Discussion
Hi Guys
Trying a long shot with the recurring running problems I have had with the 350i. We are convinced that the last remaining item to check is the ECU... which car did the ECU come fom (my car is a 89 350i Flapper) Done all the usual things including checking connections earths and dry joints etc and none found. I have found a small firm in Gillingham that will test and refurb them in 3 days for £30 but I need to tell them what car it originally came from.
Thanks in advance
Chris
Trying a long shot with the recurring running problems I have had with the 350i. We are convinced that the last remaining item to check is the ECU... which car did the ECU come fom (my car is a 89 350i Flapper) Done all the usual things including checking connections earths and dry joints etc and none found. I have found a small firm in Gillingham that will test and refurb them in 3 days for £30 but I need to tell them what car it originally came from.
Thanks in advance
Chris
Come on guys we can fix this problem!Dry joints can be difficult to see. Sometimes they look OK but when you touch them with a soldering tip you can see the solder move away from the component leg. Sometimes a sharp tap with the handle of a screwdriver to the unit case will make the fault come/go, as expertly demoed by Wedg1e at this years Fest.
Another possibility is the ECU multiplug could be not fully home (think clunk click) or it could have corroded contacts which can be cleaned with switch cleaner and a few plug/unplug cycles.
I retouched every joint on both boards myself. Took my time and spent ages double and triple checking I hadn't left a wispy short anywhere. The car hasn't missed beat since and that was about six years ago!
30 quid doesn't sound like a lot. What do they claim to do?
Another possibility is the ECU multiplug could be not fully home (think clunk click) or it could have corroded contacts which can be cleaned with switch cleaner and a few plug/unplug cycles.
I retouched every joint on both boards myself. Took my time and spent ages double and triple checking I hadn't left a wispy short anywhere. The car hasn't missed beat since and that was about six years ago!
30 quid doesn't sound like a lot. What do they claim to do?
Thanks guys.. FrenchTVR has agreed to test mine in his car as a start. This firm apparently have a test rig with all the various car / model parameters set up in it so they just need to know the original car? They test for £30 and can refurbish as well it seems.
Tried and cleaned the multiplug and all seems well.
Tried and cleaned the multiplug and all seems well.
The problem with dry joints is the symptoms are often intermittent so a quick £30 test could well result in a ""No Fault Found" clean bill of health, only to find the next time you go bumping/crashing down the road the old problem raises it's ugly head. If you are lucky the fault will be active when the test is done but then you need to find out what they charge to fix it?
leorest said:
Dry joints can be difficult to see. Sometimes they look OK but when you touch them with a soldering tip you can see the solder move away from the component leg. Sometimes a sharp tap with the handle of a screwdriver to the unit case will make the fault come/go, as expertly demoed by Wedg1e at this years Fest.
Another possibility is the ECU multiplug could be not fully home (think clunk click) or it could have corroded contacts which can be cleaned with switch cleaner and a few plug/unplug cycles.
I retouched every joint on both boards myself. Took my time and spent ages double and triple checking I hadn't left a wispy short anywhere. The car hasn't missed beat since and that was about six years ago!
30 quid doesn't sound like a lot. What do they claim to do?
Scuse me chipping in on the dry joint. Its can also be very obvious the way solder forms around the pin. Bit hard to describe but maybe obvious if you are used to it. You can still get dry joints with what appears to be a well formed join though. Sometimes the way the flux from solder gives it away. Tapping is also our preferred method on occasions although slamming a van door was the culprit on one. Proved to a poorly crimped joint that tapping wouldn't show. Another possibility is the ECU multiplug could be not fully home (think clunk click) or it could have corroded contacts which can be cleaned with switch cleaner and a few plug/unplug cycles.
I retouched every joint on both boards myself. Took my time and spent ages double and triple checking I hadn't left a wispy short anywhere. The car hasn't missed beat since and that was about six years ago!
30 quid doesn't sound like a lot. What do they claim to do?
Also the tracks can come adrift and crack or migration between tracks or just crud and dust..
jmorgan said:
Lots of good stuff
Agreed. My point was that while dry joints are often obvious to see it is also a possability that a near perfect looking joint can also be dry. I have had to replace components which looked well soldered but upon application of heat and flux simply would not wet properly.
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