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Fitech troubles (maybe)

Mastiff said:
The EBL system from Dynamic EFI is sort of a hybrid that uses stock GM stuff with interface and software upgrades to the factory computer. Much easier to tune and you have tech support to help. Mine has been working great.

The only thing that crosses my mind is that these computers are 30 years old. I worry about mine just taking a dump when I'm out in the boonies. Anyone have a sense of how common it is for the computers to croak from old age? I guess I really never thought about it until right now, but does GM still make the old TBI computers for repair parts, like a guy could pay for a new one if he was crazy enough? If they do make them, I imagine they are crazy expensive.
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I think just the computer is $125 ish. At least the last one I bought. Issues would be if the Prom or cal chip went south. That’s about $300 more for both if it’s a custom tune

If your truck was stock TBI, a $25 junkyard replacement would suffice
 
Mastiff said:
The EBL system from Dynamic EFI is sort of a hybrid that uses stock GM stuff with interface and software upgrades to the factory computer. Much easier to tune and you have tech support to help. Mine has been working great.

The only thing that crosses my mind is that these computers are 30 years old. I worry about mine just taking a dump when I'm out in the boonies. Anyone have a sense of how common it is for the computers to croak from old age? I guess I really never thought about it until right now, but does GM still make the old TBI computers for repair parts, like a guy could pay for a new one if he was crazy enough? If they do make them, I imagine they are crazy expensive.
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That is a very good point. i used to worry about this a lot, and now that you brought it up, i will probably again start worrying about it. i think that as long you keep the ECM away from high heat levels (like the engine) and this shouldn't be too hard----keep it in the passenger compartment like the factory did. And keep it away from excess water---again, shouldn't be difficult, then you're good. Although, i can't say for sure.

They seem pretty "solid state," simple, and straightforward.

My GM TBI car is 29 model years old, and the ecm works just fine (knock on wood).

i don't believe gm still makes new units, but they offer re-manufactured units. As do other aftermarket companies such as Howell.

When i was in worry mode, i would scheme about putting a distributor and a carb on this tbi engine. IF the ecm decides to "take a dump," then i'll probably try a reman unit first before switching to carb.

i have only "heard" of once instance of ecm trouble that needed complete replacement and this was a newer cavalier/cobalt(?) and it was mpfi and it was totally stock, so i don't know.
 
Bent77 said:
I think just the computer is $125 ish. At least the last one I bought. Issues would be if the Prom or cal chip went south. That’s about $300 more for both if it’s a custom tune

If your truck was stock TBI, a $25 junkyard replacement would suffice
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Yeah, I'm just considering the reliability of very old stuff. I suspect the $125 is a reman. A quick searched turned them up on Summit for about that price if you have no core.
 
vandelay industries said:
That is a very good point. i used to worry about this a lot, and now that you brought it up, i will probably again start worrying about it. i think that as long you keep the ECM away from high heat levels (like the engine) and this shouldn't be too hard----keep it in the passenger compartment like the factory did. And keep it away from excess water---again, shouldn't be difficult, then you're good. Although, i can't say for sure.

They seem pretty "solid state," simple, and straightforward.

My GM TBI car is 29 model years old, and the ecm works just fine (knock on wood).

i don't believe gm still makes new units, but they offer re-manufactured units. As do other aftermarket companies such as Howell.

When i was in worry mode, i would scheme about putting a distributor and a carb on this tbi engine. IF the ecm decides to "take a dump," then i'll probably try a reman unit first before switching to carb.

i have only "heard" of once instance of ecm trouble that needed complete replacement and this was a newer cavalier/cobalt(?) and it was mpfi and it was totally stock, so i don't know.
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When my truck was carb'd I carried a spare fuel pump (mechanical) and felt like I could always limp home somehow no matter what happened. With the EFI, the ECM is a hard failure mode and the fuel pump pretty much is too. I don't carry a spare for that since the replacement job would be hard in the field (unless I cut that access panel...). Every so often I contemplate getting a second ECM that I could swap in, but they aren't cheap.

