Engine control unit (ECU): cloning, immobiliser and virginizing

Cloning, Immo Off or virginizing: which service do you need?

• Engine ECU cloning: your original ECU has failed but its memory can still be read. We copy its data onto a donor ECU with exactly the same part number. It is the simplest option to refit: no programming, no key learning.
• Immobiliser deactivation (Immo Off): the ECU no longer recognises the car's immobiliser (faulty key, transponder or body control module) and refuses to start. We disable the immobiliser function in the engine ECU.
• Virginizing: you have bought a used ECU. We erase the data of the car it came from (immobiliser, VIN) so it can then be paired with yours using a diagnostic tool.

Signs of a failing engine ECU

• the engine will not start, or starts and stalls immediately, with the immobiliser light on;
• the diagnostic tool can no longer communicate with the ECU;
• fault codes internal to the ECU (memory error, internal power supply);
• traces of water, corrosion or electrical damage on the casing.

An engine warning light or fault code does not always point to the ECU: a sensor, wiring or an injector may be to blame. Have the car diagnosed first. If the ECU is confirmed dead, cloning takes over.

How does engine ECU cloning work?

1. Order online the service matching your ECU part number, printed on the unit's label.
2. Remove the ECU and send it to us with a donor ECU of the same part number, new or used.
3. We read the memory of the original ECU, write it to the donor, then check the result.
4. We send both ECUs back. Refit the cloned unit: the car starts with its usual keys.

What we do not do

Incarline does not repair engine ECUs component by component. When an ECU is damaged to the point that its memory cannot be read, cloning is no longer possible: a new ECU programmed by the manufacturer is then required.