I have done this by accident. Open the ECU up and check the naked terminal wires inside the ECU on the back of the connectors one or 2 will be blown Just solder the connections back up and good to go
that would work if its just a fried on board Fuse which could be the case , I hope they see this and give it to someone who can put in new on board fuses or just put in wires , its highly unlikely the whole thing is fried cause that would take a lot more than just 12V.
If you're stuck, send me the ECU in NZ and I'll fix it. But if you lift the board, you'll see heaps of legs going from the board to the connectors. You'll have vaporised one of the earth pins. I can guarantee the actual ECU itself is fine.
I have seen this before also, take the ECU fully out of the casing and you will see some of the pins between the board and the connector will have burned out, resolder and connect them and it will come back to life.
Those last minutes hit me right in the feels man… so many months into this project and when it’s moments away from finished, you start to hear Desert Rose Band playing “One step forward” ambient in the background..
Yeah, it's a weird struggle, AUS and UK are both RH drive, why he didn't just ship a cheap on from the UK and do minimum mods!? Some weird thing about 'purity' I guess. After making such a big deal about JDM for decades, dumps on a UKDM car so hard that he would rather break an Aussie one coping it. [ head-scratch ]
There's an Up GTI ECU for sale on UK eBay at the moment for £75. From a 2020 UP Gti. If they won't ship internationally, I'm happy to help with shipping.
That’s a heavy ending… I’m sorry guys. I diagnosed a dead engine for a family member last week, and I feel 10x worse for you guys. I wouldn’t wish a dead ECU on anyone.
How we say in Germany: „Manchmal verliert man,und manchmal gewinnen die anderen.“ I really feel with you and hope you donˋt lose faith and get it UP and running some day!
just needs resoldered pins which are fried, if they take the ecu out of the casing they will see which ones and can just resolder them and it will work.
It's been said nearly 1,000 times in the comments already, but as others have said, I would REALLY consider having that ECU inspected by someone familiar with microcircuit repairs. Mobile phone is the first thing that comes to mind. There was a commenter below in NZ who said to send it to him, he seemed confident he could fix it. As other's I've fried an ECU once doing basically the same thing. It was on an S13. It wasn't the positive battery terminal, but a positive wire that was in the footwell area. I took the ECU apart and there were some pins and components that were obviously damaged on the board. I had another bad ECU that I robbed parts off of. I got it all soldered back up and it worked perfectly fine. Admittedly, this was an early 90's ECU with discrete, through-mount components, so repair is a lot easier, but I'd be willing to bet there's plenty of people on the planet who can fix what you have. That would resolve any of the reprogramming issues you might have with a replacement. It's at least worth the try!
There are multiple chips involved that are coded and each have many many dozens of SMC contacts. Anything on the ground plane could be damaged and they have to be replaced, then flashed, in a way that preserves the match with the key barrel etc.. it's possible but very hard.
As an IT guy, i have had many a person phone me and tell me after they opened their PC to clean it, it no longer works. Being the barer of the bad news isn't a great feeling. However, helping them get the pc fixed and hearing their joy once it is fixed is a good feeling. I have no doubts that you guys will get the car UP and going once more.
Take the circuit board out of the casing and sometimes the pins between the circuit board and the connectors get fried. Usually a re solder gets the connection back and it may just sort the issue. I’ve seen it happen to 1 and that ended up being the source. Was very similar symptom wise to what you shown.
Man Moog, I feel for you. I have a long history with Volkswagens myself, going back to the 70's. That's what they do to you. They can be so good, but sometimes they just let you down. In my family we joked they had gremlins messing with the electronics. As a fellow VAG lover, my heart goes out to you. Hang in there.
Thanks guys, I was thinking about doing this conversion to my 2013 Seat Mii as it's now nearly 250,000 miles. You've convinced me it's a very bad idea. Big up
Oh boy, the look on Moog at 13:47, just one thing after another. Have fried a GPU but I can't imagine getting so close, but I have no doubt you'll get there👌
3:15 is true omg i was so confused that shit just turned on in my rental randomly a couple times... like when entering a roundabout it just straight up yells at me that im crashing fkkin electronics drove me nuts, the lane correction almost drove me into a construction site as well until i finally found the button to shut it off. also automatic braking when it read speed signs for parallel roads and just jams in the breaks while on the middle of the autobahn
If the case touched the positive battery terminal while the ECU was plugged in, it's quite likely the ground traces that got blown out, as the current path would be battery +12v -> case -> circuit board ground -> power connector -> battery -ve. I guess it depends on how long it was connected as to how much damage was done. I don't imagine it's the kind of path that would usually be fused, since fuses are usually used to protect for faults where the board is drawing more current than usual from the +12v line, not from the case -> ground. If the above is correct, then an issue you'll be up against is that a lot of (most?) modern circuit boards are multi-layer and will likely have one of the inner planes dedicated to ground, with vias running through the board to get to the outer traces and out to the ground pins, so some of the damage may not even be visible from the outer layers. Chances are you've blown out some vias and lord-knows how many traces with the hundreds (thousands) of amps that a car battery can supply.. I really feel for you, it's super crap to have such a huge setback at the last minute like that. I really hope I'm wrong and it's something simple and easily fixable.
That's what I was thinking but I would add that ECUs control the ignition coils and injectors etc. via ground switching so it's even possible that the ECU traces were beefy enough to handle the current and it's actually melted some ground wires in the harness somewhere.
in this case theres 2 or 3 ground pins from the edge connector which act as "fuses". curent flows from the case back to the battery Negative through those pins. it has no reason to go anywhere else on the board.
in this case theres 2 or 3 ground pins from the edge connector which act as "fuses". curent flows from the case back to the battery Negative through those pins. it has no reason to go anywhere else on the board.
im so sorry for the ECU issue , i hope you guys find a way to sort out the ECU , you guys have put lots of effort to get this project , i have been following you guys from the very begining , wish you guys all the luck ,
What an emotional roller coaster boys. In the beginning you had me busting my gut laughing and then pretty much tearing up at the end. With all the time and energy you put into this, I know it will work out.
I've been building PC's since 200MHz was so fast that you'd never need anything else. I *know* that feeling Moog. I *Felt* that, It sucks man, but the only way to go now is to keep going. Take the lesson that you can, and keep going forwards. It's really sorry to see, but you've got this.
