Freelander 2 (LR2) ECU problem

My 57 plate HSE Freelander2 wouldn't start and the RAC started it and told me to take it to the nearest garage because the ecu wasn't communicating, They sent the unit off but it was unrepairable
Was told new parts would cost more than the car is worth and they would get parts from a breaker which they did but not everything is working now especially the ABS i have found a HSE the same year and model as mine being available for parts so does anyone know what parts beside the ecu i need to get to be all compatible . The garage says needed is fuse box ,key module ABS module ,instrument panel
Any help please

Hope someone here can help - because this sounds like a disaster that's already happened and will just keep getting worse.

I hope the garage you used was an auto electrician - cos a mechanic with a box of spanners who, who may be really good at fixing mechanical issues, quite likely hasn't a clue when it comes to all the computer electronics.

Good luck, hope someone can sort it.

You didn't say what engine the vehicle has, so I'll assume it's a diesel.

In my experience, there will nothing wrong with the Engine Control Module (ECM), if there was it simply wouldn't start.

In the unlikely event that the ECM is to blame, you can use a second hand ECM if your has been damaged by water ingress, which isn't at all common.
However you can't use a second hand ABS module as it contains the VIN in memory which can't be changed. Only a new ABS module can be configured to the vehicle, and only when using JLR SDD which is LR dealer software.

It sounds like someone doesn't know what they are talking about, especially the RAC **** as the ECM is very unlikely to go wrong, and if it had it wouldn't have started.
It's much more likely to be the crank sensor or throttle body at fault, both of which will cause a failure or difficulty to start, and neither is expensive.

It sounds like someone is telling you BS, as there's no way it will cost more than the market value of the vehicle to fix, unless it's been pretty much abused and not looked after.
Get it to someone who knows what they are doing would be my advice.

Have you still got the old ecu?

The garage sent the ecu away for testing and and it was unrepairable they got one off a breakers but the Abs light is on and several things don't work but it's running fine now originally it wouldn't start when RAC came out
Had an auto electrician look at it and the garage had put an ecu on from a different model not an HSE

If I get a HSE one and the Abs module off the same car will that cure the Abs warning

Rainworth1 said:

The garage sent the ecu away for testing and and it was unrepairable they got one off a breakers but the Abs light is on and several things don't work but it's running fine now originally it wouldn't start when RAC came out
Had an auto electrician look at it and the garage had put an ecu on from a different model not an HSE

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I'm seriously doubting that your original ECM was faulty, they simply don't just fail, or it's extremely unlikely. There are dozens of other things that can cause a failure to start, the ECM would be at the bottom of a very long list.
What are the other things that don't work? There are several different revisions of ECM fitted to these vehicles, so the exact same replacement part number must be fitted, or other issues arise.

Rainworth1 said:

If I get a HSE one and the Abs module off the same car will that cure the Abs warning

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Not necessarily. These vehicles use an integrated security system, meaning the VIN is stored in many different modules around the vehicle. You'd need to replace all of them to get the VIN coded modules to work together correctly, and all modules would have to have the same part numbers as the originals, or more incompatibility issues appear.

You can't simply swap out modules, unless you or the person doing the work knows exactly what effect it will have, and has the necessary diagnostic equipment to program replacements to the vehicle correctly.

Rainworth1 said:

The garage sent the ecu away for testing and and it was unrepairable they got one off a breakers but the Abs light is on and several things don't work but it's running fine now originally it wouldn't start when RAC came out
Had an auto electrician look at it and the garage had put an ecu on from a different model not an HSE

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Ask for the ecu back. You could look into getting it fixed yerself if it has a fault.

Hippo said:

Ask for the ecu back. You could look into getting it fixed yerself if it has a fault.

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Technically they should have returned it, as it belongs to the owner, unless they took it in part exchange, and gave a discount on the replacement.