Repairing PCBs in Japanese Cars

I repaired the electronic anti-glare rear view mirror on my Dodge/ Mitsubishi Stratus--the connector had broken solder joints. Nothing complicated though.

I was going to have a go at a trooper engine magements controler but the whole thing was encased in a bitumin like material.Possibly to stop repairs to the unit causing the engine to rev out and kill some one.I guess some of the smaller boerds on the can bus could be repaired.

dennis

If you were involved in a collision and your car was found to have an amatuer repaired engine controller your insurance company would take a very dim view and it might even involve criminal proceedings

It wouldnt be my insurance company that would take any type of veiw dim or otherwise,I dont drive a 4 by 4.It was a write off Isuzu Trooper and I wanted to see inside the engine management unit.I was simply replying to the original thread.Not trying to bring the wrath of the worlds insurance companies down on my head.

To my knowledge , there are ,generally, one controller board and two interface board. You may repaire the interface board but you can,t repaire the controller board because 0f few customised I.C s ( Programme I.Cs ) . These controller board are definately expensive.

In Germany there are several companies that specialise in repairing such Car PCBs. Not just Japenese cars either, all cars on the German market!

If you are lucky, they will already have a repaired and tested board of the type you want, you give them your defective PCb and some cash and they give you the repaired one. You can save up to 60% of the new original price in this way.

If they do not have one already, they will repair yours and return it within 10 days. No cost if the repair was not possible.

As I generally drive cars within the guarantee period only, I have not had to use this service upto now....

Andy

I get the impression by your writing style that you are British, I am very envious of you living in Germany.

To Murphys - Correct on both accounts! Almost 26 years here. Where are you based?

I am living in hemel Hempstead at the moment but I am really an exile from Kent where I have a house.

I am retired now but when I was working For Perske Price on HELL equiptment I had frequent trips to Keil and Karlsruhe and get all nostalgic at Christmas.

I make at least one trip a year to Germany to Hockenheim but it is very expencive to drive over through the tunnel

Keeping you from repairing your car is nothing new, and Japanese as well as others are very good, and spend millions, to make sure you don't. Even the Potting mentioned above might be, in part, for protecting proprietary information and for making sure any attempts at repair or reverse engineering further damages the assembly. I would agree with others...that repairing electronic (replacement) assembly units is not worth the time and expense, trouble, or risks entailed. It's just the way the "system" works...and not one beats the manufacturers at their own game...at least not for very long, if ever. Your time will be much better spent, finding and keeping a highly competant, and honest, technician to do work on your vehicles.

I fully agree with Guest, except that the "worth" of your time varies with geographical loction. The Cost of "new" may not vary much. Also, in certain countries the "techniticians" are not provided with any wothwhile amount of data. Engineers in deveoping contries should try to break fleecing strategies of teh makers.