Heartbreaking to see all that work come to a grinding halt, I feel the same way with my FXT at the moment. Just got the new rack and pinion installed and was driving it for the first time when the car went into full freak out mode and stopped worked before I got home. 8 new CEL lights and now the car cranks but won't start. The joys of a project car...
Dont you guys have a local ecu tuner Company or professional near you? Chances are something fried on the printboard of your ecu, and if you are lucky someone with a few basic soldering and diagnostic tools for circuit boards may be able to mend it. I have mended plenty of ecus, if you have fried a component inside the ecu you might be able to scavenge parts to resolder from a similar ecu that might be more common on Australian cars. Many Bosch ecus share components, especially in the power distribution and supply lines. Your ecu is a Bosch MED17.1.27. Tuning professionals have access to documentation on these ecus, and you may be able to compare docs to find an ecu in cars more common in Australia, and have a local tuner / solder professional try to mend it with scavenged parts. This is a solveable issue. Best of luck boys. Best regards from Norway.
Aw man, if that isn't the definition of working on a car. Thinking it's almost done and then something catastrophic comes up and stops you in your tracks. But we all know you guys didn't come this far in your endeavors by giving up. The up will get up and boog! Even if another hurdle has been added. Never give up, never surrender!
Man I felt that in my soul sorry that happened to you Blair but you got this man it’s just going to make that first drive all the better to know how challenging it was to get there. The world saves it hardest car builds for its best car UA-cam channel hosts you got this man!! Push it UP 💪
Loving this channel. I have binged a ton of these playlists watching a ton of car builds. And due to this episode I now have cheryls big mystery box on the way to Canada. You guys are amazing.
Lads - gutted for you- truly - I’ve been watching this from the UK - my Wife has the Seat Mii FR which is a 75hp Up with all the toys, lowered springs , 16in diamond cut wheels and the most fun car we have had since my MK1 golf GTI! I had wondered whether the Seat Ibiza 1 litre turbo would drop in however after watching this series it’s staying with its current engine! For a company that’s as modular as things get,(VW) can’t believe how much diifference there is between the up GTI and the 1 litre. Cannot wait to see how this ends.
The disappointment is palpable, I’m sure many people on here really know that feeling Moog. On one hand as a fan it’s good to see the feeling you have for your projects. On the other, sorry an accident has set you back (again) I have no doubt you’ll sort it 👍
I remember spending hours doing the timing belt and pulleys on my car having to pull the engine half way out, and after finishing and starting it realizing that a little metal washer had fallen into the bottom part of the belt without me noticing it, getting pulled into the timing gears and skipping a few too many teeth, until the valves and the pistons had a love affair. It was dark, cold, and I had spent the last 10 hours wrenching on this car, that had just died in front of my eyes in no more than 3 seconds. It´s all part of it and this video reminded me of that day. After about a month of not wanting to know anything about the car, I went in the garage and starting wrenching again. And so the never ending cycle of DIY amateur mechanics wannabes starts all over again.
Dude I feel you, I did this last October to my JDM import 07 Forester Sti, after spending £15k on it (which I had to borrow 5k just to buy it with the plan to sell my99 sf5 turbo afterwards) then spending another 4-5k on mods I blew my ecu wiring an aftermarket alarm/immobiliser into it, it’s sat on my driveway still, can’t afford to repair it until I sell the Sf5 but can’t leave myself without a car as I work 6 days a week as it is. Cars are Pain (Donut reference)
Such a rollercoaster of emotions. Proper laugh out loud moments through the episode, then to be hit with the sucker punch at the end. Really hope it can be sort it quickly and cheaply.
What a spin out. 1 month ago I slid off the road into a Paperbark tree in torrential rain in my manual Forester XTP and ended up flooding it (alcolock distraction exiting a roundabout) drained water from sump and exhaust and drove it home 3 days later. But 6 days ago I told the alcolock company I'm disconnecting my battery for at least 5 days to remove my seats and carpet to continue drying it out, put it back together 2 days ago now it doesn't crank or run, the ECU got corrosion affected. Whilst watching this episode I thought, crap, I think I too have an ECU problem. I even bought an "in the bin sticker" only a few days prior but never got around to sticking it on my black beast but it would've been very fitting 😮😅. Oh well, maybe inox and a clean will fix it 🤞
Oh man... That really was a big bummer Moog! You can see the disappointment and frustration. I hope it works out ok in the end, and I really do think you will be so happy when the car is done!
This episode feels aptly timed, as life throws curveballs at us with plenty of ups and downs. I’m hoping someone in our universe here can help sort out a new ECU- In any case I’m sure something extra fun is going to come of it! I’d just ordered a Cheryl’s box with the last episode airing you guys are syncing it right up!
The sheer disappointment on Moog’s face is something we’ve all felt once upon a time building a car or during our lives in another aspect. It can’t be replicated for faked and I honestly thought he was about to cry. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he did. Keep going guys!
I can totally relate to your ECU problem. I was working on my BMW 535, dropped the ECU on the starter, set off the car alarm and arced a hole through the ECU case. Wouldn't run properly, and burned up a coil. Had to find a new (salvage) ECU online after trying to replace the chips I fried on the board. $12 valve cover gasket turned into $650 ECU/cloning service.
Had the same issue when welding was done improperly. Terminals between the ECM plug and the board melted. If it's just the case ground circuit that's been friend, which is likely, a little sweaty soldering could fix it.
You can get a second hand ecu from the same year and model of up gti but, you would need the key, key barrel, instrument cluster/clocks that came with the car you buy the ecu from. This then should mean no coding required. I'm no professional though but I had an audi a4 that had same problem, ecu got water ingress and this is what I did to resolve as my original ecu wasn't able to be repaired. Hopefully there is an easier option for you. Love the series been subscribed for nearly 10 years. Thanks for the great content. UK
I own a 2006 B6 Passat that came as standard without a MFSW and a DIS stalk to change the dash screen. I swapped in a mk6 GTi Golf steering wheel, squib and a 2010 Passat CC colour MFD dash in and coded it all with my VCDS and its the best interior upgrade I ever did. Makes the car so much more comfortable to drive just out of a info standpoint. It's well worth the hassle of upgrading for anyone who has a VAG wagon n
Really sorry to hear this. I personally own a Up with the same spec (60ps). It's a great car. I was, still am excited to see you take the same model of the car I daily drive to the next level. Hopefully you Up will be up and running very soon. Good Luck!
