Bad ECU

[UnorthodoxCreations]

So confirmed that there was in fact an issue with the ECU?

Yep, worked fine after the repairs and got a couple short trips in before winterizing yesterday. Hoping for many more hours on the boat next year.

 

[UnorthodoxCreations]

Problems again...same computer but now it's injector #4 versus #2 like last time. Pretty bummed. We got a good day of riding in today. Hoped to leave the boat at my in laws beach house but now we're going to have to drag it 5 hours home so I can better work on it. Hoping this is covered under warranty. Either way I intend to put it in the mail tomorrow, hoping to have it back by August for a week at the beach with extended family.

EDIT: After rereading my first post, this is not the same ECU that failed last summer. Last time it was starboard, this time it's the port. Gives me a little more faith in the repair but now it's not under warranty so it will be at full cost.

 

[UnorthodoxCreations]

I pulled the ECU yesterday. In order to have any chance of having this back for an August trip, I was going to need to overnight the ECU from VA to CA at a cost of about $150 plus repair costs and there were still no guarantees it would be done in time. That was when the next batch was being completed. The following batch goes out 7/18 and I know that wouldn't be done in time. I decided to order a new ECU. It's going to cost more but we avoided the rush and cost of overnighting the ECU and praying it was done in time. I'm still going to get this bad one repaired and I can either resell one at a later time or keep a spare.

There was very little water in the ECU box when we opened it this time. About what you would expect from humidity, didn't really seem like water intrusion. This seems more like a bad luck/old age problem. I did have a bead of silicone across the top of each ECU box to further try and keep water out.

 

[Scottintexas]

I have no real idea just spitballing here, with this continued problem with ECU's I wonder if drilling a hole or two in the box to let airflow move some of the moisture out so it doesn't condensate would help ??

really the chance of our 07-09 ecu's getting wet is very slim

 

[Babin Farms]

Aren’t the newer boats ECU’s out in the open & not in a box like ours?

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Just jumping in here… seems like these units are breathing or they wouldn’t have moisture in them. If they can’t be sealed up proper then better breathing might the cure or the board needs to be encapsulated in epoxy.

 

[Babin Farms]

Just jumping in here… seems like these units are breathing or they wouldn’t have moisture in them. If they can’t be sealed up proper then better breathing might the cure or the board needs to be encapsulated in epoxy.

It is in epoxy. I’m not sure how moisture even gets in it.

 

[Beachbummer]

I think the outer box fills with water and it eventually seeps into this one while it's "submerged"

Or perhaps it shorts enough/the right pins to cause overload of the injector drivers and they burn up?

 

[UnorthodoxCreations]

I have no real idea just spitballing here, with this continued problem with ECU's I wonder if drilling a hole or two in the box to let airflow move some of the moisture out so it doesn't condensate would help ??

really the chance of our 07-09 ecu's getting wet is very slim

Do you have any pictures of how the newer boats are setup? I know it's been mentioned they are different but I don't know how. I'd certainly be interested in making changes to improve my setup if possible.

 

[UnorthodoxCreations]

New ECU arrived from Partzilla today. Plugged it in and all is good again. Need to get the mounting bushings that are on the original ECU that I left at work then I can button things up. Still want to change the oil to make sure there is no excessive fuel in it. I think I caught this sooner than last year so I don't think it's too bad but no sense taking chances over a cheap oil change.

 

[MaxHO]

Have a AR230HO, 2005 one of the first year.
I had the same problem SB Engine tends to run rich at idling (extreme exhaust gas smell) and hesitate at 8K rpm.
Went trough all inspections, plug replacement, fuel pump overhaul etc. The ECU unit was a bit wet in the sealbox, but this was not the reason of the failure, the little water was in my opinion formed by condensation. The ECU unit is a complete closed and sealed unit, a few water drop doesn't hurt it. Shipped to Carmo repair shop where they diagnosed the injector circuit was defect. Repaired and tested, returned within one week. Now the engine is running like new. Have replaced the engine oil because of fuel dilution.