We repair Caterpillar ADEM ECMs every day — 3406E, C7, C9, C10, C12, C13, C15, C16, and 3126. If your ECM is doing one of the things below, there's a good chance we fixed the same thing this week. Most of it is repairable.
Failed flash recovery available.
On every Cat 70-pin ECM we repair, we upgrade the injector drivers for durability and replace the internal battery.
Sale through October 31: $525 on every Cat 70-pin repair (regularly $745). 40-pin and 120-pin repairs stay $745.
Battery went dead and now it won't start? No check engine light when you turn the key on? That's the classic Cat ECM failure, and it's repairable.
These show up across every Cat ECM, week in and week out. If your symptom is on this list, that's good news — it means we've seen it before and it's fixable.
What you see: the battery went dead on the truck or machine, or it got jump started, and now it cranks and won't fire, or it won't do anything at all. It ran fine before the battery died.
The quick check: turn the key on and watch the dash. The check engine light should come on for a few seconds. If it never lights up, there's a good chance your ECM is not waking up.
What's happening: a dead battery, a jump start, or a charger left on it can take out the side of the ECM that powers it up. The module never wakes up, so nothing fires.
What we do: check the ECM fuses and battery cables first. If those are good, send the ECM in. We get it powering up again, test it on the bench, and send it back programmed to your engine.
What you see: a dead hole or misfire, a cylinder that drops out, or a power/derate complaint that follows the ECM, not the injector.
What's happening: the driver circuit inside the ECM that fires the injector has failed, so the module stops driving one or more injectors.
What we do: we repair the driver circuitry and bench-test every injector channel before it ships back, so you're not chasing the same dead hole again.
What you see: you hook up to it and the engine serial number is blank or wrong, or the ECM asks to be reprogrammed. An ECM that forgets its engine serial number is another classic sign it needs a repair.
What's happening: the module is not holding what was programmed into it, so it drops the engine serial number and the customer parameters that were set for your engine.
What we do: we recover as much of your programming as the module will give up and load it back in. Sometimes part of it is gone for good because of how the ECM failed. When that happens we work with you to fill the missing settings back in, so things like your Jake brake and cruise control work again when it goes back in the truck.
What you see: the engine starts and runs fine, but Cat ET (or your diagnostic tool) won't connect to the ECM. You can't read it, can't program it.
What's happening: the communication side of the module has failed while the engine-control side still works.
What we do: we get communication back on the bench so the ECM can be read and programmed again.
Don't see your exact symptom? Send it in anyway. These are the common ones, but Cat ECMs fail in other ways too, and we test every unit before we tell you what's going on.
Running a C10, C12, C15, C16 or 3406E? Read the deep dive: Cat 70-pin ECM problems & symptoms →
Symptom guides: Cat won't start after the battery died · Corroded pins on the Cat ECM connector · Cat ET won't connect to the ECM · Dead cylinder with good injectors · Many sensor codes at once
Repair pages by engine: 3406E ECM repair · C15 ECM repair · C12 ECM repair · C13 ECM repair · C10 ECM repair · C16 ECM repair · C7 ECM repair · 3126 ECM repair · Equipment ECM repair
Self-ship free, or add a prepaid UPS label. Drop-offs in Princeton, MN by appointment.
70-pin units: paid in full at checkout, refunded if we can't fix it. 40-pin and 120-pin units: $350 bench fee, credited the same way. We test it and tell you exactly what failed, usually in 1-2 business days. We fix the large majority of the 70-pin ECMs that come in. Any normal failure we can't fix, you get a full refund. The exceptions are when the ECM itself is the reason: a board that is cracked, burned, or eaten by water and corrosion, a proprietary chip that is no longer made, or damage from an earlier repair attempt. In those cases, and if the ECM tests good, $150 covers the bench test, the written report and return shipping, and we refund the rest.
Driver repair, parameter recovery, communication, whatever it needs. 70-pin ECMs, truck or equipment (3126, 3406E, C7, C9, C10, C12, C13, C15, C16): 3 to 5 days on the bench. 40-pin and 120-pin modules: 15 to 30 days.
Need it sooner? Add rush priority at checkout and your ECM goes to the front of the line.
Programmed to your engine, bench-tested, and backed by our repair warranty. Plus 1-3 days return shipping.
If your ECM is beyond repair, what you paid credits toward one of these, or on a 70-pin you can take a full refund, unless the board itself is damaged beyond repair or a part is no longer made. Remanufactured, bench-tested, programmed to your engine arrangement, and backed by a 2-year warranty.
Verified Google reviews
"Mike does great work and sent my repaired ECM back to me right away. Saved me thousands of dollars vs. using the dealer. Would recommend to anyone that needs prompt repair."
"From ECMs and harnesses to straight-out cutting counter bores in-frame for us. Great shop — and a great person to have in your pocket."
"Highly recommend these guys! Fast turnaround — I had my ECM back and repaired by the next day. Will definitely do more business in the near future."
"Michael is a diesel guru. He made my rig scream and had it done when he said, for the price we agreed to. I'd highly recommend him."
"Mike is highly knowledgeable in all areas of diesel repair — from mechanical work to advanced electrical diagnostics. You can count on him to get the job done right."
"Mike is a very professional and skilled mechanic. I highly recommend him for any of your needs."
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