Sorry to hear about the current state of the up. Loved watching some fresh content. Clearly it's been outrageously expensive.. waiting patiently for more videos.
Fans on full bore with ignition on, means ecu damage or limp. Send ecu to specialist. Also on many cars you need an ambient temp sensor in order for your ac to work correctly.
I did this once to a MK7 Golf R...early models had part of the ECU exposed right next to the positive battery terminal. Swung my wrench a little too far and popped the ECU. So I feel your pain on this one.
That's hard to watch. Sorry about the problems, but I'm confident that you will be able to get it sorted. Best wishes, hope your luck turns around on this project.
i feel ya moog, i just had one of those days today. Power outage, server in the office died who knows why, my laptop hinge decided to give up and worse im going on vacation in 2 days. So i took a hard look at myself, said a few prayers, swear abit and started working. Thank God everything felt into place and i solved one problem at a time. Got a new server on the dot, got it up and running all by 9.30pm. Laptop hinge can wait till i come back and now im back home waiting for my flight in two days.
Keep your chins up, life has done this to myself and others. I feel your pain but you will succeed, you have a lot of will and drive that it will work out in the end! Cheers
Oh we had an Amorok in at work, the fan would come on at full speed... it had many other issues like the high stop light staying on, and we found the problem there was the plug on to the computer had corroded pins etc, and we had to change the computer which another shop spent 3 weeks trying to get sorted, but ended up having to disable the securtiy system to get it to work. and change a few of the connections in the plug (not my favourite thing in the world to do) but then we changed out the temp sensors because the computer was saying they were faulty... and the rear one decided it was going to fry itself straight away and was reading 147 degrees C before the engine had even been started. the fan problem was still there. so we struggled to get a new new one in there for a while, and spent about 5 hours trying to beled the cooling system, which eventually became pulling the restictors out of the smaller bleed lines and unblocking them... just waiting now to see what the next problem is with the one vehicle that we work on the most often... the VW! I jusy can't understand why anyone would want to have a car in the garage more often than on the road! especially when there is a 4 week wait for all the parts that have to come from germany!
I love that @mightycarmods never shy's away from the realness of car modifications. We've all felt that disappointment that Moog feels at the end of the video. Thank you guys for always putting out top quality content and being honest with the highs, and lows of our beloved hobby. Not knowing enough about VAG cars...can you just put a HALTECH in it instead of finding a factory ecu? (I'm better with dumb cars anyway, so forgive my ignorance)
13:36 That genuine sadness on Moog's face, I have never seen that before when I have watched Mighty Car Mods. That really hit Moog's feelings hard, and it hit my feelings hard too when I saw how much Moog was holding back the sadness and tears. I was holding back tears too. Moog was genuinely disconcerted and I don't want to see a man like Moog feeling like that. He doesn't deserve that. But it's thankfully only material and ones and zeros. You can replace that. Or maybe even repair that.
That is really sad. I hope that You will be able to fix it. Love the build. I have also a non turbo MPI Up and love it. Maybe some day I will buy a GTI version. Can’t afford a conversion. But love the things You are doing. Keep Up! the good work.
I feel your pain MOOG! I think the ECU in my B6 Audi A4 just did the same shit. It sat for months, fixed a few things, got it running and it died on the test drive. Now I'm saving for an aftermarket upgraded one
Dont despair, this is what make channels like this! This might be your big break Moog! UA-cam loves this kinda stuff! You guys are going places, things can only go UP from here!
Usually when you fry an ECU like this, connecting a ground wire the the metal casing will work, it's a "trick" I learned from my tutors during my training as a tech since this kind of errors happened quite often with young stundents, it might not work all the time but it's worth trying
IOs on modern ECUs are usually pretty well protected, so you're unlikely to have killed anything critical, might just have destroyed some of the IO protection bits and pieces, it may be possible (assuming you can't find another ECU and get it re-coded) to do a component-level repair on the board.
I did something similar when doing a sr20 swap into my navara, back in 2002. Before the internet had all the answers. Anyway, ALL the magic smoke came out of the ecu. So, I know the feeling. Gutted for you.
I haven‘t checked up lately on your videos but, this video was an emotional roller coaster. Modding cars has truly become a workl of hackery. I wish the car space would become a bit more open source.
Aww mate. I feel so sorry for you, good to see you got the hugs you need. Actually I thought the answer to the last question was: Drink! But yours works as well.
Yeah that's bloody heart wrenching. We often only emotionally budget for so much, so when things take more than we're prepared for it can definitely take it's toll.
In a previous episode you talked about where the ecu mounts and almost shorted the ecu to battery positive. Common thing for people to accidentally short the jumpers to the ecu also.
Guys I have searched the interweb here in the uk and have found a standard UP ecu for sale… inexpensive and should put you back where wee before things went on the sizzle… programming might be needed. Happy to purchase and send your way if need be
Modern cars are AMAZING! They're also sometimes impenetrable clouds of numbing despair. I'm done messing with them. My moderns are disposable appliances, my projects are all older than anything that's ever been stuffed in Cherylls box
I'm not gonna lie, when I saw the title I thought it was a reference to when you talked about people doing this on the Unicorn Circuit. After watching the video, tough break man I hate when that kind of stuff happens. You guys are resourceful though, I know you'll come "Up" on top!
My big box plus fender covers showed up in America today. They did a great job getting it into my country quick. L.a. port took a bit to clear customs, but that's not on them. I haven't even opened it yet. Will update when I do.
