Faulty Conlog immobilizer [Solution found!]

[DrJustice 0]

Greetings fellow Corradisti!

 

My Conlog immobilizer have stopped working and I'm at my wits end - it's bit of a crisis.

 

My 1991 G60 came with two Conlog three-contact fobs. One died a few years ago, but the second worked fine. Now the second one has died and I can no longer start my car.

 

I assume that the ECU and wiring is sound since when the previous one died the second Conlog worked fine, and I'm getting a slightly delayed blink sometimes when I insert the fob, indicating that it makes contact with the ECU. I also assume that the fob is battery-less, using a serial-number chip inside, powered when inserted into the slot.

 

Is there anything I can do to fix or bypass the immobilizer? I'm handy with electronics, but so far I can't find any info on these things to guide me.

 

Edit: I've done all the obvious 1st aid procedures: cleaning the contacts, tightening up the contact springs in the socket, applied pressure/wiggling etc., reseating the ECU wire-harness plug and resetting the ECU.

 

The immobilizer is of this type:

Edited April 28, 2019 by DrJustice

[DrJustice 0]

Nothing? OK...

 

The Bentley manual doesn't mention the immobilizer, as far as I can see.

 

If I were to solve this by swapping out the ECU, possibly to one without the immobilizer, there are a few questions:

 

1. how is the immobilizer tied into the ECU; fob's 3 wires straight to the ECU, or something else?

2. does a specific fob tie to a specific ECU?

3. there are different types of Corrado ECUs, which ones will fit my European 1991 G60?

4. any other ECU swap traps to avoid?

 

Edit 1: I can get hold of an ECU, from Europe, with two numbers on it:

0 261 200 346

037 906 022 DP (I believe this is the significant type number)

Does anyone know what that one could do for me?

 

Edit 2:

I've been told the following w.r.t. 037 906 022 DP, without the actual details of how to do it - again, anybody in the know?

"After connecting the ECU, you have to enter the code you are adopting immo the system of your car. You can also turn off the immo system."

Edited April 22, 2019 by DrJustice

[DrJustice 0]

I found this on youtube - a guy who removes the Conlog immobilizer from a Golf mk III. At least, it's the same kind of Conlog fob. He basically just shorts three wire pairs that ran between the fuse box and the dreaded Conlog box. Now, this indicates that the immobilizer may not have anything to do with the ECU...

 

Before I tear the car apart to see if it has the same arrangement (my car is also stranded far away, so I can't easily get to it...), I'll ask if anyone has been inside the dashboard of a Corrado and had a look - seen anything similar?

 

[Bauhaus 3]

The Corrado G60 never came with a factory installed immobiliser, your Conlog is a VW dealer installed immobiliser and the install may be different to someone else's car.

 

The ECU 037 906 022 DP or any other G60 ECU does not contain any immobiliser and will have nothing to do with your installed immobiliser.

[DrJustice 0]

Thank you for the reply, Bauhaus!

 

Yes, that's the conclusion I've come to so far, based on the video above: the Conlog system is not an integral part of the ECU. I've also been told otherwise, but I trust the video above and Bauhaus' confirmation! We're now seemingly three persons in the whole universe who knows anything about this :D

 

This might well save the day. I'll rip my dashboard apart and see if a procedure like that in the video is applicable.

 

Edit: Will report back when I know more, but it might be a while since I have to travel back and forth to my immobilized Corrado...

 

Edit 2: Another seller of an ECU has confirmed what we now know.

Edited April 22, 2019 by DrJustice

[Keyo 47]

You can purchase a Toad Ai606 Cat 1 immobiliser and Alarm off ebay for a £100 and get if fitted for £120, that's the way I would go on this. My VR6 originally came from Northampton and the dealer fitted a aftermarket Scorpion immobiliser but I changed it out for a Toad for reliability.

[DrJustice 0]

Thanks, Keyo. I'll consider a new immobilizer eventually.

 

Right now I just want to rip out that Conlog junk and set fire to it before crushing it with a sledgehammer and then running repeatedly over it with the Corrado

[Keyo 47]

Well be careful chap don't leave your car anywhere vulnerable because I imagine they are quite easy to steal without additional security. I had a MK2 golf 16v nicked in seconds in 1994 and never owned a car since without one. When I purchased the car the seller said it had one and I believed him, I managed to get the car back but the Insurance company refused to pay out because they could see no trace of a immobiliser and I couldn't supply a certificate lesson learnt .

Edited April 22, 2019 by Keyo

[DrJustice 0]

When I lived in the big city, Oslo, my Corrado was constantly attempted stolen. I think there were more than 10 break-ins throughout a few years, with crushed windows and ruined locks every time - all this despite the immobilizer sticker and blinky light. The immobilizer saved my car from being driven and most likely wrecked every time though - so yeah, a Corrado is one car you definitely want an immobilizer in.

 

Edit: now living in the country side, so there's no more stealing my car - now I only have to watch out for moose as Keyo hints at below (there are no reindeer this far south in Norway) :)

Edited April 22, 2019 by DrJustice

[Keyo 47]

Just seen your In Norway so I guess if your out the city centre should be quite safe apart from crashing into a Reindeer ha !

[DrJustice 0]

It's done - the Conlog Immobilizer has been ripped out and bypassed.

 

On my car it was mounted behind the center console on a bracket bolted to the transmission tunnel. To remove it, I took out the instrument panel insert (to gain access to the switch gear mounted on the center console), the center console trim (to see what you're doing) and the lower part of the dash board on both sides (to get to the Conlog electronics box and the relays). The electronics box and relay socket are mounted to the bracket with two screws. The two relays can be pulled from their sockets and jumpers with cable lugs inserted in their place (the relays have markings to show which pins are the contacts). The two single leads plugged into the electronics box can be pulled out and a jumper with cable lugs used to connect them. You could of course cut the cables and splice them, but using jumpers is quick and easy and makes the removal reversible.

 

That's it, job done. Refer to the video above for some visuals to go by. Thanks to Rydell Motorsport for the video!