Audi A4 ECU

[Westoe SAFC]

Hello everyone, your thoughts/experiences would be appreciated.

My A4 went into Audi for a new ECU just before Xmas gone. up here in the NE we had a torrential downpour for a good few hours on Friday night, when I got up I noticed my brake lights were on. I've went out, opened car (brake lights go off) and went to start it. The car is dead. So I call the RAC out.
After recharging battery the RAC mechanic notices that 2 of the middle torx on the ECU housing are sheered off and the rears aren't there at all. A further look reveals the harness to the ECU soaked in water.
the fan is going off often, whilst engine wasn't running and he now can't get the car restarted.

Where do I stand with Audi on this? They never notified me that the housing needed repairing and they've most likely sheered the bolts whilst replacing the ECU. I haven't spoken to them yet, but it's getting recovered tomorrow.

Thanks, Westoe.

[Sam]

All parts/labour is covered for 2 years.

If you knew the ECU housing was in perfect condition before you invited them to do the work, voila.

[Crasher]

Thats bad workmanship. It is not their fault that the screws snapped, they do that all the time but they should have given you the costs and asked you if you wanted it fixing.

[Westoe SAFC]

Cheers for replies.

It's getting recovered tonight. They're going to investigate it.

Their words were the water couldn't get that high to reach the ECU. But the harness was soaked and it looks to me as if it's gotten in from the scuttle panel and dripped down.

Surely that's a pretty vital housing? That should of been put back together correctly, or at least notified me that it needed work.

Should they have cleaned the plenum chamber when they replaced ECU?
Could it be a coincidence that the drain is the reason?

[Sam]

Cheers for replies.

It's getting recovered tonight. They're going to investigate it.

Their words were the water couldn't get that high to reach the ECU. But the harness was soaked and it looks to me as if it's gotten in from the scuttle panel and dripped down.

Surely that's a pretty vital housing? That should of been put back together correctly, or at least notified me that it needed work.

Should they have cleaned the plenum chamber when they replaced ECU?
Could it be a coincidence that the drain is the reason?

I was under the impression that the scuttle needs to come off to get to the back screws, I'm not sure if it can be done without removing it though.

Very vital, yes and yes, if they broke it, you should have been notified.

Other than courtesy, there's no reason for them to clean the plenum unless you specifically asked for it to be done.

Are the bungs in place and blocked? Do you have standing water?

[Crasher]

On the A4 8E, if the plenum chamber drains are blocked, it is very easy and extremely common for the water level to get so high that it finds its way into the ECU box and it easily gets into the heater inlet unless the base seal has been replaced with a nonporous mastic cord seal. The seal under the ECU case is also vulnerable to allowing water in but it is better than the flimsy foam one under the pollen filter duct but unfortunately quite a bit more involved to chnage, not too bad to do though as long as electrics don't worry you. The mastic cord we use is a genuine VAG product that comes as a 10 meter roll. As you can see below the electrics under the dash inside the car are soaked and this is an 8E like yours.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20/Crasher1964/ECU%20case%20out_zpsujutf8dm.jpg (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/Crasher1964/media/ECU%20case%20out_zpsujutf8dm.jpg.html)

[Westoe SAFC]

The RAC mechanic couldn't get the cover out, because the scuttle panel and even maybe wipers needed removed.

The only standing water I had, was collected around the actual cover, which has now dispersed.
It was next to nothing tho, so it's clearly draining off.

It's a 2.0 TDI 170, not sure how to work out if it's an 8E.

[Crasher]

not sure how to work out if it's an 8E.

It will be an 8E, but if you look at your VIN in the windscreen, the 7th and 8th digits will be 8E

[Westoe SAFC]

They've recovered it.
Hopefully find out the damage tomorrow.
I had the van on it with jump leads for over half an hour yesterday, couldn't even get the dash to light up.

Expecting them to worm their way out of it. I've already spent a fortune on it since November.
Time to get rid I think.

[Westoe SAFC]

They've basically blamed it on the plenum chamber.
Even though there is exposure through the cover because of the snapped bolts and lack of fixings under the scuttle panel.

i have a glow plug warning also, but I've had that for the life I've had the car and no problems to date. They think that' could be a reason for the non start, as it could be the harness (not plug) not telling the injectors to trigger...

Any thoughts on this please?

Its had an EGR valve, DPF regen, Turbo, ECU and at the end of all of that they changed the tandem pump. Which actually solved all of my previous complaints. ******.

[Crasher]

If the plenum chamber fills right up, water will get into the ECU box even with a perfectly screwed down and sealed with RTV top because it gets in around the base of the box long before the top, but I thought they were of the opinion water could not get that high......:p

The glow plug warning could indeed be indicating a fault is stored in the ECU relating to a component which is not letting it start but equally it could just be a faulty brake light switch and nothing to do with it, it's relevance depends on the code stored not the flashing light.

Tandem pumps causing running problems tend to only be down to oil getting into the fuel and this problem can cause the intank lift pump to fail later, much later and this WILL stop it starting.

Since the A4 has suffered this problem since 1996 ish, I am a bit confused as to why they are finding the whole thing such a mystery, they are supposed to be the experts after all....:buttkick:

[Westoe SAFC]

I was told I'd receive a call today, it never materialised. So I rang at 4pm to be told they can't keep the battery charged as something is killing it before they get a chance to look at things.
Frustrating.

[lynalldiscovery]

Sounds like a top garage!
Surely brain says remove and charge battery, unplug everything, refit battery and start plugging things back in to see where current is going?

[Westoe SAFC]

Feels like a delay tactic to me.
Not sure what is or what has went on TBH.