If the VBUS Positive is shorted to Ground, then look for TVS Diodes or other diodes that have blown. Sometimes you cant see them as blown, but removing them can sometimes help to diagnose, That said. The damage can most likely blow 3.3 and 5V rails and damage the MCU. That ECU is very common and would be possible to get them Second had and setup - especially with VAG equipment these days, Just sucks when it happens.
ouch. many people have already commented on getting the ecu repaired, or putting a haltec in. I would probably look into repairing the original to keep all the functionality. Only thing i wanted to add is to be careful of any replacement/remanufactered ones. Parts have been particularly unreliable lately with companies trying to get reman stuff out the door to customers after the pandemic. I dont know if it's lack of suitable cores or manpower or just heavy demand as people try to keep things going....but its been a real mess for people on the repair side. Just keep that in mind when you're deciding
Sucks about the ecu Moog I feel your pain. I was dynoing my S13 and using a microtech and my new fuel pressure reg diaphragm failed allowing E85 down inside the ecu map sensor. Replaced it with a EMS and when the auto lecky powered up smoke came pouring out. Had to send it back for repairs. All on a weekend of trying to get the car going.
if you want to keep it sleeper but nicer,look at the white up! ,also in black and grey edition with chrome trime around foglichts and resly cool wheels on the white
Really sorry to see this you worked so hard. But hopefully someone in this crazy world that watches just maybe they will find one. Good luck. Hope it all works out
My god I feel your pain Moog. I have been there, so much effort and then slam! Feels like you got t-boned by a Mack truck. As soon as you said it touched the battery my heart was crushed. I know it will come back, this tiny little Phoenix will rise from the ashes again.
Check the continuity of your earth wire from the ECU to the chassis. It could be that it's just the earth wire that acted like a fuse. That could have made your ECU ungrounded, causing the issues.
Like a tonne of people here have said, it’s not irreparable. Most auto sparkies have access to someone who repairs them. Also, the ECU is normally fairly standard, esp for VW. You simply download the firmware using the correct tool. Getting the correct tool is the hard part, but most dealers will have this. Best of luck, I’ve been enjoying this project because I’m my experience, it’s representative of how most projects go for me :)
The ecu case is normally "loosely" connected to 0v (vbat negative) in order to provide a common mode return path for AC parasitic currents, that would otherwise generate stray A/C voltages and result in excessive EMC emissions from the ecu. Touching the case to the positive terminal of the battery has most likely shorted this loose coupling shut. The "loose" coupling is actually just some capacitance and some resistance, which may be distributed across multiple physical components on the pcb. However, that damage should be pretty obvious, and if you just remove those components completely, the ecu will likely work. Yes it won't meet EMC limits, but i don't think that's too much of a worry on your particular car.
rebuild the ECU and hook it up to the car as usual, Get a jump start lead, attach one end to the casing of the ECU and the other to the earth of the car. Unless you damaged something opening the casing it should start as if nothing happened.... what happens when the casing shorts to live is the earth pins melt, so your ECU would loose it's earth... on some ECUs you can re pin the earth wires to different pins and skip the external earth
In the uk the up ECU price is about £30/£40. plenty of people can also clone these. express ecu in uk can do it for one but probably someone over there can do that part.
I hope either before or after the camera hugs you got real man hugs. A good man hugs is massively underrated. It doesn't fix much... other than the way you look at the problem.
the steering column sensor doesn't work because you broke it when you spin it before install, if you spin one turn more you brake the cables inside it. whatch back in the last video the clockspring had a lock
You can buy unlocked ECU's that work in any car just need to do a little stuff in VCDS. I have 2 ECU's for my car 1 has a stage 2+ map on it the other is factory. You can also pull data off the dead one and put it on the new one cheap.
This sucks hard! All the frustration previously and just as you're close to getting out on a test drive, this happens. 😢 Marty was trying to install a Haltech previously. Maybe just do that. It would probably save many issues in the short and long term.
Lots of comments here with suggestions on how to fix it, I don't have anything like that - but just lots of positive vibes, this must have felt awful but it's not the end of the road for the car. You'll fix it, and look back later at this and laugh, and you'll never do it again! Chins Up! These things happen to the best of us.
![World's First VW UP GTI Conversion [FULL BUILD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8kN6dgKm0Wo/mqdefault.jpg)
Get yourself a Cheryl's Mystery Box here: mightycarmods.com/products/cheryls-big-box
Literally just bought one, cheers boys! If it doesn't light up with the power of friendship, I'll be really disappointed.
Does it come with a chopped head bandana?
Just purchased Cheryl's box. If we all drop $$ to see what's inside her box, maybe the boys can get the ecu they need 😂
I got one for Christmas, it’s well worth it for any MCM fans
Get yourself a Cheryl Mystery Box mate. You never know. It may have a ECU in it ...
Goes to show how crap modern VW economics are
I have done this by accident.
Open the ECU up and check the naked terminal wires inside the ECU on the back of the connectors one or 2 will be blown
Just solder the connections back up and good to go
If true this is an underrated comment
Lets hope @mightycarmods see this and check it! we can only pray
that would work if its just a fried on board Fuse which could be the case , I hope they see this and give it to someone who can put in new on board fuses or just put in wires , its highly unlikely the whole thing is fried cause that would take a lot more than just 12V.
I hope they see this comment and try it out
Imagine if the boys find success from this. Comment section winna
If you're stuck, send me the ECU in NZ and I'll fix it. But if you lift the board, you'll see heaps of legs going from the board to the connectors. You'll have vaporised one of the earth pins. I can guarantee the actual ECU itself is fine.
this seems logical to me.
Someone further up with 1.4k upvotes says the exact same thing as you. So I assume they'll get the info eventually.
@@andersjjensenI can't see that comment anymore
Seems like a failure on VW's part. Aren't ECUs normally covered in a non-conductive polymer?
Nah, the PCB might have conformal coating, but the metal case is tied to ground (bat -) to protect from emi and RFI :)@@nunyabizness9885
I have seen this before also, take the ECU fully out of the casing and you will see some of the pins between the board and the connector will have burned out, resolder and connect them and it will come back to life.
I agree, it was hard to tell from the angle, but it didn't look properly cooked. If the surge hit ROM it's probably a different story.
Another commenter said the same thing! Must have some truth to it.
100% , i do tuning and this have happend me aswell.
Soldered it and all was good.
So i hope they see comments about it.
You'll figure it out. It's not dead. We are sending positive vibes.
Smash the like button ❤
Those last minutes hit me right in the feels man… so many months into this project and when it’s moments away from finished, you start to hear Desert Rose Band playing “One step forward” ambient in the background..
The goofy, spritely energy the whole episode as the project is almost wrappe up and then, BAM! ECU zapped.
