Engine control unit

[James]

Hello

is there a way to check that the ECU (behind passenger glove box) is working correctly?

having dried out the passenger footwell and sprayed WD40 on connectors in that area the car still starts intermittently again failing to recognise the hybrid battery.

have checked for leaks from roof drains and sealed windows with Captain Tolleys crack cure and footwells are dry now despite heavy rain but problem persists! Also WD40’d the HV connectors under the silver cover in engine bay!

was wondering if a replacement ECU is worth a go but expensive, even second hand. Unfortunately don’t know anyone locally with a working 2.4 2004 hybrid I could swap with to test it out!

any suggestions welcomed thanks j

[smurf]

WD40 is not the best choice for spraying on sensitive electrics. It leaves behind an oily residue that just ends attracting dirt. Electrical contact cleaner is the better choice as it washes away any contamination and totally evaporates afterwards. Get some, and use it to remove the WD40 from those connectors before you end up with more problems. 

 

However, even contact cleaner is unlikely to be the silver bullet you need. If the ECU has been having a regular bath but is now perfectly dry and intermittently working it is likely that it has suffered internal damage, possibly some corrosion. If you are feeling adventurous you could remove it and open it up. There might be visually obvious problems, there might not. It would be worth spraying it with contact cleaner whilst it is open, and you might get lucky and it was just some surface contamination or lingering damp causing an issue. Ultimately you either need to find someone willing and able to check for and repair the fault, or put a replacement ECU on and hope for the best.  If you are prepared to travel, Kaspars Krumins in Wigan seems to get nothing but positive reviews for his work repairing Toyota hybrids, and he carries spares for Alphards.

Edited Thursday at 10:13 AM by smurf

[James]

Thank you Smurf will take your advice.

really appreciate you taking the time to share your expertise and advice.

after a good brush out of roof drains followed by some captain Tolley crack cure and some down the side of the windscreen, the car has so far remained dry inside despite some pretty torrential rain and has been starting. If it continues I will see if I can wake a trip to Wigan and have them check it over.

thanks again 

[James]

Hi Smurf

do you have a contact for Kaspars as can’t find it on Google search or maps. Thanks again 

[smurf]

This is his website. He is also on some of the Alphard Facebook groups and occasionally posts. 

 

https://www.aikotech.co.uk

[James]

Thanks again Smurf

[Jeza]

If you are removing the engine ECU to clean the contacts and harness connectors, the hybrid ECU is the box forward and at right angles to it. While you are in there, it would be worth cleaning those contacts /connectors as well. 

[James]

Thank you, I will do.

do I need to power down the high voltage to do the cleaning?