VZ V6 ECU (E55) - Replacements or Repairs

[Dylan]

Awesome work. Any potting around the board or does the cover lift straight off?

[Tazzi]

ECUs have certainly changed in the last 30 years. So much more crammed into smaller cases.

These ECU's are weird, it all looks see through and the gel makes it feel like Im doing surgery on something alive
Nothing like other Holden ECMs like the LS1's or E38's.

Awesome work. Any potting around the board or does the cover lift straight off?

Its all glued down.
That ecu there, I got a bit impatient and pretty much ripped it off after lifting one corner.

Using a stanley, you can edge your way around the black cover so that it can be lifted slightly. Then slowly moving around it evenly until it eventually comes off.

Would have to be pretty dedicated to repair these constantly.
Only way would be grabbing both connectors, and then probe every pad on the board to its corresponding pin to ensure it has a valid connection. Eyeballing all of them is painfully slow.

[antus]

Not sure what the time cost is to uncover each pin before soldering, but i'd just do em all. Even if only one needs the fix the others will have to be close to failing too from what you describe.

[The1]

here's some pics, i think i posted them about 4 or 5 yrs ago but can't find em.

[delcowizzid]

Love the chip pictures it's like Google earth on a suburb lol

[vlad01]

http://www.bosch-semiconductors.de/medi ... t_Info.pdf


thats the first IC, can't find a datasheet for the 2nd one but google results for the sale of them suggest they are ECU specific driver IC.

[Tazzi]

http://www.bosch-semiconductors.de/medi ... t_Info.pdf

thats the first IC, can't find a datasheet for the 2nd one but google results for the sale of them suggest they are ECU specific driver IC.

Any info is good info!!

I cant believe how high res and close those images are. Iv literally turned my eyes square staring at PCB's with a mag glass tracing back wires.

[The1]

it's taken with my 5D MK2 with MPE-65 Lens with MT-24EX Twin Macro Lens Flash. I still have the pcm sitting somewhere here if you want closeups of other chips

[slewinson]

So.. Iv had some success!
Popped an ECU in the oven on low. Left it for about 6mins.. then let it cool for another 15. Its now communicating back on bench
Didnt crack that one open at all.

Iv got one cracked open now. Will try get a good picture of it and see if cant pinout where injectors ect are. Since a few people have bridged the grounds between injector wires which has (temporarily) solved their issues.. so that could be a starting point for where those are and their joins.

This reminds me of a "repair" I made to an early Xbox. It refused to boot and you disconnected the fan, added extra clamping force to the CPU heat sink and let it run for 10-15 minutes. To my surprise it worked and lasted for 3 years. Research showed that the fault was improper soldering of the CPU, and this fix seemed to reflow the joints.

Simon

[The1]

that's pretty much everything these days due to lead free solder, PS3 was another big one. The lead free can't run as long with the expansion and contraction without cracking.