Yeah, it's a weird struggle, AUS and UK are both RH drive, why he didn't just ship a cheap on from the UK and do minimum mods!?
Some weird thing about 'purity' I guess. After making such a big deal about JDM for decades, dumps on a UKDM car so hard that he would rather break an Aussie one coping it. [ head-scratch ]
There's an Up GTI ECU for sale on UK eBay at the moment for £75. From a 2020 UP Gti. If they won't ship internationally, I'm happy to help with shipping.
Hopefully it is not VIN locked or can be unlocked without raising any alarms (theft protection).
Message that guy too UP the price by $500, and then take half the cut as commission :P
just did a quick search and found the same thing, fingers crossed it could help!
Well spotted I've messaged seller asking if immobiliser chip from the key is also available, and also asking them to reach out to MCM
@@blockbertus unrecognised ecu may be a fault but would sill run and drive
That’s a heavy ending… I’m sorry guys. I diagnosed a dead engine for a family member last week, and I feel 10x worse for you guys. I wouldn’t wish a dead ECU on anyone.
As someone from the UK I can confirm that horn is factually accurate.
Well... depends which part of UK. Some places you understand the horn, some places you just "huh".
🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@aserta that one clearly comes from the northern areas north east most likely as I can confirm all vws sound like that up here
North West
@@pyhunter101 yup
How we say in Germany: „Manchmal verliert man,und manchmal gewinnen die anderen.“ I really feel with you and hope you donˋt lose faith and get it UP and running some day!
Send the ecu to " The Automotive Clinic" down in Melbourne. Josh should be able to repair it.
Alternatively it could go.....
IN THE BIN!
just needs resoldered pins which are fried, if they take the ecu out of the casing they will see which ones and can just resolder them and it will work.
Injectronics also does ECU repairs
It's been said nearly 1,000 times in the comments already, but as others have said, I would REALLY consider having that ECU inspected by someone familiar with microcircuit repairs. Mobile phone is the first thing that comes to mind. There was a commenter below in NZ who said to send it to him, he seemed confident he could fix it.
As other's I've fried an ECU once doing basically the same thing. It was on an S13. It wasn't the positive battery terminal, but a positive wire that was in the footwell area. I took the ECU apart and there were some pins and components that were obviously damaged on the board. I had another bad ECU that I robbed parts off of. I got it all soldered back up and it worked perfectly fine. Admittedly, this was an early 90's ECU with discrete, through-mount components, so repair is a lot easier, but I'd be willing to bet there's plenty of people on the planet who can fix what you have. That would resolve any of the reprogramming issues you might have with a replacement.
It's at least worth the try!
There are multiple chips involved that are coded and each have many many dozens of SMC contacts. Anything on the ground plane could be damaged and they have to be replaced, then flashed, in a way that preserves the match with the key barrel etc.. it's possible but very hard.
As an IT guy, i have had many a person phone me and tell me after they opened their PC to clean it, it no longer works. Being the barer of the bad news isn't a great feeling. However, helping them get the pc fixed and hearing their joy once it is fixed is a good feeling. I have no doubts that you guys will get the car UP and going once more.
Wait why exactly did it not work after cleaning?
@@GOLD_FEVER a few reasons, many times static, most times is just lack of caring.
Take the circuit board out of the casing and sometimes the pins between the circuit board and the connectors get fried. Usually a re solder gets the connection back and it may just sort the issue. I’ve seen it happen to 1 and that ended up being the source. Was very similar symptom wise to what you shown.
Man Moog, I feel for you. I have a long history with Volkswagens myself, going back to the 70's. That's what they do to you. They can be so good, but sometimes they just let you down. In my family we joked they had gremlins messing with the electronics. As a fellow VAG lover, my heart goes out to you. Hang in there.
3:20 lol thanks for the laugh boys. It’s been a tough long week and that was such a good laugh 😂
Thanks guys, I was thinking about doing this conversion to my 2013 Seat Mii as it's now nearly 250,000 miles. You've convinced me it's a very bad idea. Big up
Sittin here with a beer and watching it with my son. Good times
You should switch to hard liquor.
Does he enjoy watching a beer? XD
It's half 8 in the morning where I am 😂 wish it was that time
Sitting here with a beer I don't have a son but still good times
It’s AM here, not beer o’clock yet. Enjoy 😁👍
Oh boy, the look on Moog at 13:47, just one thing after another. Have fried a GPU but I can't imagine getting so close, but I have no doubt you'll get there👌
time for a haltech
it would have to piggyback off the factory ecu to control all the modern features unfortunately
Wouldn't you be able to use a nexus r5 and pd16's to control all the same stuff ???
3:15 is true omg
i was so confused that shit just turned on in my rental randomly a couple times... like when entering a roundabout it just straight up yells at me that im crashing
fkkin electronics drove me nuts, the lane correction almost drove me into a construction site as well until i finally found the button to shut it off.
also automatic braking when it read speed signs for parallel roads and just jams in the breaks while on the middle of the autobahn
If the case touched the positive battery terminal while the ECU was plugged in, it's quite likely the ground traces that got blown out, as the current path would be battery +12v -> case -> circuit board ground -> power connector -> battery -ve. I guess it depends on how long it was connected as to how much damage was done. I don't imagine it's the kind of path that would usually be fused, since fuses are usually used to protect for faults where the board is drawing more current than usual from the +12v line, not from the case -> ground. If the above is correct, then an issue you'll be up against is that a lot of (most?) modern circuit boards are multi-layer and will likely have one of the inner planes dedicated to ground, with vias running through the board to get to the outer traces and out to the ground pins, so some of the damage may not even be visible from the outer layers. Chances are you've blown out some vias and lord-knows how many traces with the hundreds (thousands) of amps that a car battery can supply.. I really feel for you, it's super crap to have such a huge setback at the last minute like that. I really hope I'm wrong and it's something simple and easily fixable.
That's what I was thinking but I would add that ECUs control the ignition coils and injectors etc. via ground switching so it's even possible that the ECU traces were beefy enough to handle the current and it's actually melted some ground wires in the harness somewhere.
in this case theres 2 or 3 ground pins from the edge connector which act as "fuses". curent flows from the case back to the battery Negative through those pins. it has no reason to go anywhere else on the board.
in this case theres 2 or 3 ground pins from the edge connector which act as "fuses". curent flows from the case back to the battery Negative through those pins. it has no reason to go anywhere else on the board.
