2006 Maruti Alto ECM failed; part is unavailable: What to do next?

It has already been repaired twice & I have been advised to not get it repaired again.

BHPian pramodpk recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a 2006 April model Maruti Alto. The car's ECM failed and hence the car does not start. The engine check light does not glow. The part is not available anymore. It isn't there even on Boodmo.

Hence, got the ECM repaired twice in the past 2 months. As per the people who repaired the ECM before, it's not advisable to repair it again.

The only option now is to source it second-hand. I am based in Kochi, Kerala.

Has anyone faced a similar issue before? What are my options?

The Part number is - 33920M79GS

Here's what BHPian Ravindra M had to say about the matter:

Any OE is responsible to provide parts for 20 years from the date of manufacture. ECM should be available with the Maruti-Suzuki service. It may not be in stock but should be ordered. Altos were produced in millions.

Here's what GTO replied:

These are all urban myths. There is no law forcing OEMs to provide 20 years of support for any product. The fact is, the market decides the support. If there are enough cars on the road and the demand is there to make a business case, the aftermarket will support that model. E.g. 1st & 2nd-gen Honda Citys, 1st-gen Innovas etc. Plus, if a model has been popular globally, you can find plentiful parts support from international resources (case in point = 8th gen Civic).

But there is no hard & fast rule on supporting old cars. And even if the govt introduces one, good luck with its implementation. Hell, there are so many ~5-year-old cars that suffer from long wait periods for parts.

Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say about the matter:

Just curious, why do you think the ECM failed? Failure to start is rarely due to the ECM. Contrary to popular belief, failure of ECM is actually very rare. It is almost always something else.

There is no fault code that indicates the ECM is faulty and needs replacing. In most cars, it takes quite a skilled electronic diagnostician to actually come to such a credible solution.

You might have a case of an actual failed ECM. I can’t tell from a distance, without hearing why you think it failed. But before you incur any cost, a simple test is to plug somebodies else ECM into your car and see if that solves all the problems.

Good luck

Here's what BHPian Leoshashi had to say about the matter:

Please place an order with your nearest distributor. The production for the part at the vendor end has surely been discontinued but they can still place an order for the same and source if Maruti has it in their mother warehouse. Just checked, and the part is in that condition.

PN: 33920M79GS1

Also, request the distributor to do a "LIVE LOCATION SEARCH" from his DMS and you will surely be able to locate it at some location. Let me know if you need any help regarding this.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.