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sign216

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A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
06/13/12 at 01:44:26

An electrical surge may have damaged my MyECU unit.

I was loading a new map in preparation for a trip to watch the vintage bikes races at Loudon, New Hampshire near Laconia. This is the 89th running of America's oldest motorcycle race. After loading the map to the ECU, I pull the USB plug from the laptop and toss it aside. Tragically, it lands it the tiny space between the battery + terminal and the frame, bridging the gap and causing a flash of spark. Of all the places for the connector to land, what luck!

The bike won't start now. I can hear the fuel pump prime when I turn the key, and the engine turns over, but it will not catch. When I connect the laptop to the bike, the MyECU doesn't load the map nor give any readings. It's as if the bike isn't turned on. The controller isn't showing any signal from the MyECU at all, although I can hear the fuel system work and the starter turns the engine over.
I put in the factory ECU and it starts right up.

Inspection of the MyECU unit doesn't show any burnt components. What element is likely to have taken the hit and be damaged? Any ideas?

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Luhbo

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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #1 - 06/13/12 at 02:03:58

I once killed one of the CPU inputs, too. Cant't remember how, was something stupid probably, like soldering on the hot ECU or the like. Nevertheless, those CPUs are astonishing robust. It can well be that the core is still running but half of the in/outs is toast.
I had to solder in a new CPU and do the firmware update procedure. It's an easy thing - at work where I have the glasses and fine irons for such a job Wink

Hubert

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sign216

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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #2 - 06/13/12 at 06:04:54

Hubert,

I took a look at the USB connector under magnification and didn't see any burn marks or other issues. It looks fine. I wish it was the in/out connector, but I thinks it's an element inside the CPU. Aargh.

Do you know a way to test the components, or the various circuits, to find the problem area so it can be replaced?

Joe

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raz Senior Member Offline Guzzi 11OO Sport, My16MkV, Innovate LC-1 Posts: 373 Stockholm, Sweden Gender:	Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure Reply #3 - 06/13/12 at 06:13:18 One would think what should have happened is just a burned ground track on the PCB, or inside the USB cable, or both. I see almost no possibility for any other damage even in theory. Unless I miss some obvious detail of course.
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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #4 - 06/13/12 at 07:16:46

I agree with Raz. The most likely scenario is that the battery shorted through the USB earth terminal.
The likely result is a burnt out PCB track on the ECU and/or a burnt wire in the cable.
Nearly all the earth tracks are on the underside of the PCB.
Go through all the checks made when constructing the kit.
The fuel pump goes through its 2 second prime?

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sign216

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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #5 - 06/13/12 at 10:13:30

Based on the suggestions of Raz, Hubert, and Admin, I checked the connectivity between the USB and the modular jack, and got some strange results. Example: 1 of the 4 USB tracks showed connectivity to the USB ground. Also 3 of the 4 USB tracks showed connectivity to the same modular jack track.

Although the USB plug looks good, it must have failed inside, and perhaps the modular jack failed too. I hope the ESU is still good. I pulled it, and no signs of burnt tracks on either side, front and back.

Tomorrow I'll go to an electronics supply store, and I'll get a USB and modular jack. How shall connect them together? What USB tracks match up to modular tracks? I attached some photos with letters corresponding to the tracks, if this helps.

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YaBB Administrator YaBB Administrator Offline I love YaBB! Posts: 679 The Land of YaBB	Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure Reply #6 - 06/13/12 at 11:39:40 It's probably easier to send the lot back to me to check out. Otherwise you'll end up buying things you don't need.
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sign216

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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #7 - 06/13/12 at 21:01:31

I've scrounged up spare USB and a modular jack cables, all I need is a guide for which USB tracks go to which jack tracks. The modular jack is clear, and I can see how it's wires are routed. The opaque USB cable is the mystery.
I may just open up the old USB connector and see how it's routed.

Admin, if you really think I should send everything in I will, but if it's merely a burnt cable then that's an easy fix.

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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #8 - 06/14/12 at 06:57:33

The end of the instructions show how the the USB is wired.
You've done that already.

There are just 3 connections that need to be made - Gnd, Tx, Rx. The PCB layout and a continuity tester will help identify the wires.

You say that the engine doesn't run anymore so it sounds like more than a problem with the USB cable.
You tried without the cable connected?

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sign216

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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #9 - 06/14/12 at 07:44:44

The fuel pump goes through it's 2 sec prime, and the engine turns over. I suspect it's not getting spark. Inspection front and back of the MyECU doesn't show any obvious damage.

The bike isn't running with the MyECU unit. A continuity tester shows the cable to be compromised, but there must be more to the problem than just the cable. I tried the MyECU unit without the cable attached, and it still isn't firing up the bike.

If there's nothing else for me to do, I'll send my MyECU unit to you, for testing/repair. If I can affect a repair, I'm ready to do it.
Please advise.

Joe

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YaBB Administrator YaBB Administrator Offline I love YaBB! Posts: 679 The Land of YaBB	Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure Reply #10 - 06/14/12 at 07:52:55 The next step is to got comms going to the PC I guess so we can see if the ECU is seeing the engine timing signal. Does the fuel pump reprime after 1 second of cranking. Pull the plugs and see if there is any firing.
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sign216

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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #11 - 06/14/12 at 09:02:38

No spark when cranking. I don't hear the fuel pump reprime, but I could be missing it. The plugs do smell strongly of gasoline.

To get comms to the PC I need to repair the US-Serial cable. The USB has non-standard wire colors, and you use notations I'm not accustomed to. For the USB cable, I'm used to D+ and D-, for data+ and data-, and D- is a white wire, with D+ a green wire. How do these corresponded to Tx and Rx? Which one is the orange wire, and which the yellow?

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YaBB Administrator YaBB Administrator Offline I love YaBB! Posts: 679 The Land of YaBB	Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure Reply #12 - 06/14/12 at 10:47:16 You're talking USB data signals. Its not just a USB cable. There is electronics in there. What comes out is TTL serial - RX TX Gnd
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sign216

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Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure
Reply #13 - 06/14/12 at 11:35:15

YaBB Administrator wrote on 06/14/12 at 10:47:16:

You're talking USB data signals. Its not just a USB cable. There is electronics in there. What comes out is TTL serial - RX TX Gnd

I'm making a new USB-Serial cable, because the old one is compromised. The MyECU USB wires are orange, and yellow, but I don't know if they correspond to the USB tracks 2 or 3. Which ones do they match up with?

Track 4 is ground and goes to the black wire, so I'm ok with that one. Track 1, the power track, I'm guessing is not in use for this.

Is my approach correct?

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YaBB Administrator YaBB Administrator Offline I love YaBB! Posts: 679 The Land of YaBB	Re: A Moment of Bad Luck Leads to ECU Failure Reply #14 - 06/14/12 at 11:41:42 There is no direct connection apart from the earth. There is an IC in the middle. You will need to get documentation for your USB-serial convertor if that is what you have. I'm not sure you realise the USB-serial adapter is not just a cable.
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