Code 53 need help

[maximus_pr]

1992 Sidekick 4door 4wd auto 16v

Today i decided to pull codes from ECU to my surprise code 53 came out,
does this means my ECU is bad?Before there was no Cel light on the only thing was that every time i start the car after sitting for an hour or so it was like misfiring and very weak but only lasted for about 2 minutes then i ran good.

i have not reset ecu yet just wanted to hear a response first.


i have to add that since i bought the truck battery light is on but whenever i hit a pothole or drive over rough terrain it turn on and off,like a wire is lose or something.

[maximus_pr]

just reseted the ECU and code 53 still comes up tomorrow i'm going to check the grounds and post results

if i want to replace the ECU does it have to be exactly the for the same body type(2 or 4 doors),auto or manual,what other years, 4x4 or 4x2 pleas if anyones knows interchangeability let me know

[jtgh]

lost last post , clicking profile....

ok do over.
ok back to squire 1.
what country are you in.
what car do you have , USA fed 48 or USA Calif , or canada e28?
lots of ecu's world wide .
http://www.kick-fix.com/specs/emissions_cert.jpg

does your sticker say , if usa , say california anywhere?
yes, then you need a fed or calif , ecu.
no, then you must run fed ecu or code 53 will set.

other code 53s are.
bad power to ecu.
bad ecu.
bad fuse box on fender. Right.
bad ground to ECU , bad main relay. (all these kill power )
common-failures

you mean my charge lamp comes on (alternator fail) when you hit a bump.
that is really bad for efi. it hates power distruptions.

http://www.kick-fix.com/All-Pdfs/Par...l-pn-list1.pdf

see pn.
you need 58Bxx prefix ecu.
xx = Fed, Calif, AT, MT

you need to first tell me what harness is in car.
that sticker up front tells me that .

raise hood, look up , while under hood , see sticker. (required by law here)

sounds like you have many issues working here...
cheers.

[jtgh]

now the bad grounds and main fuse panel (right finder front) that will cause alternator and all power to car to die , intermitantly.

common-failures

my bad grounds page above.
and bad main fuse link box . (water and salt can go up strut tower, sadly) hitting this.
all these fails are very common on all sidekicks.

so far we know
1992 Sidekick 4door 4wd auto 16v

we dont know country. ( 53 connotes Calif. but some times canadans try to use them)
we dont know if this car is FED or Calif car. if in N.Americas.

the FSM says, bad power, bad ECU, wrong ECU, bad Calif ID pin . for 53.
or bad ROM , rom is reading wrong. ( bad power supply inside ECU )
this code shows in 89 to 95 cars only and in their respective FSM.

it can also mean the ECU got lost.
this can happen when ecu is trying to make spark or injections, and power is disturbed.
it quite naturally goes lost. and reboots.

that is all i know on 53 and it is not a fun problem to have.
Im glad you have it not me. hahahahah .
no , i will help you find it....

cheers.

[jtgh]

last , what is the Part number on your ECU.

58Bxx ( b20 b40 , b60 b what?)

58B means , 16v.
the suffix xx tells TRANNY and FED /CALif.

my pdf above discloses all the others.
my list by no means covers non USA> but i do have the data elsewheres.

[jtgh]

the reason i can not hone in on this problem
is
you might be in canada with a code 28 canada body trying to use a california ECU.
i have no idea at all. where you are at. and what you have.

see?

[maximus_pr]

i'm in US ill check all those numbers you say tomorrow and post them

does the vin help you determine if its fed or cali and the rest of the stuff?

funny is car runs really good and decent mpg i would say about 22-24mpg the only issue is when i start after sitting for more than one hour other than that and the blinking batt light everything seems normal

[jtgh]

that charge lamp should not come on ,unless idle drips below 700 or lower.
must go out and stay out. loose wiring, bad battery , alternator or those grounds bad i linked. and the fuse box bottom trashed.
id ignore 53 ,until electric is 12.5vdc all the time.

coincedence is too strong here.


i am very interested in 53 DTC fails.

that sticker is a EPA /CARB sticker.
all have it unless someone installed a new hood.
just look for word california.
usa , ok, on track
cheers.

[maximus_pr]

i'm going to have the battery and alternator checked today depending on that i will start checking every ground possible and maybe add a few extra ground wires

just check the sticker(the egr diagram with engine id etc...) and it don't say california anywhere

also check the fuse box and it looks pretty good no signs of rust anywhere,what really seem bad are the grounds all of the looks oxidated so this is my next step cleaning ,replacing and adding some grounds.

[jtgh]

good, not CALIF. car.

yours is a 92 federal-48 car, and as such will glow the CEL lamp solid , every 50k and 80k.
this is the over mileage nag function.
seen that?

some folks just unplug (me) the Mileage nag slider switch for ever.
( then CEL is happy) only glowing (running)when something is really wrong....)


that ground list i gave, are all the grounds the make ECU/EFI , and igntion happy.
course a working alternator is just as important.
some alternators can short one of the 3 phase diode packs.
this reduces output power, and also turns alternator in a huge noise generator.
And a regulator becomes, crazy , seeing all that noise.
The battery being tight (terms) helps dampen this noise, but is a serious issue.

basically all grounds (there are exceptions) in the engine bay are critical.
course HL grounds dont count. that is the reason for my list.
the top of starter bolt ground and main black battery cable to it , is very important and the one behind the battery.


happy trails.