Date:         Sun, 12 Jul 2015 10:29:10 -0700
Reply-To:     Richard Smith <richard_smith@GNWC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Smith <richard_smith@GNWC.CA>
Subject:      Re: ECU Testing
Comments: To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAB2Rwfjp4hbhM2wGUe+GY-GTAVrRUywHz=00-MpaNE6dVf5=1A@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"

Iım no expert, but I know that the shoebox electronics installation
requires messing with your ECU; if they gave you one of them, then perhaps
they tried to install it and perhaps the person who did that didnıt put it
back together properly/solder all the wires exactly.

I looked at the process of adding the shoebox thing and backed off when I
saw that I had to get in there and mess with the ECU itself. It would be
so nice if there were some sort of ³reader² that you could put inline
(some sort of passthrough connector) without messing with the ECU itself.
But thatıs probably asking way too much.

For those of you wondering what weıre talking about, hereıs a link to the
product (van-café resells them): http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_874
(link is for the pre-86 models, which I have).

They also sell at kit that includes the ECU (meant for mechanics/shop
owners) but at almost $1000 its a pricey thing for a home user just to
monitor their engine.


Šr



On 2015-07-12, 10:11 AM, "Vanagon Mailing List on behalf of Neil N"
<vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com on behalf of musomuso@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

>x2 on making sure contacts are clean. And....
>Ensure ECU plug is seated properly. Like it "clicks" into place.
>check condition of wires at ECU plug.
>On ECU's-harneses I've seen, the wire
>cases looked fine. But. I've read that if moving the wires at that point
>affects engine performance, this may indicate a flaw at wire near
>connector.
>In my limited experience, that's unlikely; they're well protected.
>More likely is a failure at a solder joint inside ECU.
>Were it me, I'd open the ECU and insect the PCB for flawed solder
>joints and/or heat damaged parts, water damage (unlikely)
>I may be wrong, but isn't the Shoe Box limited to only reading inputs?
>i.e. it may not be able to determine if the ECU itself is at fault?
>(per se. As with Bentley, if all else is ruled out as OK, the ECU
>is the last part of trouble shooting?)
>
>On 7/12/15, John Goubeaux <john@ucsb.edu> wrote:
>
>> So, ECU swap and start-up went fine. Idling was too high and car ran
>> rich after the swap ....SO  while not a "brick" the ecu is NOT "good to
>> go", but maybe good for a spare OR a core on a rebuilt one.
>>
>> I did get a "shoebox electronics" ECU monitor
>
>
>
>
>--
>Neil n
>
>Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
>
>1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
>
>1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
>
>Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>