@@Nebbia_affaraccimieiI really hope that's the case, it would be amazing if it's easily fixable!
im so sorry for the ECU issue , i hope you guys find a way to sort out the ECU , you guys have put lots of effort to get this project , i have been following you guys from the very begining , wish you guys all the luck ,
What an emotional roller coaster boys. In the beginning you had me busting my gut laughing and then pretty much tearing up at the end.
With all the time and energy you put into this, I know it will work out.
I've been building PC's since 200MHz was so fast that you'd never need anything else.
I *know* that feeling Moog. I *Felt* that, It sucks man, but the only way to go now is to keep going. Take the lesson that you can, and keep going forwards.
It's really sorry to see, but you've got this.
Marty's scope joke was the best mcm moment in years. Like right up there with the first foot gag. Well done, fellas.
Heartbreaking to see all that work come to a grinding halt, I feel the same way with my FXT at the moment. Just got the new rack and pinion installed and was driving it for the first time when the car went into full freak out mode and stopped worked before I got home. 8 new CEL lights and now the car cranks but won't start. The joys of a project car...
Dont you guys have a local ecu tuner Company or professional near you? Chances are something fried on the printboard of your ecu, and if you are lucky someone with a few basic soldering and diagnostic tools for circuit boards may be able to mend it. I have mended plenty of ecus, if you have fried a component inside the ecu you might be able to scavenge parts to resolder from a similar ecu that might be more common on Australian cars. Many Bosch ecus share components, especially in the power distribution and supply lines. Your ecu is a Bosch MED17.1.27. Tuning professionals have access to documentation on these ecus, and you may be able to compare docs to find an ecu in cars more common in Australia, and have a local tuner / solder professional try to mend it with scavenged parts. This is a solveable issue. Best of luck boys. Best regards from Norway.
Aw man, if that isn't the definition of working on a car. Thinking it's almost done and then something catastrophic comes up and stops you in your tracks. But we all know you guys didn't come this far in your endeavors by giving up. The up will get up and boog! Even if another hurdle has been added. Never give up, never surrender!
Man I felt that in my soul sorry that happened to you Blair but you got this man it’s just going to make that first drive all the better to know how challenging it was to get there. The world saves it hardest car builds for its best car UA-cam channel hosts you got this man!! Push it UP 💪
Loving this channel. I have binged a ton of these playlists watching a ton of car builds. And due to this episode I now have cheryls big mystery box on the way to Canada. You guys are amazing.
Lads - gutted for you- truly - I’ve been watching this from the UK - my Wife has the Seat Mii FR which is a 75hp Up with all the toys, lowered springs , 16in diamond cut wheels and the most fun car we have had since my MK1 golf GTI! I had wondered whether the Seat Ibiza 1 litre turbo would drop in however after watching this series it’s staying with its current engine! For a company that’s as modular as things get,(VW) can’t believe how much diifference there is between the up GTI and the 1 litre. Cannot wait to see how this ends.
I have no helpful info to add but im so happy to see so many people in the comments trying to help ❤
The disappointment is palpable, I’m sure many people on here really know that feeling Moog. On one hand as a fan it’s good to see the feeling you have for your projects. On the other, sorry an accident has set you back (again) I have no doubt you’ll sort it 👍
I remember spending hours doing the timing belt and pulleys on my car having to pull the engine half way out, and after finishing and starting it realizing that a little metal washer had fallen into the bottom part of the belt without me noticing it, getting pulled into the timing gears and skipping a few too many teeth, until the valves and the pistons had a love affair. It was dark, cold, and I had spent the last 10 hours wrenching on this car, that had just died in front of my eyes in no more than 3 seconds.
It´s all part of it and this video reminded me of that day. After about a month of not wanting to know anything about the car, I went in the garage and starting wrenching again. And so the never ending cycle of DIY amateur mechanics wannabes starts all over again.
Dude I feel you, I did this last October to my JDM import 07 Forester Sti, after spending £15k on it (which I had to borrow 5k just to buy it with the plan to sell my99 sf5 turbo afterwards) then spending another 4-5k on mods I blew my ecu wiring an aftermarket alarm/immobiliser into it, it’s sat on my driveway still, can’t afford to repair it until I sell the Sf5 but can’t leave myself without a car as I work 6 days a week as it is. Cars are Pain (Donut reference)
Such a rollercoaster of emotions. Proper laugh out loud moments through the episode, then to be hit with the sucker punch at the end. Really hope it can be sort it quickly and cheaply.
What a spin out. 1 month ago I slid off the road into a Paperbark tree in torrential rain in my manual Forester XTP and ended up flooding it (alcolock distraction exiting a roundabout) drained water from sump and exhaust and drove it home 3 days later. But 6 days ago I told the alcolock company I'm disconnecting my battery for at least 5 days to remove my seats and carpet to continue drying it out, put it back together 2 days ago now it doesn't crank or run, the ECU got corrosion affected. Whilst watching this episode I thought, crap, I think I too have an ECU problem. I even bought an "in the bin sticker" only a few days prior but never got around to sticking it on my black beast but it would've been very fitting 😮😅. Oh well, maybe inox and a clean will fix it 🤞
Oh man... That really was a big bummer Moog! You can see the disappointment and frustration. I hope it works out ok in the end, and I really do think you will be so happy when the car is done!
Tough one, to take after all the dramas with the build!!!! KEEP PRESSING On MCM Crew!!! This nugget will get going!!
This episode feels aptly timed, as life throws curveballs at us with plenty of ups and downs.
I’m hoping someone in our universe here can help sort out a new ECU- In any case I’m sure something extra fun is going to come of it!
I’d just ordered a Cheryl’s box with the last episode airing you guys are syncing it right up!
The sheer disappointment on Moog’s face is something we’ve all felt once upon a time building a car or during our lives in another aspect. It can’t be replicated for faked and I honestly thought he was about to cry. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he did.
Keep going guys!
I can totally relate to your ECU problem. I was working on my BMW 535, dropped the ECU on the starter, set off the car alarm and arced a hole through the ECU case. Wouldn't run properly, and burned up a coil. Had to find a new (salvage) ECU online after trying to replace the chips I fried on the board.
