I win!!!!

So some of the regular posters/visitors will know that there is a running joke at the moment when it comes to me asking about wet ECU's

Basically, a while ago a guy was asking why his car wasn't working and i asked him if had rained recently or he had washed his car. He replied no and we moved on, then a few days/weeks later he posted a new thread asking a similar question. I forgot i had already asked him (as i reply to hundreds of threads a month) and he had a hissy fit and went off on one about me only asking one question and blah blah bloody blah. Well this thread is for him

I got a phone call from a friend of the family saying his 1992 318i would not start. He said he went to the shops and all was well and now it wasn't working. It was turning over but wouldn't fire. I asked what he had done in since he came home and he said......I WASHED MY CAR!!

I suspected the flooded ECU problem so went round today and pulled out the ECU to have a look

This is what i found....





The compartment and unit were swimming in water and when i removed the ECU, there was water literally running out of it.

I took it apart, dried it out using paper towels and a hair dryer, sprayed some WD-40 on the relevant parts, wiped it again and left it in the sun for 30 minutes

Reinstalled it on the car and...surprise surprise, the car runs fine again

Pirate - 1
Doubting f*cktards - 0

Rant over, i am going for a drive!!

Haha. My car was first registered 08/1994 judging by the V05, not sure of the date of manufacture. You said it was 07/1994 that the ECU box was redesigned, does that mean I have the crappy flooding design?

I was planning on driving to France via the English Channel, instead of the more conventional route via Channel Tunnel, this would be a perfect opportunity to determine my ECU's ability to withstand water intrusion, and therefore the date of manufacture. Or I could ring up the dealer, but no I won't do that.

Well Done Pete!

LOL...Pirate......rub it in.......just rub it in......remember..you are the BMW God....I salute you.......


Cone
XXX

Thanks Cone and Dom

B/\/\W, i would say that YES, yours does have it the problem. Depends how long it took BMW to register your car after manufacture i guess

I had the same thing happen. It took me a good 3 hours of ****ing with my car in the car wash parking lot to realize and fix the problem.

Originally Posted by Pirate_copy

Thanks Cone and Dom

B/\/\W, i would say that YES, yours does have it the problem. Depends how long it took BMW to register your car after manufacture i guess

No problems so far, and that is with the windscreen seals on the lower part just below the wipers coming away!

Originally Posted by Pirate_copy

So some of the regular posters/visitors will know that there is a running joke at the moment when it comes to me asking about wet ECU's

Basically, a while ago a guy was asking why his car wasn't working and i asked him if had rained recently or he had washed his car. He replied no and we moved on, then a few days/weeks later he posted a new thread asking a similar question. I forgot i had already asked him (as i reply to hundreds of threads a month) and he had a hissy fit and went off on one about me only asking one question and blah blah bloody blah. Well this thread is for him

I got a phone call from a friend of the family saying his 1992 318i would not start. He said he went to the shops and all was well and now it wasn't working. It was turning over but wouldn't fire. I asked what he had done in since he came home and he said......I WASHED MY CAR!!

I suspected the flooded ECU problem so went round today and pulled out the ECU to have a look

This is what i found....





The compartment and unit were swimming in water and when i removed the ECU, there was water literally running out of it.

I took it apart, dried it out using paper towels and a hair dryer, sprayed some WD-40 on the relevant parts, wiped it again and left it in the sun for 30 minutes

Reinstalled it on the car and...surprise surprise, the car runs fine again

Pirate - 1
Doubting f*cktards - 0

Rant over, i am going for a drive!!

Now there's a testament to german engineering if I've ever heard one.

i cant understand anything in those pictures Pirate, comon! Put more effort into shaming the guy. I want to see more clear pics. Now it's like that Braniac regular, where they show you some crap under microscope that looks weird, then long and behold, it's rice or wool sweater or finger.

Sorry....

thats ok, you'll get it better next time.

Cheeky sod!

Pete, ya got one!

eh?

Not everyone knows everything

So if someone approaching 8500 posts says make sure you'r ECU is dry maybe it's worth looking into

Good Job Pirate

Good show man. Did you go back and tell the people that didnt get it right? I would..

not in the way that, "hah you guys are retarded, Im the smartest man alive" way.. but in the "hey, this was the solution, I suggest you guys keep it in mind for any future people that come in with these symptoms" way.

Be nice. Share the info to them too.

Thanks guys

Originally Posted by E36Guy

Good show man. Did you go back and tell the people that didnt get it right? I would..

not in the way that, "hah you guys are retarded, Im the smartest man alive" way.. but in the "hey, this was the solution, I suggest you guys keep it in mind for any future people that come in with these symptoms" way.

Be nice. Share the info to them too.

Nah......fcuket....rub it in if they want to be d1ckheads and ar5eholes...


Cone
XXX

...but i am the smartest guy alive

i joke

hahaha.

It's not bragging if it's true.

well pete i hope you cleaned out the drain tubes and everything else in that area otherwise it is going to happen all over again.

Fear not mate, all done

I removed the cowl and cleaned the whole area

Originally Posted by B/\/\W

Haha. My car was first registered 08/1994 judging by the V05, not sure of the date of manufacture. You said it was 07/1994 that the ECU box was redesigned, does that mean I have the crappy flooding design?

I was planning on driving to France via the English Channel, instead of the more conventional route via Channel Tunnel, this would be a perfect opportunity to determine my ECU's ability to withstand water intrusion, and therefore the date of manufacture. Or I could ring up the dealer, but no I won't do that.

I wouldn't worry about water intrusion B\/\/w unless of course you are intending to drive to France IN the English Channel as opposed to skimming across it in a ferry - hopefully with the doors closed

BIMMER ANGEL!
WHERE HAVE U BEEN?
you have been missed