Mazda Rotary Club

General => General Technical => Topic started by: cyman on March 30, 2008, 05:59:44 PM

Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: cyman on March 30, 2008, 05:59:44 PM
i have a water leak.....  its coming in above my ecu and has caused no end of problems with the ecu connections etc. i only realised it had a leak yesterday.
 
i have had a look on the outside below the windscreen and it doesnt really have any places for water to get in????  on close examination the water seems to be dropping from the bottom of the large white unit which from its appearance i would say is the actual fan unit for the blower. my thoughts are is it finding its way in throught the blower intake or is there a gromet on the inner arch that comes out????
 
i am just guessing at the mo but if anyone has come across a similar problem or has fixed the same thing any info would be great.
 
cheers
 
 
si  :) :)
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: Jit on March 30, 2008, 06:02:09 PM
sounds like your heater matrix might be leaking?
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: pdtaylor18 on March 30, 2008, 09:48:05 PM
this has been the cause of so many ECU probs in the FC and FD.  Until you find the cause then wrap the ECU in a plastic bag.  Unfortunately the only way to find the leak is the hard way, pour water over the car, hose the thing down and see if you can spot where its coming from. easier if some one sprays and you inside the car.  If its the matrix then not a nice job to put right.  Hope its just a rubber grommet or something.  Try a search on here as there was someone only recently with the same problem on the FD and
FC (grinder)
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: grinder on March 30, 2008, 09:52:49 PM
trust me .. water and ecu\'s DO NOT MIX

sounds like your heater matrix though
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: cyman on March 30, 2008, 10:07:48 PM
thnx for the response. its not the heater matrix its clean water not coolant. i found the leak yesterday after a rain storm and it played up again earlier today after i washed the car and used the hose.
 
i had a quick look with a watering can earlier and poured it on the same side as the ecu but couldnt see any come in  :reallymad
 
i put the ecu in a freezer bag yesterday and made a small hole in the top to put the apexi commander lead through and guess what happened......the bloody water dripped onto the lead for the commander and tracked to the ecu and caused me grief :2Mad :2Mad
 
now i have put the ecu in another bag pulled a bit of the commander lead back to the ecu and made go low then come back up and into the bag so it wont be comin in there again.
 
i hate bloody water leaks. if there is nothing obvious that happens to fd\'s then i have me getting on my back looking under the dash with the wife outside with the hose going to look forward to next weekend.......lol
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: pdtaylor18 on March 30, 2008, 10:45:28 PM
As a last resort then move the ECU of the floor, it does not have to go under the carpet but you obviously have a grommet gone or a hole.  Make sure its not the screen.
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: cyman on March 30, 2008, 10:58:19 PM
Quote from: pdtaylor18As a last resort then move the ECU of the floor, it does not have to go under the carpet but you obviously have a grommet gone or a hole. Make sure its not the screen.

mine is an fd mate the ecu is on its side on the left hand side of the passenger footwell not like the fc where its under the carpet :) :)
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: pdtaylor18 on March 31, 2008, 09:22:12 PM
oops yes you are right, been off a FD for too long !!  Long shot but make sure your door rubber grommets are seated right as this is a way in. (the one that carried the door cables from the inside of car to inside of door)
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: Metalman on March 31, 2008, 09:37:29 PM
I had this problem over the winter, and it\'s all sorted now so maybe you have the same problem? On my FD the water was getting in through the body and coming out exactly where you say, at first i thought it would be the matrix but i have no loss of coolant so i knew it was rain water. At the bottom of the windscreen you have the plastic trim that is held on with 8 screws, these screws go in to plastic clips in the body and over time the rubber seal rots away, letting in the water. I cured mine by removing the plastic clips and cleaning them up, and the paint, then putting a tiny amount of clear silicone to replace the old rubber seal. If you dont want to use silicone you could always make a rubber seal. Check under your carpet too, as mine needed lifting and drying out.
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: cyman on March 31, 2008, 09:37:56 PM
i think i have tracked this down to the plastic inserts for the scuttle trim that sit below the front screen. lots of movement and nothing sealing it anymore. apparently the rubber sealing rings perish and crack and let water in and mine have :yes
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: cyman on March 31, 2008, 09:38:52 PM
Quote from: MetalmanI had this problem over the winter, and it\'s all sorted now so maybe you have the same problem? On my FD the water was getting in through the body and coming out exactly where you say, at first i thought it would be the matrix but i have no loss of coolant so i knew it was rain water. At the bottom of the windscreen you have the plastic trim that is held on with 8 screws, these screws go in to plastic clips in the body and over time the rubber seal rots away, letting in the water. I cured mine by removing the plastic clips and cleaning them up, and the paint, then putting a tiny amount of clear silicone to replace the old rubber seal. If you dont want to use silicone you could always make a rubber seal. Check under your carpet too, as mine needed lifting and drying out.

hehe  snap  :chat :chat
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: Metalman on March 31, 2008, 09:51:38 PM
That\'ll be the problem, took me about an hour with a watering can and sticking my head up under the dash! (Almost a worse than changing the fuel filter.) Glad i got it sorted though, no more steamy windows. Thank f##k it\'s not the matrix.
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: cyman on March 31, 2008, 09:57:10 PM
Quote from: MetalmanThat\'ll be the problem, took me about an hour with a watering can and sticking my head up under the dash! (Almost a worse than changing the fuel filter.) Glad i got it sorted though, no more steamy windows. Thank f##k it\'s not the matrix.

yeah i know what you mean i found what i thought was the problem then got it confirmed by tacking down an old thread on here from koopturbo who had the same thing aswell in exactley the same place. oh the joys of silicon sealant :chat :chat :chat
Title: water leak over ecu in!!!!! help
Post by: BenLewisMav on September 05, 2008, 08:36:02 AM
Wickedy wick. looks like I\'ve just found the end to my carpet drying days..
exactly the same symptoms, water dripping off the blower unit and down to the right of the ecu. Its actually filled the whole flipping left side of the floorpan.. right back to the seat..
Maybe a mod could make this a sticky or something, might stop ppl changing heater matrix\' unnecessarily!