My wife's van fried two ECMs and the car would barely move after the failure. It would go about 5-10 mph though, which would be way better than nothing. In line with limping home by manually pouring fuel in a carb I suppose. Thing is, the ECM itself wasn't to blame, a chafed wire in the harness was frying the injector driver somehow.
 
As a whole, TBI computers were pretty solid

The ICM are suspect once you get past stock parts
 
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Mastiff said:
The only thing that crosses my mind is that these computers are 30 years old. I worry about mine just taking a dump when I'm out in the boonies. Anyone have a sense of how common it is for the computers to croak from old age? I guess I really never thought about it until right now, but does GM still make the old TBI computers for repair parts, like a guy could pay for a new one if he was crazy enough? If they do make them, I imagine they are crazy expensive.
Click to expand...

Having a few customers with TBI trucks that still bring them in (including the owners son's truck) we still deal with them. However, we can't get ECM's, PROM's or TBI units, rebuilt or new. Anytime we have one in we end up going through NAPA to get parts. We've gone after used when reman stuff isn't available.

The ECM's are pretty robust normally. However we have had PROM's get zapped or get fried. We have no source for PROMs by the way. Nobody sells them except to get a used one from a truck with similar options.

We did use a Holley replacement TBI unit on our owner's son's truck. It's been on there 2 years and it's now killing the TPS sensor. We are going to rebuild a stock TBI unit and throw the Holley in the garbage.
 
ZooMad75 said:
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Having a few customers with TBI trucks that still bring them in (including the owners son's truck) we still deal with them. However, we can't get ECM's, PROM's or TBI units, rebuilt or new. Anytime we have one in we end up going through NAPA to get parts. We've gone after used when reman stuff isn't available.

The ECM's are pretty robust normally. However we have had PROM's get zapped or get fried. We have no source for PROMs by the way. Nobody sells them except to get a used one from a truck with similar options.

We did use a Holley replacement TBI unit on our owner's son's truck. It's been on there 2 years and it's now killing the TPS sensor. We are going to rebuild a stock TBI unit and throw the Holley in the garbage.
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fighting my current battle with my holley sniper from :angry1: HELL :angry1: and trying to figure out whats next this helps me decied to just stay clear of tbi at this point i think . ya howell efi and a few other sell a lot and do a lot but as you said QUALITY level of replacment parts = heavy hit more miss . . .
 
well i have budy vegas hat is going to help me put together a carb so can swap it back untill i can send in for repairs
i am not looking forward to it its out of warranty
 
@Kain i make you a deal on my sniper in a week or so when i get a clean bill of health from holley :whistle: say what :eek: . . ... yep more on this in the injection section thread of mine soon . :popcorn:
 
Been watching yours and others Holley is hit or miss (mostly miss) with costumer service
Fitech if the tech that answers the phone has a bad day you get the shaft. Really hope I get first call in the morning.....
 
Kain said:
Been watching yours and others Holley is hit or miss (mostly miss) with costumer service
Fitech if the tech that answers the phone has a bad day you get the shaft. Really hope I get first call in the morning.....
Click to expand...

real miss on service in my book . . . so far out of the area its not funny .
 
Kain said:
No it's not funny, it's sad that that take your money then ignore you
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what i have posted in my thread in h ijection section is not even a hand full of my anger to them . . . . this site would not let me post the amount of angry :angry1: to come close to screwing me out of MY HARD EARNED CASH by a long standing huge company .

anyway we need to keep this in my thread for my info . this is your thread . . . . . . p.s. edelbrock pro flo 4 .................
 
Been reading about Eddy's system an if I read it right it has Wi-Fi capabilities where the tech can log on through the Wi-Fi connection and see what the problem is, want more info though and most places just want to sell it to you
 
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