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Car just died. ECU? **problem fixed**

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12K views 29 replies 12 participants last post by  99dot  
#1 ·
While driving today home from getting some stuff for another project, car just up and turned off on the road. odometer reads "- - - - -" like when you're flashing it. had to have it flatbedded to my uncle's shop. With the SCT tune, is it possible for the ECU to just reject it while driving? or is my ECU actually shot now?

that being said, how much do RLA6 ECU's go for nowadays?
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#2 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

ECU's are about 400.00 plus or minus 50.00. But then they ahve to reset all your PATS codes in all other parts of the car which is not cheap.

With that said. When the car died, did you still have electrical power?
 
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#8 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

i still have electrical power. i'm going to reflash the car tomorrow (it's 30 miles away at my uncle's shop, which luckily was 7 miles from where it stopped).

FORDSVTPARTS; if that doesn't work i'll be in touch with you.
oh, btw, my car is silver too. and it's my daily driver. do i get a special price
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#9 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

i think SlickShoes had the same problem but not sure pm him.
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Mine did something sort of similar. But I wasn't driving. In fact, I had just stopped to get gas, and afterwards went to start the car and it powered up, but when I tried starting the engine it clicked, and completely died. Meaning zero power. Seemed like your typical blown fuse, but they all were fine. Eventually, it just came back on its own.
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A couple weeks later it did the same thing. I was talking to Raitchison here in SD also, and he had the exact same thing happen to him. In his case, it ended up being a fried fuse box. Not a fuse, but the wiring for the box itself.

Embarassingly enough, my car has been in my garage sitting patiently for me to get this fixed since then. I'm shooting to make this happen tomorrow... Belacyrf has heard me saying that for weeks now though.
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#10 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

Embarassingly enough, my car has been in my garage sitting patiently for me to get this fixed since then. I'm shooting to make this happen tomorrow... Belacyrf has heard me saying that for weeks now though.
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Ok I'm giving 20:1 odds. Any takers ????
 
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#14 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

Car is up and running. The water pump for the WTA IC system died and shorted (i'm assuming) and blew the diode for the ECU, which it was powered thru (mistake, i know). i'm now tapped off a 40 amp fuse to a relay, so there no longer a direct connection. now to get another water pump.
 
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#17 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

glad you found the problem quite quickly, by the way what brand water pump did you buy?
 
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#18 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

the one i had was a teel low power marine submersible pump Teel # 1P811A . the new one is an LVM 105 that can pump diesel fuel so it's cool. i use an antifreeze mixture because, like you, i'm in an area that gets cold. i think maybe the pump couldn't deal with it. it lasted about a year.
 
#21 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

fuse box under the hood. number one i believe. looks like a fuse but it isn't a fuse. top has an arrow and a +, like ->+

check those for continuity.

the diode blowing has to kill the car. it kills juice to the ECU.
 
#23 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

oh, nothing. the IAT sensor is after the intercooler, so the ECU would pull timing. i figure 20whp? give or take. maybe more.

i drove a couple hundred miles yesterday just fine
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#24 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

Ok, I found the three diode/black-fuse-looking-things and none of mine had continuity in either direction. I know a diode should show continuity in one direction, but mine must all be fried. Acckkk...

Did you just order new ones through Ford, or can these things be picked up at a Pep Boys/Kragen/Autozone type place?

And just to confirm, your "good" ones did in fact show continuity in one direction correct?
 
#25 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

slick, i grabbed them from my grey car. i didn't check continuity of the good one honestly. the bad was was burned.
but yes. it should show SOMETHING on the multimeter. i'll check mine when i get a chance and post back.

edit: also check the banks that the diodes are on for power with a multimeter. i believe they're all powered thru the ignition switch. if not, check the smaller of the two wires (there are three --- one is to the starter, one to constant bank in the box, one to ignition bank) for a good connection to the battery. my last car the wire actually slipped out of the ring terminal. if that's good, check the main relay for ignition power in the box. it's the large relay on the rear right (towards center of the car).
 
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#26 ·
Re: Car just died. ECU?

Ends up it was a short in the grounding wire from the alternator. They replaced this and all is well again. I asked about those diode things, and they said I wouldn't see continuity unless a certain amount of voltage was applied. I told them not the relay, but the diode thing, but no idea if they really understand this.

So, mine seem to be fine.
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