Ecu broken again after only 6 months due to water damage( advice please)
Discussion
Some of you may remember I was trying to source an ecu for my A3, unfortunately I had to buy new at the cost of £1000. This was done by an independent garage and came with a 12 month warranty. Fast forward 6 months and water has leaked in to the ecu between the plug(?) and ecu causing it to fail.
To me this has been incorrectly installed and not properly weather sealed, so should result in a new one or fix under the warrenty. The garage disagree they say it's a common fault for water to leak in to the a3 due to poor design and say I should pay for the repair or a new one if it isn't repairable.
I feel like I'm getting my pants pulled down at the minute so after abit of advice of what to do? Is it worth getting an indepentent inspection, seek legal advice? Or suck it up and pay what ever the cost. I really don't fancy forking out another £1000 on something that in theory should last the lifetime of the car.
To me this has been incorrectly installed and not properly weather sealed, so should result in a new one or fix under the warrenty. The garage disagree they say it's a common fault for water to leak in to the a3 due to poor design and say I should pay for the repair or a new one if it isn't repairable.
I feel like I'm getting my pants pulled down at the minute so after abit of advice of what to do? Is it worth getting an indepentent inspection, seek legal advice? Or suck it up and pay what ever the cost. I really don't fancy forking out another £1000 on something that in theory should last the lifetime of the car.
What model / year of A3 is it? If the ECU is under the wipers where they usually sit on VAG hatches, there is no way they can get water damaged. I think they are sealed to IP68 standards (google it), but you need confirmation from Audi.
Audi A4s used to eat convenience ECUs because they were under the passenger seat and therefore got submerged when the drain channels let water into the cabin. Exterior ECUs, and especially ones mounted horizonally *above* the level of potential standing water, never get submerged.
Maybe the orange weather seal fell out of the ECU plug and the garage didn't notice and put it back unprotected?
Audi A4s used to eat convenience ECUs because they were under the passenger seat and therefore got submerged when the drain channels let water into the cabin. Exterior ECUs, and especially ones mounted horizonally *above* the level of potential standing water, never get submerged.
Maybe the orange weather seal fell out of the ECU plug and the garage didn't notice and put it back unprotected?
The ECUs have been in the scuttle area ever since the MK2 Golf and I've never seen one fail due to water ingress personally. It's certainly not as common as your garage are implying.
The only way water can damage an ECU is if someone has split the case and therefore compromised the factory water seal.
The only way water can damage an ECU is if someone has split the case and therefore compromised the factory water seal.
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