Technical Wipers and ECU

[Petey80]

Hello everyone, just registered [as I'm sure you can see] and am in need of some advice.

I've searched the forum and found a few threads on possible wiper problems [e.g. dirty screen or wipers, wiper motor covered in grease etc.]

But anyway, my friend has a 500 with wiper problems and the garage she has taken her car too have said she needs a new ECU due to the wiper problem.

Possible fuse and/or relay issue that can't be fixed via the board and only a replacement ECU will fix it.

I personally didn't think ECU's controlled parts of the car like that. But I don't drive a 500 so don't know.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[RobinPJ]

What is the actual problem?

 

[Petey80]

Just got a message from my friend;

"wipers stop working intermittently. Problem with relay which is controlled by the computer [ECU]"

The relay issue is what the garage have told her.

 

[RobinPJ]

OK - unfortunately I can't help you with that. Someone else will be along soon I am sure.

 

[loveshandbags]

Hello everyone, just registered [as I'm sure you can see] and am in need of some advice.

I've searched the forum and found a few threads on possible wiper problems [e.g. dirty screen or wipers, wiper motor covered in grease etc.]

But anyway, my friend has a 500 with wiper problems and the garage she has taken her car too have said she needs a new ECU due to the wiper problem.

Possible fuse and/or relay issue that can't be fixed via the board and only a replacement ECU will fix it.

I personally didn't think ECU's controlled parts of the car like that. But I don't drive a 500 so don't know.

Any help would be appreciated.

Just got a message from my friend;

"wipers stop working intermittently. Problem with relay which is controlled by the computer [ECU]"

The relay issue is what the garage have told her.

What you can do is ask the dealer to take an ECU out of a similar 500 and try it in your friend's 500. That will cost you an hour's labour. If that solves the problem then you know it's the ECU. If that is the issue it would be a mixed blessing. On the one hand you have the cost of the ECU and on the other hand you have to keep looking but it might be a cheaper part .

Alfa have offered to replace the ECU in my car to allow the B&Me on a Tom Tom Live 2 to work if a similar equipped car comes in with a 68R option port (which maybe never). If the 'replacement' works they would buy a new one for the donor car. The age of a ECU isn't an issue - it's not like a body or mechanical part.

 

[Restorer]

Hi: The ECU normally provides an Earth to the relay coil to switch it on, as long as they have a live feed to the relay coil & a main live in then to prove the point all they have to do is provide a Temporary Earth connection at the relay coil & see if the wipers keep working , if they do then you would repeat the test with the Earth connected at the ECU end.
You would be better off takeing it to an Auto Electrician rather than a Garage, even most dealers don't have an Auto Electrician on hand nowadays they just rely on their normal mechanics.