 Replies

We were asked to "program" a used PCM for this 05 Corolla 1ZZ-FE by a local shop. He had been fighting a P0353 (?) and was sure that the issue was related to a faulty PCM. The car had 195K miles on it so it was not covered under the emissions warranty. He had already plugged in the used box and found the typical start/stall when a car is immobilized. I asked him to leave me all the keys in case I had to relearn them all.

After reading about the procedure to erase and relearn keys and not having an LSID, I figured I was gunna reach a dead end as I wouldn't be able to get a seed number in a timely fashion.

After some head-scratching and failed attempts at writing the car's VIN to the used PCM, I was about to give up when iATN member Harv Chan sent me this:

"You don't need to learn the keys to the PCM. This vehicle should have a Transponder ECU that has learned the keys. All you need to do is the handshake between the PCM and the Transponder Key ECU. Jump DLC pins #13 to #4 for over 30 minutes. Be sure to cycle the key afterwards.

You don't need to re-seed for a used PCM on this model.

You were also told correctly about programming the VIN into the PCM. You can do this with Techstream or any Snap On tool with a recent version installed. Having the right VIN is necessary for IM testing."


The failed VIN write turned out to be an issue with TechStream when using a Cardaq+ interface. Using a Mastertech with Toyota card made that possible. Once the VIN was correct and the 30+ minute procedure was complete, I shut the ignition off, removed the jumper from the DLC, and it started up on all 3 keys. I had tried the 30+ min thing before correcting the VIN and was unsuccessful.

BTW, this is the same procedure as Toyota shows for a new PCM replacement. Go figure.

Tip o' the hat to Harv for coming to my rescue.

Happy trails,

Rusty from Massachusetts

4 Replies Received (View Replies)

 

car Vehicle Data

2005 Toyota Corolla LE 1.8L

Engine1.8 L
Trans4-speed Automatic (Electronic)

car Vehicle Data

2005 Toyota Corolla LE 1.8L

Engine1.8 L
Trans4-speed Automatic (Electronic)