$12 valve cover gasket turned into $650 ECU/cloning service.
Good lord, thanks for the jump scare Marty 3:19
Had the same issue when welding was done improperly. Terminals between the ECM plug and the board melted. If it's just the case ground circuit that's been friend, which is likely, a little sweaty soldering could fix it.
You can get a second hand ecu from the same year and model of up gti but, you would need the key, key barrel, instrument cluster/clocks that came with the car you buy the ecu from. This then should mean no coding required.
I'm no professional though but I had an audi a4 that had same problem, ecu got water ingress and this is what I did to resolve as my original ecu wasn't able to be repaired.
Hopefully there is an easier option for you. Love the series been subscribed for nearly 10 years. Thanks for the great content.
UK
I own a 2006 B6 Passat that came as standard without a MFSW and a DIS stalk to change the dash screen. I swapped in a mk6 GTi Golf steering wheel, squib and a 2010 Passat CC colour MFD dash in and coded it all with my VCDS and its the best interior upgrade I ever did. Makes the car so much more comfortable to drive just out of a info standpoint. It's well worth the hassle of upgrading for anyone who has a VAG wagon
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Really sorry to hear this. I personally own a Up with the same spec (60ps). It's a great car. I was, still am excited to see you take the same model of the car I daily drive to the next level. Hopefully you Up will be up and running very soon. Good Luck!
Sorry to hear about the current state of the up. Loved watching some fresh content. Clearly it's been outrageously expensive.. waiting patiently for more videos.
Fans on full bore with ignition on, means ecu damage or limp. Send ecu to specialist. Also on many cars you need an ambient temp sensor in order for your ac to work correctly.
I did this once to a MK7 Golf R...early models had part of the ECU exposed right next to the positive battery terminal. Swung my wrench a little too far and popped the ECU. So I feel your pain on this one.
That's hard to watch. Sorry about the problems, but I'm confident that you will be able to get it sorted. Best wishes, hope your luck turns around on this project.
i feel ya moog, i just had one of those days today. Power outage, server in the office died who knows why, my laptop hinge decided to give up and worse im going on vacation in 2 days. So i took a hard look at myself, said a few prayers, swear abit and started working. Thank God everything felt into place and i solved one problem at a time. Got a new server on the dot, got it up and running all by 9.30pm. Laptop hinge can wait till i come back and now im back home waiting for my flight in two days.
Keep your chins up, life has done this to myself and others. I feel your pain but you will succeed, you have a lot of will and drive that it will work out in the end! Cheers
Oh we had an Amorok in at work, the fan would come on at full speed... it had many other issues like the high stop light staying on, and we found the problem there was the plug on to the computer had corroded pins etc, and we had to change the computer which another shop spent 3 weeks trying to get sorted, but ended up having to disable the securtiy system to get it to work. and change a few of the connections in the plug (not my favourite thing in the world to do) but then we changed out the temp sensors because the computer was saying they were faulty... and the rear one decided it was going to fry itself straight away and was reading 147 degrees C before the engine had even been started. the fan problem was still there. so we struggled to get a new new one in there for a while, and spent about 5 hours trying to beled the cooling system, which eventually became pulling the restictors out of the smaller bleed lines and unblocking them... just waiting now to see what the next problem is with the one vehicle that we work on the most often... the VW! I jusy can't understand why anyone would want to have a car in the garage more often than on the road! especially when there is a 4 week wait for all the parts that have to come from germany!
Thank you lads for being so authentic, and sharing your highs and lows - from here, the only way is Up!
I love that @mightycarmods never shy's away from the realness of car modifications. We've all felt that disappointment that Moog feels at the end of the video. Thank you guys for always putting out top quality content and being honest with the highs, and lows of our beloved hobby.
Not knowing enough about VAG cars...can you just put a HALTECH in it instead of finding a factory ecu? (I'm better with dumb cars anyway, so forgive my ignorance)
13:36 That genuine sadness on Moog's face, I have never seen that before when I have watched Mighty Car Mods. That really hit Moog's feelings hard, and it hit my feelings hard too when I saw how much Moog was holding back the sadness and tears. I was holding back tears too. Moog was genuinely disconcerted and I don't want to see a man like Moog feeling like that. He doesn't deserve that. But it's thankfully only material and ones and zeros. You can replace that. Or maybe even repair that.
That is really sad. I hope that You will be able to fix it. Love the build. I have also a non turbo MPI Up and love it. Maybe some day I will buy a GTI version. Can’t afford a conversion. But love the things You are doing. Keep Up! the good work.
I feel your pain MOOG! I think the ECU in my B6 Audi A4 just did the same shit. It sat for months, fixed a few things, got it running and it died on the test drive. Now I'm saving for an aftermarket upgraded one
Dont despair, this is what make channels like this! This might be your big break Moog! UA-cam loves this kinda stuff!
You guys are going places, things can only go UP from here!
That genuine look of concern at 13:30 broke my heart
Usually when you fry an ECU like this, connecting a ground wire the the metal casing will work, it's a "trick" I learned from my tutors during my training as a tech since this kind of errors happened quite often with young stundents, it might not work all the time but it's worth trying
IOs on modern ECUs are usually pretty well protected, so you're unlikely to have killed anything critical, might just have destroyed some of the IO protection bits and pieces, it may be possible (assuming you can't find another ECU and get it re-coded) to do a component-level repair on the board.
I did something similar when doing a sr20 swap into my navara, back in 2002. Before the internet had all the answers. Anyway, ALL the magic smoke came out of the ecu. So, I know the feeling. Gutted for you.
I haven‘t checked up lately on your videos but, this video was an emotional roller coaster. Modding cars has truly become a workl of hackery. I wish the car space would become a bit more open source.
Aww mate. I feel so sorry for you, good to see you got the hugs you need.
Actually I thought the answer to the last question was: Drink!
But yours works as well.
Gutted for you guys ! All the time and hard work gone into the car for this to happen...
Hope you find a solution and bounce back from this setback !
Yeah that's bloody heart wrenching.
We often only emotionally budget for so much, so when things take more than we're prepared for it can definitely take it's toll.
In a previous episode you talked about where the ecu mounts and almost shorted the ecu to battery positive. Common thing for people to accidentally short the jumpers to the ecu also.
