goobaroo Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 '84 ea81 GL wagon. started the car, was holding rpms at 3k to warm it up a bit (20 deg outside, but in a garage), about 30 sec in i revved it up to 6k for just a sec, then the dash died, everything but the speedo of course. even my 4wd light wont come on anymore (kinda odd considering its just a switch and a light, but ok). so i look in the fuse box and of course theres no dash fuse and none of the others are out. thanks in advance! -Nick *edit* ok so i got under the dash and started looking around well i pulled out my fuse box and ECU module, and when i flipped the ECU over.....water poured out! so it looks like i need a new one, also there was another small control module bolted to the bracket for the hood release. it has a mitsubishi symbol on it, any ideas as to what it might be? its just a small black box with a 6 prong conection in one side. it also got wet but i have yet to pry it open and see how bad it is. heres some pics of the ECU: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Analog or digital dash? There should be a fuse regardless which one it is, I would check all the fuses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Fuse marked as meterI believe. Also check you under hood fusible links. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milemaker13 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 My 92 Loyale 5 sp does the same thing once in awhile. Seems like if I turn off the lights (which are usually left on) the dash illumination sometimes won't turn back on. Once it came back by it self suddenly, once I turned the car and lights off, turned the lights on while the car was off, then started the car and the dash was back! Strange. I assume a flaky switch or possibly a connector. Unfortunatly, to find it now is nearly impossible- given its intermittency. I fear it will have to get worse before it gets better.:-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goobaroo Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 its a regular dash not digi. i checked all fuses, and the fusible links, they are all good, thats why i posted, usually i can figure these things out, but this ones really got me. guess i'll check the fusible links with a volt meter, sometimes a visual check just isnt enough. thanks guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PonchoCatalina Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Yikes! It looks like that thing has been wet a long time. Is that mildew? You might try cleaning it up with electrical contact cleaner and letting it dry thoroughly and re-installing. It may be a longshot, but I've had cell phones go through the wash and start working again after a couple of days of drying out. If it doesn't work, you're not out a thing (except maybe the price of some cleaner - 5 or 6 bucks). Good luck! **EDIT** Also, I'm not sure how the gauges / dash lights are affected by the ECU, especially in an '84, but I suspect that your electrical problems are not caused *by* the ECU, but instead have resulted from the same cause. What I'm trying to say is that the same water that has infiltrated your ECU over the long term has also caused some corrosion in your dash wiring, resulting in the failure of your gauge cluster. Looks like you need to fix a leak first! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbone Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 What he said^^^^^ I bet the inside of your inst cluster looks like your ECU:rolleyes: Before replacing stuff, figure out whats causing all the moisture inside the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milemaker13 Posted January 18, 2007 Share Posted January 18, 2007 Yeah, fix that leak! Maybe around the windsheild or cowling. I'd try to dry out the board also- no harm in trying. Was the car running ok before you discovered the wet ECU? I second the notion of other electrical corrosion under your dash- check it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goobaroo Posted January 18, 2007 Author Share Posted January 18, 2007 yeah i found the leak, there a couple of good sized rust holes up near the bottom of the windshield. im removing the entire dash to look for any more, the water was only dripping down in that corner of the car so my cluster is ok, no moisture. thanks guys. its gonna be a long night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 The thing bolted to the hood release is the fuel pump control unit. It shouldn't affect dash power - only power to the fuel pump. The ECU also shouldn't effect dash power - I removed the one in my 84 wagon when I put on a Weber and it doesn't effect anything..... at least not on the digi-dash car it didn't, and it didn't in my feedback EA82 either.... GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 yeah i found the leak, there a couple of good sized rust holes up near the bottom of the windshield. im removing the entire dash to look for any more, the water was only dripping down in that corner of the car so my cluster is ok, no moisture. thanks guys. its gonna be a long night! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the windshield frame is a bad place for rust holes to form. It is not an easy place to fix at all, and any compromise of the sheetmetal frame holding your windshield, makes the glass less resistant to shattering from a stray rock or something.. Rust around the windshield is bad juju on a car, needs to be taken care of pronto. It is one of the reasons I didn't think twice about trying to "save" my car from the rust.. I gave up for windshield rust, along with plenty of other things... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the windshield frame is a bad place for rust holes to form. It is not an easy place to fix at all, and any compromise of the sheetmetal frame holding your windshield, makes the glass less resistant to shattering from a stray rock or something.. Rust around the windshield is bad juju on a car, needs to be taken care of pronto. It is one of the reasons I didn't think twice about trying to "save" my car from the rust.. I gave up for windshield rust, along with plenty of other things... Fortunately, the glass didn't become structural on the soobs till the EA82 series. So really an EA81 is just as strong with NO windsheild as without due to the way it was built. I would say that patching it and making sure the rust doesn't come back should be sufficient. Won't hurt the glass any as it's set apart from the frame by a big thick rubber gasket. Just don't let some shop "goo" it in place - it wasn't designed for that, and should be installed with it's proper gasket and sealant, not the hot shot goo they use on EA82's and newer. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Fortunately, the glass didn't become structural on the soobs till the EA82 series. So really an EA81 is just as strong with NO windsheild as without due to the way it was built. I would say that patching it and making sure the rust doesn't come back should be sufficient. Won't hurt the glass any as it's set apart from the frame by a big thick rubber gasket. Just don't let some shop "goo" it in place - it wasn't designed for that, and should be installed with it's proper gasket and sealant, not the hot shot goo they use on EA82's and newer. GD I was more concerned about the relative impact resistance of the glass than the structural aspect that the glass had on the car overall.. but you say even the impact resistance is not lessened? Hmm, I wouldn't have thought that. I had a job making hurricenae-proof sliding glass doors (4'x8' panel, big sliding glass door, could withstand a 280mph impact from a 2x4 ) and 90 percent of the impact resistance came from stiffening the door members and deepening the channel that held the glass.. the four door members were assembled around the piece of glass, which is what made otherwise ordinary double-paned safety glass so strong. However, if you say so.. far be it from me to say you're wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Shame you are not closer..I could take that board to work and fix it for you ( been manufactuing circiut boards since 1990.) I just repaired Tommys battery back-up for his puter. If you can find it..there is product called Conform-a-Coat...you spray on both sides of the board ( heavily) and it basically makes it water and moisture resistant. It is fine for boards to get wet as long as no power gets to it before its dry. ..The only thing that truely looks bad bad is a blown diode...A stiff bristles plastic brush and some alcohol should clean most of the corrosion off. As for windsheild frame rot...I believe that is what is going to be the final dimise of my Bucky..I have been keeping up with it via silicone sealer and bondo but I know the window should be pulled out and it fixed right. Good Luck! edit...just noticed one of the leads blown off one of the resistors too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott F Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Good eye Bucky. I would def change that res, and measure or change the diode. Don't conformal coat until the board is clean, dry and working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goobaroo Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 well i actually finished everything yesterday. turns out that circuit board is ONLY for the cruise control, which had been previously dissabled on the car. so i removed most of the rest of the system cleaned the contacts on the board, put it all back together and....voila it works just the way it used to, runs perfect! i repaired the rust holes under the windshield and patched the ones in the floor. also got some "extra" work done while the dash was out. but youll all have to come to Carlisle if u wanna see! thanks again to everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucky92 Posted January 23, 2007 Share Posted January 23, 2007 Good Job..OK you have my curiosity up..cant wait to see what you are doing at Carlisle...I happen to be counting down the days and I already told work to KMA that Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goobaroo Posted January 23, 2007 Author Share Posted January 23, 2007 I already told work to KMA that Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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