Before you call usHow to find your ECM part number
It is printed on a label on the computer itself — not on your registration, not in the VIN, not in the owner’s manual. Photograph that label and you are done. That one number tells us whether your module can be cloned, what it costs, and how fast.
Can’t find it? Text a photo of the computer to the same number and we’ll read it for you.
Step one
Find the computer first
You are looking for a metal box about the size of a paperback, usually cast aluminum with cooling fins, with two or three fat wiring connectors plugged into one end.
On most cars and trucks it lives in the engine bay. Open the hood and look along the driver’s side, near the battery or bolted flat against the firewall at the back of the bay.
Some vehicles put it elsewhere. If the engine bay comes up empty, check under the dash on the driver’s side, or under one of the front seats.
You do not need to remove it
You only need to read the label. If you can reach it with a phone camera, that is enough. Leave it bolted in until we have confirmed the price.
Where to look, in order
- Engine bay, driver’s sideNear the battery, or bolted to the firewall at the back. Most of them are here.
- Under the dashDriver’s side footwell, often behind a plastic kick panel.
- Under a front seatLess common, but it happens on some imports.
Step two
Read the right number
The label carries several numbers and only one of them is the part number. It is usually the longest string, printed largest or sitting next to the barcode.
Formats differ by manufacturer. Some are eight digits. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram typically use eight digits followed by two letters. Ford uses a longer hyphenated code. Imports vary.
Send the whole thing, letters included. The trailing letters mark the software level, and while the software is what we replace, we still need to see it to know which revision family the hardware belongs to.
The VIN sticker is not it
There is often a second label carrying the VIN. That identifies the car, not the computer, and it will not tell us what hardware you have.
What you are looking for
68153864AH
Send this one, all of it
- The long string is the part number. Longest on the label, usually beside the barcode.
- A VIN on a second label is not it. That identifies the car, not the computer.
- Short codes are build data. Date stamps and plant codes are not what we need.
Step three
Send it, however is easiest
Read it to us on the phone, or photograph it. A photo is better, because we can see the whole label including anything you would not think to mention.
A good photo
- The whole label in frame, all four edges visible
- Close enough that the smallest text is readable
- Wipe the grease off first — a thumb smear can hide a digit
- Flash on if the bay is dark
Not enough to quote from
- The whole engine bay shot from three feet away
- The VIN plate instead of the module label
- Half the number, because a bracket covered the rest
- Year, make and model alone — one vehicle can carry several different part numbers
Text the photo to (404) 666-8211. We read it, confirm whether it can be cloned, and quote you on the spot.
Call (404) 666-8211Common snags
Questions people ask us
The label is unreadable. Now what?
Call us. Part numbers are often cast or etched into the housing as well, and we can usually talk you to the right spot. Failing that, we can frequently identify the module from clear photos of the connectors and the casting.
Can you look it up from my VIN?
Not reliably. The same vehicle can leave the factory with different part numbers depending on build date, engine and options, and a previous owner may have already replaced the module. The label on the box is the only certain answer.
Do the letters at the end matter?
Send them. They usually mark the software level, and although the software is what we replace, they tell us which revision family the hardware belongs to.
Do I have to take the computer out to read it?
No. Read it in place if you can. Only remove it once we have confirmed the price and you are ready to ship.
My car is an automatic. Does that change anything?
Yes. Automatic and manual versions of the same vehicle use different computers, which is one more reason the part number matters more than the model name.
One number, one answer
Read us the sticker.
We will tell you whether it can be cloned, what it costs, and when you would get it back. About a minute on the phone.