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Thread ID: 46786	2004-07-05 11:25:00	OFF TOPIC: Mitsi Galant 1991 ECU	Sulley (2555)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
250025	2004-07-05 11:25:00	G'day everybody, my car just crapped out recently :(. I parked it, left it, came back, and it won't start :'( Anyway, I took it to a garage and they told me that the ECU had died and it'll be a costly repair (more tears :'( ). After a bit of research on the internet, I discovered that this seems to be a common problem amongst the 91 Galants. On a forum, I found that the electrolytic capacitors are likely to have leaked and caused damage, but may be repaired if the caps were replaced. So I was wondering if anyone had a similar problem and how you went about solving it, or a reasonable price tag I should be looking at for a repair / replacement? I hope I can get some help from you good people on PC World, cause I'm having trouble everywhere else :(. Thanks in advance, any comments appreciated.	Sulley (2555)
250026	2004-07-05 11:38:00	Depends how extensive the corrosion from the leaking caps is. If there is corrosion, that is. Replacent of the caps will not be expensive, but there is almost no way to know if the repair is OK, without refitting and retrying the unit. Circuit boards in the ECU are likely to be multilayer, where some fine copper tracks are sandwiched internally in the fibreglass substrate and and damage to these cannot be seen, located or fixed. The longer you leave the board with leaking electrolytic capacitors the worse it will be. Good instructions are here: www.tmo.com I would have a go, its only about $5 for parts... Make sure its done by someone experienced in the soldering of PC boards.	godfather (25)
250027	2004-07-05 18:40:00	G'day... What other sites have you been on? If you havn't already been on it... try the NZ Performance Car Forum (forums.performancecar.co.nz) cheers chiefnz	chiefnz (545)
250028	2004-07-05 22:27:00	Same model and year [1991], broke down for 1st time 6 months ago. The symptoms where rough running, mixture to rich as the ECU indicated that engine temperature was always, minus 50 degrees. Hastings Mitsu.. agents sent ECU to Nelson for repairs. Outwork was $210.00, Air freight $18.00, Garage Labour costs $55.00, all plus GST and that is what it cost me. I was informed if it is not repairable a new one could be $700.00, so be careful you do not wreck it.	Slim (4633)
250029	2004-07-05 22:54:00	I had the same prob with my 93 Galant, Mits chch said it was $1900 for a new ecm or they'd get me one for $350 (Part only). I had a go at fixing it, but the main chip (the biggest square one in the corner) had a blister on it, which mean't something was wrong with that as well. The capacitors only cost $2 and didn't take much to solder in and by following the circuit wiring I was able to link out, on both sides, all the burnt/eaten out printed cuircuit near the capacitors and cleaned out the carboned areas to help... It didn't! (although I did get it to turn over and get a few more idiot lights came up) So I got a friend to get me a second hand one for $200 and that worked fine for a couple of months and then started to fail (click, stall, not start) I replaced the caps straight away and here I am 6 months later and it's still working!! wahoo (ish) It's an easy job to remove and replace the caps but now it doesn't work you may be up for another one...worth a try though Trev	Trev O (452)
250030	2004-07-06 03:36:00	Thanks for all ur help guys t.t Anyway, I went back to a few spare Jap parts stores today and they said they can get me a 2nd hand one for $200 + GST. But like Trev had said, his one broke down after 6 months. So would it be a better option if I try and get it repaired instead by a professional instead? Has anyone else had experience with second hand ECU's?	Sulley (2555)
250031	2004-07-06 03:46:00	The problem with this series of ECU's is endemic, so buying a working one will not eliminate it happening again real soon, unless the working one has already been modded. What we don't know is if yours has failed simply due to capacitor elecrolyte shorting out the board, or has it actually caused corrosion damage. At a cost of a couple of dollars for capacitors and 10 minutes installing them (with a 30 minute board clean in between) I would opt to fix your one. Thats assuming no physical damage. Have you actually got the old ECU in your hand, and are you able to see the extent of any damage? Without this basic first step, you can't make an informed decision.	godfather (25)
250032	2004-07-06 08:16:00	I too looked at getting the original fixed by someone who fixed them professionally. he said there is no guarantee he could do it and he'd have to charge me for him to try anyway. i picked his brains and looked in his big box of failures before attempting myself and then resorting to the second hand one. I reckon his attempt would have failed also. If you're interested in saving a couple of hundred+ bucks it's worth trying to repair your one yourself... It's not working anyway, so take it out (drivers side well 3 connectors and 2 bolts on the lower ecu after the plastic cover and brace) and undo the four screws holding the cover on and tell us what you see...	Trev O (452)
250033	2004-07-06 22:00:00	Oops, I meant upper ecu, I don't know what the lower one is, but they both looks similar on mine. just to clarify where it is:- down by the pedals behind the radio. and how to remove it:- remove two bolts screwing upwards on the pedals side and then clip the rear off Trev	Trev O (452)
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