ECU location
 

Here is the location of the ECU with the 3 - 10mm nuts to remove it marked. The ECU and TCU will both fall out when you remove these nuts and all of the electrical plugs from them.

Thank you Matt
 

:D :D :D :D :D

Took off the nuts, fired up the Sawzall and pulled it right out the top of the dashboard with the TCU riding piggyback.

Todd

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

So how long does it take to remove the ecu/tcu?

I'm still thinking something is messed up in my TCU. My car still likes to "release" tension (when parking or even at a traffic light).

i wedged myself under there last night to pull out my ecu, and it took me at most, 15 minutes. the hardest part is getting comfortable down there...and trying to figure out how the hell you're going to use your arms in that cramped space. :D the best thing to do it pop out the black plug that holds the wires close to the mounting bracket...remove the brown thing and silver thing from their brackets (and push them out of the way)...and then go at it after you pull the electrical connectors. make you you have some kind of work light down there with ya...maybe a fan for some air too. oh...make sure you use a tool small enough to squeeze up by the top two nuts...my ratchest with adaptor was too big, so i had to break out the wrenches. it was a tight squeeze for me, and i'm a little guy (don't even go there you sickos) :p :D

Re: ECU location
 

That is a very good picture. Excellent. I am really glad you did that. Every picture I took did not come out well. The service manual does not do justice to what it really looks like. I used a scoket extension thru the bracket to take out the nuts.

I found the electric connectors to be VERY tight and HARD to pull out. I did not want to hurt the wires, there are some many of them, so I used a screw driver as a lever to ease the connectors out after I unlocked the connector.

Did you find your connectors hard to remove?

I alos spent a lot of time trying to roll the TCU and ECU back up into place. If I was little more careful watching how it came down it would have been easier to put back.

Does it go away, if you put the FWD fuse in?

The "release tension" sounds like the transfer clutch is engaged.
Harvey.

I used a 10mm open end wrench to remove the nuts - it is pretty tight in there and a PITA to get them off and even harder to put them back on. The connectors were hard to get out on both mine and my wife's car - even after I have taken mine out at least 5 times now they are in there pretty tight.

If you take off the under dash cover a socket extension can be used thru the access holes in the bracket. I had to use a knife to ease out that one plastic phillips head plastic screw for the under dash cover. The screw driver works well as a pry. Just work around the edges of the connectors. ther is a goo size lip on the connector and it is strong. Take your time and work it out evenly.