When cloning makes sense
- Your ECU has a hardware fault but its memory is readable
- You've bought a used replacement ECU
- You want to avoid dealer programming and immobiliser matching
When it doesn't
If the original ECU is badly damaged (water, fire, burnt components) its data may not be recoverable. Some newer ECUs are locked and can't be cloned at all, so they need full programming and coding instead. ECU cloning starts at £60 but varies massively on the health of the original ECU, and programming can sometimes cost more than people expect. We'll tell you up front.
