I have a 2004 xj8 and the engine controller was water damaged so I have a used one, I was able to program the module then it prompted me to enter the VIN number on the cowl vin tag. After I enter the correct VIN and press the enter button it repopulated the used computer VIN. There was no way to enter the correct vin, I tried 10 times then just went with it and basically where I started. The car is turning over but won’t start and I think it’s because the VIN does not match. Frustrated

 

Hi lilfreddie,

I have moved your post from a thread in the forum for the X300 to start your own thread in the forum for the X350, which is the Jaguar factory project code for your 2004 XJ8. The Denso 32-bit engine management system in your car is completely different from the Lucas-Sagem EMS in the X300.

What version of SDD are you using to flash your new ECM?

I recently had an ECM update fail on a 2005 XJ8L while using SDD v131.03. The result was that the engine would not even crank. I tried the rectification procedure, disconnecting the battery negative cable and touching it to the positive cable for a couple of minutes, but repeated tries to complete the update were unsuccessful.

On a whim, before I ordered a salvaged replacement ECM, I decided to see if SDD v134 would have any luck. And believe it or not, on the second attempt (after the rectification procedure), the update completed and the car would once again crank and start.

I am attaching a document that may be helpful (thank you Bob Gauff/motorcarman for making it available to us!). Even though some of it may not apply to your situation, I recommend reading and studying it in its entirety because it may give you ideas that will help. One suggestion is on your next attempt to update your ECM, do not allow SDD to automatically read the VIN from your ECM. Instead, enter the VIN manually. This will force SDD to call up the VID block information for your car from its own database, instead of attempting to pull that info from your ECM, which may be corrupted.

Please keep us informed and let us know if you succeed.

Cheers,

Don

 

Problem is resolved, everything I did to fix the car was right. I had programmed ecm, I programmed the keys, and I even had key fobs functioning properly. It would crank but not start the security LED would go off a few seconds after key was on so not a security problem. I decided to check fuse 30 in the under hood fuse box and it was burnt! We’ll fuse 30 is for the coils and it must power something else with the ECM because the only thing that happened to this car was water intrusion to the original ECM. By the way the VIN is still not right in the used ecm but the car is running great and no codes.

 

Don, do you think that v134 may be able to do the job while v131.03 could not (sort of bug)?
That is very strange because both are in principle programmed for cars until 2012...

 

Hi Serge,

My suspicion is that by using v134 instead of v131.03, some bit of data v131.03 had captured incorrectly was captured correctly by v134, so it was able to complete the ECM update. However, it did take two tries, with a rectification procedure in between attempts. v131.03 has been my go-to version for module updates because it has always worked for me, whereas v134 and a later version I have (v142?) have been inconsistent. Otherwise it's a mystery, but it's worth trying a different version of SDD if you ever run into a module update that won't complete.

Cheers,

Don