ECU shorting out the battery or worse ?

[ESDavey]

My ECU sits on top of the battery in the footwell. Guess that's standard. Am I the only one who is worried this could short out the battery if it gets a good kicking by the passenger ? Or worse, start a fire ?

I've wrapped rubber tape around the + terminal. Apart from moving the battery, anyone else got a good fix ?

[TVR Beaver]

Mine has a GRP insert in the box top that covers the terminals... haven't you got this bit?

[jimed]

The ECU will also sit down at the side of the battery nearest to the passenger. This is safer but does take a small amount of space from the foot well.
Jim

[Chuffmeister]

There should be a small amount of grip that goes over the top. I didn't have this either, so positioned the ECU down the side. However, when I bought a larger battery, I had to sit the ECU on top again, so basically placed a cut out of ply over the top of the battery to prevent any risk shorting.

[davetherave1970]

This happened to me.
My own fault, on mine ECU sits on top of the battery with a rubber flap sitting between.
When replacing my alternator I disconnected the battery (to be safe) and hadn't put the rubber back properly.
A week later things must have moved enough for the ECU to touch the positive terminal and it fried the ECU and a few wires too.
That'll teach me for trying to save money with DIY repairs!
I try to avoid the battery area altogether these days.

[ruaricoles]

I'm not sure I trust the robustness of the flap of carpet on my car so I've made a terminal cover out of the corner of a small plastic box - sits in place very nicely

[ESDavey]

Jim, do you mean placing the ECU in front of the battery ? Isn't that then susceptible to the passenger "squashing" the ECU with their feet or do you think the ECU casing us robust enough ?

[ESDavey]

Jim, do you mean placing the ECU in front of the battery ? Isn't that then susceptible to the passenger "squashing" the ECU with their feet or do you think the ECU casing us robust enough ?

[Hoover.]

Mine 14CUX ECU used to slide in between the side of the battery box and the transmission tunnel, so it was not sitting in harms way


now hidden somewhere behind the dash, with a connector poking out ......... Dom's tidy work when I switched to MBE (it's the way forward for reliable running IMHO),

[Colin RedGriff]

Mine has a flap of thin carpet that is attached to the battery box and flips over to cover the terminals, I also had the GRP thing but it never seemed to sit properly on the terminals.

[andy43]

Mine just had the carpet flap, and no cover on the positive terminal.
Bump, bump, bump, along the road and wait for the carpet to wear through and then probably pop.
I have now fitted a much smaller Odessey gel battery and ally battery clamp, with the terminals pointing out towards the passenger's feet. The gel battery has threaded M6 holes for big terminal lugs instead of the usual battery posts and clamps, so I got a pair of SAE battery terminal convertors off ebay allowing the standard TVR terminal clamps to still be used.
ECU and gubbins now tuck alongside the battery nice and neat, well away from the terminals. ECU looks happier as it's now wedged in place, not bouncing around on a bit of carpet.
Standard setup is literally a shocking design, as the grp lid is presumably easily lost

[Aussie John]

I made a plastic cover that is U shaped; it covers the large sides of the ecu and also the side that goes near the relays/fuses, no problems in 11 years [ but it's still a rats nest in the footwell]

[chris212]

I have mine wedged down the right hand side of the battery. I have always kept it in a thick plastic bag, something like a freezer bag, with a few silca packets in, and the tie handles knotted around the connector. With all the heater plumbing and potential water ingress down there,it gives the ECU a fighting chance!

[Aussie John]

The positions for the ecu depends on the year of the car; my 1994 preserp has the heater valves on one side so the battery is offset towards the centre of the car; no room on either side of the battery; only leaves on top as the only option.