Is this a pipe dream ? Or are there any steps that can be taken to extend the life of the various modules, ECM, etc.


I do know there is at least anecdotal evidence that using a battery tender can have some anti-gremlin benefits.

But beyond that, and the common sense items like don’t leave the battery connected while taking out the instrument panel, etc, are there any steps that can help these aging circuits stay healthy ?

if the obvious answer is “no, you fool!”, then just say so. It won’t be the first time I’ve tried to bend reality.

Z

 

Other than buying 'new' replacements, placing them in a descacant filled bag and putting that in a refrigerrator (or at 40 f) for future use!
wj

 

I've no idea whether my thinking on this issue has any relevance to modern cars but it certainly applied to my cars in the 1960's and 70's and that relates to the growing trend of washing the engine bay with soap and water or even a power-washer. There are plenty of videos on YouTube which demonstrate this practice. I've never done this as my feeling is that potentially encouraging water to enter places where it might not otherwise enter is never going to be a good idea.

A wipe over with a cloth dampened with degreaser is all that is required although it does take a bit longer than a blast with a power-washer. I don't know about steam cleaners as used by some YouTubers as I've never owned or used such a device but if the steam enters an electrical component and then condenses inside, as it surely will, then it doesn't sound like a great alternative?

Richard

 

Taken my dash out 4 or5 times an never disconnected the battery . ( to get the SRS light to go out)
With the ECU you could change the capacitors after 25 years and or inspect for capacitor leakage which can bugger the circuit board.


Like previous dont get things wet.

 

+1
Water and electronics don't play well, especially when:

a) the water isn't pure and;
b) the electronics are powered.

“There are naive questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question.”
Carl Sagan

 

I agree with not using pressure washers or garden hoses in the engine bay. It simply is not worth the risk....

 

a non invasive quick visual of circuit boards to check for leaking or bulging capacitors sounds like a great way to head off a more expensive repair that would be sure to happen

 

I strongly recommend that if you want to check for bulging capacitors you do what I did and buy a spare module and open the spare one up to look, rather than unplugging your fully working ECM complete with 20+ year old wiring harnesses and opening up a metal box that has been sealed since it left the factory.
​​​​
If your electrics don't have gremlins, do your best not to add any.

This is the inside of the spare ECM I bought - it looks like it left the factory yesterday:-

​​​​​​

 

i do understand the need to not
break what is working fine,
but is looking at a spare part going to inform you whether there’s a problem on the horizon with the installed part ? The spare is not going thru heat cycles anymore.

If opening up the ECM could keep a potential issue from becoming a major problem and ruining a circuit board, there’s a school of thought that says to do a visual check .

Especially on cars with a lot of mileage or those being driven for hours at a time on a long trip, where the electronics will get hotter for a longer period of time.

I don’t have any answers, just questions.

Z

PS if you don’t mind sharing, how much did that spare ECM cost ?

 

Well the spare ECU came from a car breakers, so is the same age as the one on my car and will have no doubt done a higher mileage than my low mileage car, so similar usage. I thought it would be informative to see what it looked like internally and I was very reassured how good everything was looking. I paid about €200 ​​​​​(= $220 USD) for the spare, which seemed to me cheap insurance.

For pre-emptive maintenance I think the computer cooling fan would be worth checking/changing. Maybe we should add a temperature gauge to the computer box so we can keep an eye on that as a precaution?

 

Interesting you should mention the CPU cooling fan.

when I drove 400 miles to Iowa to check out the XKR I subsequently purchased, on the first test ride I had the owner drive it so I could concentrate on noises and vibrations.

Right off the bat a loud squealing noise came from the engine area. It was LOUD.


The owner turned pale, thinking he’d lost a sale. But I assured him I wasn’t scared off yet. Looking under the hood I could tell the noise wasn’t from the engine’s internals. And it went away after a few seconds. I figured correctly it was a cooling fan.

After the 400 mile trip back home on ice covered highways I did some examination and pulled out the intermittently bad fan in short order. In a couple of days SNG Barratt had a new fan delivered and it’s been trouble free ever since (about 7 years so far).

Z

 

The funny thing is I've replaced lots of CPU fans in computers because the bearings have failed, but would never really think to check the ECU fan is working on the car - you are lucky it was making itself known by screeching away at you.