Protecting ECU from Water Damage?

[LRNAD90]

Protecting ECU from Water Damage?

In general, newer vehicles are probably better at this, but starting in the late 80’s and on many vehicles started having EFI and associated ECUs. Many were just bolted under the passenger seat (my ’89 Pathfinder for example). So for those out there that with similar concerns, what have you done to protect the ECU from water?

I’ve heard of people putting ECU’s in Tupperware before and leaving the lid off for ventilation under normal circumstances, curious what experience people have had with its vulnerability, and what other solutions people have come up with (besides converting to diesel or a carburetor) to protect it..

 

[javajoe79]

put it in a sealed box and run the wires through a bulkhead connector

 

[1stDeuce]

My buddy also had issues with a 1st gen pathfinder... He swamped it in a "puddle" and subsequently found out that the ECM was under the passenger's seat, and just under water... After finding a replacement, he pulled the harness out from under the carpet and zip tied the ECM to the dash above the glove box. Not pretty, but never had an issue with a soaked ECM again.

Later under-hood ECM's are pretty waterproof, so little needs to be done aside from perhaps some dielectric on the connector just to be safe.

If you have a vehicle with an un-sealed ECM under the seat, simply putting it up behind the dash, perhaps using the glove box opening is the next logical step, and there's probably enough harness to do that.

As for putting the ECM in a sealed box, perhaps the easiest solution would be to bag it with the opening of the bag pointed down. This wouldn't really be "sealed", but the bag would form an air pocket that would keep the ECM dry when submerged (and upright...) A box of some sort would do the same thing.

Of course there are all sorts of electrical things in these vehicles that are also not going to do well if submerged, so if simply moving all ECM's up to dash level isn't enough, then I think re-evaluating your life decisions may be in order...