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Technical Did I fry my electronics?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by evintho, May 9, 2015.

  1. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    A little OT and maybe even the wrong place to ask, but I'll give it a shot. Computer controlled 2.3 turbo in the roadster. I mounted the ECU and then proceeded to do quite a bit of welding on the frame with the ground clamp grounded to the cowl cage (not even thinking about the delicate circuit board). Did I smoke my ECU?

    [​IMG]
     
  2. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    Good question. Does it run?
     
    volvobrynk likes this.
  3. Yes. Does it run......
    even if everybody chimes in and says you fried it. If it fits up And runs. ... your good to go.
     
    volvobrynk likes this.
  4. chrisp
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,048

    chrisp
    Member

    If the battery wasn't connected you're good, on new cars before welding we just unplug the battery (when you don't need to use a computer before unplugging...) or we connect a voltage surge protector to the battery terminals. If the battery was connected, 3 things can happen to the electronics: 1 nothing it's your lucky day, 2 the ECU is fried the car won't start, 3 the ECU is fried but the car starts and run like crap.
     

  5. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    No it doesn't run. Not quite roadworthy, yet! No battery hooked up either. Sounds like I might be OK! I just thought all that electricity running through the frame..........but as you can tell, I'm far from an electrical engineer!
    Thanks everyone!
     
  6. If you disconnected "the car" from the battery,you SHOULD be ok........
     
    volvobrynk likes this.
  7. woodiewagon46
    Joined: Mar 14, 2013
    Posts: 2,269

    woodiewagon46
    Member
    from New York

    Was it TIG or MIG? I agree with the fact that if everything was not connected so you should be ok. The high frequency on my TIG machine fried my G-Shock watch. I did a lot of aluminum welding one day and looked at my watch and the time was 49:93, now when I TIG weld something I remove my hearing aids and watch. Also, I was told to keep the ground as close to the weld to help keep from frying your electronics, but I don't know if thats true.
     
    volvobrynk likes this.
  8. That could conceivably be a problem; if the metal case on the electronics is grounded to the internal circuitry and the case is grounded to the car structure, you could have issues with induced currents. And yes, it's best practice is to connect your ground electrode as close as possible to where you're welding so there's a short current path without any electronics in between.

    Most automotive electronics are 'hardened' to a degree (just for this sort of stuff), so you should be OK.
     
  9. I have inadvertently welded on vehicles with a computer (not unhooked) a few times and never had a problem. (lucky I guess) Being that yours wasn't wired up, it would be almost impossible to fry it by welding near it.
     
    volvobrynk likes this.
  10. stimpy
    Joined: Apr 16, 2006
    Posts: 3,546

    stimpy

    if it hasn't yet I would unplug and remove it just in case , specially if that is a older EEC IV unit, they were known to go wacky from welders or HV transformers if they got to close to the wiring bundle , also disconnect the Thick film module on the distributor as it can get burnt up .
     
  11. chrisp
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,048

    chrisp
    Member

    You know if every time you weld on a new car you had to take out everything electronic it wouldn't even be economically worth fixing it : tail light, head light, stereo, navigation, suspension and transmission and brake management, ECU.
    If TIG welding the recommended procedure is the same : disconnect the battery.
     
  12. volvobrynk
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 3,587

    volvobrynk
    Member
    from Denmark

    It's common praxis to install a booster, before welding, to avoid over charging. But un plugging battery also helps.

    So unless you weld left side of the ECU, and grounded on the right side of the ECU.

    But you should be the closest one to the car, and you should be able to tell us how it wend?
     
  13. d2_willys
    Joined: Sep 8, 2007
    Posts: 4,285

    d2_willys
    Member
    from Kansas

    It's toast! If the welder behaves anything like sonic welding, then it's toast! The company that builds those Can Am motorcycles decided to sonic weld power and ground wires directly to the trailer converters we manufacturer and toasted them all!
     
  14. 50pontiacguy
    Joined: Aug 3, 2014
    Posts: 162

    50pontiacguy
    Member

    Its most likely fine, Im an industrial electrician we have very expensive plc's and control input cards/computers on equipment that the manufacturers all recommend to pull the cards before welding. We never do and have yet to see any burn up. Its always good practice to remove electronics as a precaution but Ive done it thousands of times and never burned anything up. Granted its not an ECU but same principals.
     
  15. I think that if you were welding and not flashing your circuit board you may be OK. Most electronics are packed in static proof wrappers though to protect them so chances are good you flashed it. Only one way to find out I guess.
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2015
  16. Guys did you notice it isn't wired to anything? Unless he welded right on it, it is fine. To the OP, don't worry about it until you have it wired up and the motor ready to run.
    Sonic welding doesn't even involve current in the workpiece, it is sound waves.
     
  17. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    Sounds like I'm OK. Thanks guys!
     

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