MP3 ECU died - How hard is this to replace myself?

[soccerdude92]

TL;DR - ECU died, dealer wants $1200 + labor to fix, can I do this myself?

Driving my car one day, it just shut off. Got it towed to a mechanic. He says the temp gauge still maxed after a few days, nothing else seems wrong with the car, just won't start, so it's probably a bad ECU or the wiring, but he couldn't fix it. I got it towed to a mazda dealership. They said the same thing, probably need a new ECU, but they quoted me $1200 for one, plus labor. They also said, if it was wiring, it would probably be a couple thousand just in labor to fix.

I know I could get an ECU online for probably about $200 - how easy is it to replace? Or does it require some programming or something that I can't do myself?

Thanks!

 

[njaremka]

i replaced my ECU in under 10 minutes, without so much as even looking at it before that.

if you want to double check that it is the ECU, any 3rd gen protege ECU will plug in and run the car.

 

[tweety2300]

Ecu's don't exactly die. I think done people have had the same symptoms from the main fuse or relay cramping out