Electronic Woes
Posted: 21 Jan 2010, 19:42
Apart from the CV joint problems on our last trip, detailed in the Syncro section, we had some bothersome electronic problems.
After driving about 500 miles down into Spain last week in heavy rain and high winds, a night in a cosy hostal with excellent food, followed by a warm sunny day, we stopped to fill the gas tank the next afternoon.
Before I stopped the engine I noticed the idle speed was around 2000rpm, and after filling up, the engine wouldn't start again.
After several hours, and a night in a nearby hotel, the starting problem was found due to a bad push-on connector from the coil to the ECU, but the fast idling continued intermittently for the next couple of days. Eventually we found the plug-on connector from the ECU to the temperature sensor had a bad contact.
I strongly resist any impulse to take my vehicles into a garage, as I'm convinced this would result in a bill approaching their value. As an electrician I know that 99% of problems are due to poor connections, which a garage will take as long or longer than I will to check. Most don't check connectors anyway, they just replace components in the hope that that will solve the problem, then bill you for all the new bits.
I read somewhere that most ECUs and other electronic bits sent for rebuild have nothing wrong with them. So check all your connections, and replace or clean them periodically (not with abrasives, they are often silver plated!)
I'm seriously considering removing as many push-on connectors as possible, and making soldered joints. Most are only there to simplify assembly in the factory, and it won't take much longer than I spent finding problems on the road!
After driving about 500 miles down into Spain last week in heavy rain and high winds, a night in a cosy hostal with excellent food, followed by a warm sunny day, we stopped to fill the gas tank the next afternoon.
Before I stopped the engine I noticed the idle speed was around 2000rpm, and after filling up, the engine wouldn't start again.
After several hours, and a night in a nearby hotel, the starting problem was found due to a bad push-on connector from the coil to the ECU, but the fast idling continued intermittently for the next couple of days. Eventually we found the plug-on connector from the ECU to the temperature sensor had a bad contact.
I strongly resist any impulse to take my vehicles into a garage, as I'm convinced this would result in a bill approaching their value. As an electrician I know that 99% of problems are due to poor connections, which a garage will take as long or longer than I will to check. Most don't check connectors anyway, they just replace components in the hope that that will solve the problem, then bill you for all the new bits.
I read somewhere that most ECUs and other electronic bits sent for rebuild have nothing wrong with them. So check all your connections, and replace or clean them periodically (not with abrasives, they are often silver plated!)
I'm seriously considering removing as many push-on connectors as possible, and making soldered joints. Most are only there to simplify assembly in the factory, and it won't take much longer than I spent finding problems on the road!