Can a booster pack fry an ecu?

[Kayos]

Been offered a cheap van because of a fried ecu, asked them to elaborate and below is what they replied. It's a combo 1.7

Hi the can was running perfect until battery went flat so put a boost pack on the one you plug into your house.. left it plugged into the mains and tried to start the van and the hazards starts going and lights flickering so I turned it off taken the battery off the van and put it on the boost for half hour and put it back on the van and the hazards are going without the key ignition and there's some clicking coming from the relays. . I think in the fuse box. Call my partner if you need not info thanks

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Mhhh, define 'cheap'. Some electronics can be pricey to replace. A friend has a Mitsubishi Colt which required a new brain - it would be fine for days then......dead without warning. To replace with new was more than the value of the car but I found one on eBay for her, still needed the key set and transponder unit which luckily came as a package.

Not saying that's the case here, but worth mentioning......

 

[rikrobson]

Some alarms go off when you re attach power. Could be that. Its unlikely to be a power pack

 

[pondy]

i have seen a ecu fried due to jump starting, was a transit i we had recovered in, no cranking, after some diag found ecu not switching earth for starter relay, customer then tells us battery went flat and tried to jump start, and put the earth lead onto the ecu metal case which killed it. it can happen but ild say rarely, that's the only case ive had in about 11 years

 

[anto44]

It'd want to be very cheap. That could go either way either 20 quid fix or few hundred. Itd be a risky one

 

[Kayos]

She's been offered £60 scrap, I said £80 and my mate will collect tomorrow so will cost me £120 and it's at my door. 02 plate and just looking to not put so many miles on the Freelander

 

[slim_boy_fat]

She's been offered £60 scrap, I said £80 and my mate will collect tomorrow so will cost me £120 and it's at my door. 02 plate and just looking to not put so many miles on the Freelander

Sounds like it might be worth a punt, then. Do you have access to diagnostics or a code reader?

 

[johnik]

sounds like water in the fuse box or a dodgy earth

 

[Kayos]

Sounds like it might be worth a punt, then. Do you have access to diagnostics or a code reader?

Yes, pretty good kit as well

 

[123hotchef]

i was always told to jump with the side lights on to take any surge if there was going to be a surge

 

[Tinbasherdan]

ive seen vw t5 van ecus fried through jump starting

 

[Toleman]

My labourers brother got a second hand ecu for his 3 series off eBay. It now has 50,000 less miles on it.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

My labourers brother got a second hand ecu for his 3 series off eBay. It now has 50,000 less miles on it.

BMW recommend using only the under-bonnet points when jump starting.

 

[Toleman]

Not sure why it failed last time. £500 investment doesn't seem so bad now when it adds at least that onto the value of his car. He doesn't come from the most honest family.

 

[octo0072000]

could be he reversed positive and negative by the sounds of it

 

[normspanners]

Easy to do with a DEAD flat battery, coz a battery will charge the other way, if reversed on charger battery doent know BUT the ecu will.
also some chargers can got to silly voltages when connected to a flat battery seen quite a few fried ecu's with flat batteries and boost chargers coz they can go higher than 18v critical voltage for ecu !! it is the battery that keeps the voltage down.

 

[delta9]

cheap van worth a punt

if it proves to be dead then you will get your money back with doors/parts easily.

 

[Gizmo.Y]

Worth noting the Indicator/ Hazard relay is a really common fault. About £5 from your local motor factors. Big yellow rectangle box

 

[pedrobedro]

It could just need the ecu reset, Citroens sometimes have similar problems when the battery is disconnected.

 

[Rig Pig]

If you buy it and the Ecu is dead then I can highly recommend - ecu doctor in Plymouth, I posted him a a duff one and he repaired it