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Corsa D 1.3 Diesel - will not start, spanner light, breakdown, water in ECU

33K views 14 replies 4 participants last post by  SXI_1.2  
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
My drowned ECU -

Day 1 -

Tried to start the car and nothing happened, no clicks from starter, dashboard lights bright, headlights bright and no warning lights on dash so i assumed it may be the lock barrel or a fuse or something, i got a battery test done by a mechanic and it was fine and he checked the starter while he was there i am not sure how he did this but when under the car he managed to get the motor to spin he then said it would have to go to a garage as he didn't have the means to test it further.

Day 3 -
Got the car to a garage and they said it looked like it could be the ECU but they would run some tests and fingers crossed it would be something less expensive.

Day 5 -
The bad news water under the scuttle panel and a drowned ECU they said they may be able to get it fixed but there was no guarantee even if i got the ECU repaired it would work, i looked at the options and it would cost ÂŁ500 (ish) to get it repaired then with the time the garage had already spent working on it plus the time it would take to install the repaired ECU and get everything working again i was looking at close to ÂŁ1000, the car got a few advisories on its last MOT so i knew i was going to have to spend at least couple of hundred before its next MOT so at that point i decided it was not worth putting any more money into it so i scrapped it.

I post this thread every time a diesel owner posts in the forum as something as simple as cleaning the drain holes can save you a fortune i hope it helps anyone reading this.

Vauxhall must have known about this issue years ago but they continued to place the ECU in the same place on the diesels but not the petrol version knowing it would eventually kill the ECU nice one VX.



On the 1.3 diesel models the drain holes under the scuttle panel block with leaves and other crap the ECU then sits in a water bath water eventually gets inside and destroys the ECU so get those drain holes cleared (video below) and keep your fingers crossed its not too late.

A new ECU will cost you many hundreds of pounds and you cannot simply buy one on eBay as it will not work, you can get the damaged one repaired but again you are talking hundreds of pounds if it is repairable

The guy in the video shows you where the drain holes are.
20389
20390





 
#2 ·
Common water damaged Corsa D engine ECU



This engine ECU is a very common failure for the Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi built from 2006 – 2013, the failure of the ECU is caused by water ingress due to the poor location of the ECU within the water drain channel under the windscreen.

Because the common fault with this Vauxhall Corsa ECU is water damage, we see a wide range of symptoms caused by ECU failure.

Common customer reported fault description:

“Initially the car started to misfire/run rough and the engine management light would come on. Called out a mobile mechanic who came out and performed a diagnostic check and the fault code read injector number 4 faulty. When he came to change the injector the car would not start so he investigated further and found the ECU submerged in water”

Common Failure symptoms:

  • Misfire on one cylinder
  • Will not rev past 1500 rpm
  • Non-start (intermittently)
  • Complete non start and no communication via diagnostic.


Common fault codes:

  • P0201 - Injector 1 Voltage Low
  • P0202 - Injector 2 Voltage Low
  • P0203 - Injector 3 Voltage Low
  • P0204 - Injector 4 Voltage Low
  • P2146 – Capacitor Voltage 1 Low Voltage
  • P1600 - Replace ECU
  • P1625 - Main Relay Intermittent
  • P060B - Replace ECU
  • P0608 - Internal Control Module Defective
  • P1120 - Pedal Position Sensors Circuit 1
  • P1122 – Pedal Position Sensor Circuit 2
  • P0683 - Glow Plug Circuit Low Voltage
This is a list of common fault codes, usually a failed ECU will only cause one or two of these codes to be stored.



Affected Vehicles:

  • Vauxhall Corsa D 2006 - 2013

Info above from the site below, i have no affiliation with the company.

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#3 ·
Member Flipflip had the same issue as me and posted this on 28/11/2021

The full thread is here - Corsa D (2007) CDTI 1.7 ECU Water Damage



I've since resolved the issue. I ended up sending the damaged ECU off to a company called 'Cartech Telectronics Ltd'. They completed the same procedure as ECU Doctor but for ÂŁ30 quid cheaper. Total bill incl postage & VAT was ÂŁ490. Daniel was especially helpful, would recommend. Turned the work around within 48 hours or receipt of the damaged ECU.

I was unable to find a donor ECU myself, otherwise I would have gone down the AutoTronics route. There are very few of these cars being broken, and the ones I did come across had either already sold their ECU's or were looking for ÂŁ500ish. I did come across a couple of spares in Poland / Romania but even sourcing from this far afield came with a ÂŁ200-250 price tag (without a flash of existing car data).

When the donor ECU was remounted I had the entire area (inc drains) cleaned out, and also had it fitted on some washers in an attempt to elevate it slightly in the scuttle panel.

After labour for the diagnostic, and refit (ÂŁ80 inc VAT), my wallet is now ÂŁ570 lighter. Interestingly.. the rough idle I have previously posted about (which I had thought was an EGR issue, due to associated engine fault codes) has seemingly sorted itself out. So an ECU issue could be something to consider if you're experiencing similar problems.
 
#5 · (Edited)
More members ECU problems -

 
#6 · (Edited)
More members ECU problems -

 
#8 · (Edited)
More members ECU problems -

 
#9 ·
Just to say, I recently bought a 1.3 CDti, joined the forum and was warned about this issue by SXI_1.2.

I've now had the opportunity to inspect mine and I'm pleased to say the scuttle is clean and dry and the drain holes are clear. The previous owner obviously didn't park under trees very much. I didn't take the ECU apart to inspect it because that would have involved breaking the seals. When I have more time and some favourable weather I will look into relocating or at least raising the ECU to make it less prone to water damage by immersion.

If it ever does start faltering due to moisture already having got into it, well, I am an electronics tech by trade and have some experience with repairing PCBs which have been damaged by water ingress, so as long as the damage is not too bad I would probably try to fix it.
 
#11 ·
With winter now looming the only thing which worries me a little is the prospect of snow getting into the scuttle because that will easily clog the drain holes while the rest of it melts and sloshes around in the scuttle. This potential for water damage to the ECU is such a well known problem by now that it is a wonder it has not been taken up by one of the claims companies and legal action taken against Vauxhall.

mycorsa13CDTiclaim.com, anyone?

(Don't go looking for it, I've just made it up!).
 
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