I am hoping someone has an idea of what steps I should take next
I drive a 2005 MK2.5 1.8 with 29k on the clock.
The car has been sitting for a few months because my wife forces me to drive the 7 seater… anyway last week took the mx out had no problems then a couple of
days ago the “check engine” light came on. First port of call was clear the drains then check fuel cap etc all done and no luck.
What was odd was the car was driving perfectly fine, turned over instantly, no loss of power or anything. It was then I noticed the dreaded passenger carpet puddle.
So today I have lifted the carpets, threw towels and silica down to dry it and removed the ecu.
The ecu has no rust or rot anywhere but one of the connectors has shed a single wire right at the connection point.
I guess my question is, can i repair that one wire or is it time to pull out the wallet, i understand that theres a chance the ecu may need replacing but initially I would like to
make sure the wiring is up to scratch, test and then move on if needed
i’d try and get an ECU plug from a breaker with a short length of wire attached, remove the offending broken terminal from the connector block and solder a new connector from the donor connector to the vehicle’s wiring then slot that terminal back into the block connector. Or you could try a solder a wire directly on to the broken terminal that you have.
We are currently breaking 2004 1.8 so if you do need ecu kit we have the lot,ie.Ecu ,immobiliser unit and key all from married set from same car as its not possible to mix n match these parts.PM me if your interested ans I can give you good price.Failing that a repair might work but sometimes damaged wires short internally and can blow the printed boards on the ecu.Its vital to keep the ecu dry as you know water and electricity dont mix well.!!
Appreciate the advise, I have put the word out to try and source a replacement connector. Failing that Mr Maguire I may well be coming back to you for your ecu etc. Frustrating as the car is being sold so I can get a newer model.
Usually the wiring is not affected even when the damp has badly damaged the ECU.
What state is the plug in. Is it physical repair needed or is there any sign of corrosion?
Replacing the entire plug by soldering in stub wiring on a new one is the way forward if corrosion has got to the plug wiring. If it is just physical damage to one wire should be possible to repair.
Your 2005 will have a BP7P ECU but you will probably need to find a ‘C’ variant rather than the more Common ‘A’ variant fitted to earlier cars from 2003, if, worse case scenario, the system needs replacing.
A photo of the offending wire/plug would be good for us to be more precise on repair advice but with a bit of luck its just the one wire that caused your entire problem.
The blue stuff on the connector block says to me that the wire has corroded, causing it to snap. The copper strands in the end of the wire will no doubt be shot. The wire will need cutting back to good metal before attempting to re-join it.
Guys really appreciate all the feedback, unfortunately some lovely individual may have clocked me working on the car the other day and decided to try and steal it which was great.
What is rather funny is that the passenger seat was unbolted and the battery and ECU were disconnected so they couldn’t get anywhere.
Downside is they screwdrivered my passenger door lock and ignition barrel.
Slashed the drivers side hood to create a 8 - 10 inch wide hole.
Messed with my exposed ecu wiring (nothing to serious just stripped wires back)
Clearly got annoyed that they weren’t getting anywhere and slashed the life out of the interior (seats, centre console, stereo which is royally screwed and more oddly the steering wheel)
They finished up with popping a single wheel and keying the car, one nice long thin scratch the length of the passenger side, passenger side thich scratches down the wing and door and some good old
deep scratching across the bonnet.
The final insult was the slash mark across my house front door.
I have unfortunately reported this to the insurance company and its in their hands and i had a real giggle with the police officer over the battery being disconnected and ecu being removed while I dried the passenger side. Her opinion was that some youngsters were just trying it on.
Sooooo ermm what are the odds of the insurers actually repairing this ? its far to nice a car to end up on a scrap heap
really sorry to hear about your car, what is the world coming too!!
Sorry to put a downer on things but it will almost certainly be classed as a write off I’m afraid. We buy salvage MX-5’s for spares and sometimes they only have very minor panel damage and that’s enough to write them off!!
Just a thought, if it is just a fresh connector you need, or you think this might be easier to graft rather than repair, give me a call on 07742411297, I can sell you one.
Brian, If its ok im gonna make a note of your number.
I have been fully up front with the insurance company and explained the repair I was carrying out, dont get me wrong with the damage it would be far easier to just
let the repairers cost everything up but I wouldn’t feel right if they costed in a wiring loom and that ended up being the difference between repair or write off.
