I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Burnt out ECUs/electrical issues due to battery being fitted the wong way round
I have an electrical engineer working on my car which, effectively, over-cooked whilst on the Motorway. Burnt out main fuse under bonnet as well as affecting the alternator. Now found that several ECUs have been damaged. Any ideas or know of where I could get hold of ECU units? Otherwsie I’ll be looking to sell the car in it’s current state which will be heart breaking but I can’t spend more time/money on it. The car itself is in pretty good condition with new sill/waxoyl.
You only have 2 main ECU’s as such. Not several if that is the kind of description being offered to you.
The engine’s (which being an 1840cc) is identical to the manual as indeed is the engine.
ECU no.2 which talks to the transmission is buried somewhere behind the pax passenger seat I believe.
What puzzles me is how the car managed to get as far as frying anything as it ought to have nuked the 30A right off and gone nowhere.
Unless, you mean you got going, then when on the road something went Pete Tong to blow the fuse which would be a new one on me to be honest. Always a first though.
As for “overcooking” what exactly do you mean? Coolant loss? HG fail? Under bonnet fire?
Something else is in the mix and not quite adding up.
You ought to be able to get an engine ECU ok, having an Auto identical to you though, I’d say an Auto ECU could be an issue but do not write that one off until it’s linked and tested.
Something else smells, and it ain’t of roses.
Hi. EE is sending me pics later of ECUs with part numbers so we’ll see exactly what they’re saying. The car had been running after a change of alternator and I’d got most of the way between Blackpool and Liverpool before I got a really weird smell of eggs, dash lights flickering and behind the stereo started smoking. Then the car just died so manged to pull over. Checked boot for battery and it was “cooked” ; leaking and bad smell. Later on when I’d got it recovered home checked the 30A fuse under bonnet and it has fuse itself into the box so this had to be replaced. Batery and alternator changed but still not running so other checks done and found ECUs to have some burn damage.
Which is a lot different from stating the battery was fitted wrong way around to begin with but I’m smelling dodgy alternator / earthing now…but I’ll need to leave it there tbh.
Take note:
Had the battery been reverse fitted, the 30A would have pinged as designed, and the vehicle immobilised. However, even after fitting a new 30A, it’s not unknown to discover alt damage etc.
Good luck.
Let’s be clear.
This is the one and only “ECU” / “Control box” as you state is the case… often referred to as an Auto “ECU” ? To a layperson as I, ECU simply stands for a box full of leccy 'puter like gubbins.
Does it “double” as an ECU as we know them, and manage the transmission as well?
Or, is it linked to the engine ECU?
I’m asking for a specific reason regarding my own.
I have a new tranny going in soon, and the supplier packed its “ECU” separately…which I’ve not seen yet. What did they pack? A “Control Box”/ECU or an engine ECU I never needed?
This appears to be the engine ECU common to both automatics and manuals.
