Does a 1996 Bmw 318ti ECU need programming? Anybody have experience with ECU Swapping

[thefredster93]

I'm new to this car stuff....my first car is/was a 318ti....well ive owned it for about 2 months until it never started again. I took it to a mechanic and he said that it was going to have to be the ECU. I get MIXED stories from EVERYBODY...some say i have to do it at the dealer, others say i don't have to, others say i have to get a specific one with the same transmission type, others say that since it's an M3, it doesn't need reprogramming and the dealer said reprogramming doesn't exist..that i NEED to take it in...i think theyr full of shi* though and are trying to get a quick 500$ from me.....


PLEASE does anybody have any experience with replacing a ECU for a 1995-1997 318ti...did you need reprogramming?

WILL it even help my car to start in any way?? I'm literally desperate to just get it going and i have bought a used ECU from ebay.....i don't want to have to part it out....i've only had it for 2 months..