Guys I have searched the interweb here in the uk and have found a standard UP ecu for sale… inexpensive and should put you back where wee before things went on the sizzle… programming might be needed. Happy to purchase and send your way if need be
Modern cars are AMAZING! They're also sometimes impenetrable clouds of numbing despair. I'm done messing with them. My moderns are disposable appliances, my projects are all older than anything that's ever been stuffed in Cherylls box
I'm not gonna lie, when I saw the title I thought it was a reference to when you talked about people doing this on the Unicorn Circuit. After watching the video, tough break man I hate when that kind of stuff happens. You guys are resourceful though, I know you'll come "Up" on top!
My big box plus fender covers showed up in America today. They did a great job getting it into my country quick. L.a. port took a bit to clear customs, but that's not on them. I haven't even opened it yet. Will update when I do.
Just opened it. Definitely worth it.
The UP has been fighting the GTI conversion all the way. Cant wait to see it running. Makes great content.
Could still be a fuse somewhere somehow. Might be worth looking in deeper. If it is the ecu, I wish you the best of luck finding it. Don't give UP!
If the VBUS Positive is shorted to Ground, then look for TVS Diodes or other diodes that have blown. Sometimes you cant see them as blown, but removing them can sometimes help to diagnose,
That said. The damage can most likely blow 3.3 and 5V rails and damage the MCU.
That ECU is very common and would be possible to get them Second had and setup - especially with VAG equipment these days,
Just sucks when it happens.
ouch. many people have already commented on getting the ecu repaired, or putting a haltec in. I would probably look into repairing the original to keep all the functionality. Only thing i wanted to add is to be careful of any replacement/remanufactered ones. Parts have been particularly unreliable lately with companies trying to get reman stuff out the door to customers after the pandemic. I dont know if it's lack of suitable cores or manpower or just heavy demand as people try to keep things going....but its been a real mess for people on the repair side. Just keep that in mind when you're deciding
Recipe felt like a great touch, everyone loves a tasty snack . .wonder if I oreder another if Ill get a different recipe . . I shall SEE
Sucks about the ecu Moog I feel your pain.
I was dynoing my S13 and using a microtech and my new fuel pressure reg diaphragm failed allowing E85 down inside the ecu map sensor.
Replaced it with a EMS and when the auto lecky powered up smoke came pouring out. Had to send it back for repairs. All on a weekend of trying to get the car going.
Circuit boards can be fixed, some soldering and new wires if needed, fully pull it apart and find the damage. I believe!
if you want to keep it sleeper but nicer,look at the white up! ,also in black and grey edition with chrome trime around foglichts and resly cool wheels on the white
What you can try is to ground the metal casing of the ecu. sometimes it's an internal ground lead that fails.
Really sorry to see this you worked so hard. But hopefully someone in this crazy world that watches just maybe they will find one. Good luck. Hope it all works out
My god I feel your pain Moog. I have been there, so much effort and then slam! Feels like you got t-boned by a Mack truck. As soon as you said it touched the battery my heart was crushed. I know it will come back, this tiny little Phoenix will rise from the ashes again.
Check the continuity of your earth wire from the ECU to the chassis. It could be that it's just the earth wire that acted like a fuse. That could have made your ECU ungrounded, causing the issues.
Like a tonne of people here have said, it’s not irreparable. Most auto sparkies have access to someone who repairs them.
Also, the ECU is normally fairly standard, esp for VW. You simply download the firmware using the correct tool. Getting the correct tool is the hard part, but most dealers will have this. Best of luck, I’ve been enjoying this project because I’m my experience, it’s representative of how most projects go for me :)
same here on my ibiza cupra 1.4tsi.... open the ecu to find the problem... we fix mine with bench remap on ecu and some check ..
The ecu case is normally "loosely" connected to 0v (vbat negative) in order to provide a common mode return path for AC parasitic currents, that would otherwise generate stray A/C voltages and result in excessive EMC emissions from the ecu. Touching the case to the positive terminal of the battery has most likely shorted this loose coupling shut. The "loose" coupling is actually just some capacitance and some resistance, which may be distributed across multiple physical components on the pcb. However, that damage should be pretty obvious, and if you just remove those components completely, the ecu will likely work. Yes it won't meet EMC limits, but i don't think that's too much of a worry on your particular car.
rebuild the ECU and hook it up to the car as usual, Get a jump start lead, attach one end to the casing of the ECU and the other to the earth of the car. Unless you damaged something opening the casing it should start as if nothing happened.... what happens when the casing shorts to live is the earth pins melt, so your ECU would loose it's earth...
on some ECUs you can re pin the earth wires to different pins and skip the external earth
In the uk the up ECU price is about £30/£40.
plenty of people can also clone these. express ecu in uk can do it for one but probably someone over there can do that part.
Try injectronics boys. They’re in Arndell Park, and very very good at all electrical works around ecu back extra. Good luck.
I hope either before or after the camera hugs you got real man hugs.
A good man hugs is massively underrated.
It doesn't fix much... other than the way you look at the problem.
Gutted for you, broskis! But, Moog did offer a great solution in jest... K swap.
Bummer, it sucks but with all your great triumphs over the years you have to take a loss once in a while, keep up the great work guys
In case the ECU is unfixable, I don't mind finding one for you from a wrecker here in Denmark and sending it your way. Just let me know.
3:13 this is why you guys are amazing haha
the steering column sensor doesn't work because you broke it when you spin it before install, if you spin one turn more you brake the cables inside it. whatch back in the last video the clockspring had a lock
You can buy unlocked ECU's that work in any car just need to do a little stuff in VCDS. I have 2 ECU's for my car 1 has a stage 2+ map on it the other is factory. You can also pull data off the dead one and put it on the new one cheap.
This sucks hard! All the frustration previously and just as you're close to getting out on a test drive, this happens. 😢
Marty was trying to install a Haltech previously. Maybe just do that. It would probably save many issues in the short and long term.
Lots of comments here with suggestions on how to fix it, I don't have anything like that - but just lots of positive vibes, this must have felt awful but it's not the end of the road for the car. You'll fix it, and look back later at this and laugh, and you'll never do it again! Chins Up! These things happen to the best of us.