The Sources of ECM Problems

An ECM is an indispensable part of every vehicle. It is to cars what our brains are to us, so it warrants care and attention. Consider what would happen if your brain sustains trauma. It’d affect your perceptions, your mood, and even your grasp on reality in extreme cases.

While a malfunctioning ECM’s effects may not be that dramatic, the results are functionally similar. A bad ECM won’t optimize your vehicle’s performance and may indicate problems when there aren’t any.

Keep reading to learn about some of the factors that can cause ECMs to malfunction.

Corrosion

ECMs are typically sealed to prevent harmful elements, like water, from intruding and damaging them. However, these seals experience wear-and-tear over time. Unless adequately maintained, as the seals wear down, water can more easily enter the ECM.

This harms the ECM in two ways. Firstly, moisture will cause the ECM’s parts to corrode, which shortens your ECM’s lifespan. Secondly, unless the intruding water is pure H₂O, the water can also short-circuit your ECM.

Starters

New model starters can harm old ECMs by circumventing your vehicle’s voltage controls. Your vehicle’s voltage regulator (override sensor) controls the power that reaches your ECM.

Since starters bypass this regulator, your ECM may receive too much power. This can cause it to short-circuit. To prevent this, you need to make sure that your new starter is compatible with your ECM.  

Dead Batteries

A vehicle’s ground strap forms the foundation of its electrical system. The ground strap connects the negative terminal of the vehicle’s battery to the vehicle’s chassis.

Accordingly, all electrical currents in the car flow through this strap. The electronic cells in a car battery need to function for the ECM to function.

Dead cells will increasingly make it harder for your ECM to work. If all the cells die, the battery is considered dead, and your ECM will stop functioning. Consequently, if you find your ECM malfunctioning, the problem may be with your vehicle’s battery.

Bad Jump Start

Like an incompatible starter, a faulty jump start can also short-circuit your ECM. When jumpstarting a car, you need to make sure that the jumper cables are attached correctly. This ensures that the voltage passed is controlled.

If you haven’t correctly attached the cables, the energy passed may be beyond what your ECM can handle. This will short-circuit your ECM, which, in many cases, leads to irreparable damage.  

The above factors should be avoided through regular maintenance and care. However, despite your efforts, you can’t entirely protect your ECM from the elements. If your ECM seems to be malfunctioning, contact us at CATECM. We offer ECM repairs, programming, and replacement throughout the United States. Get in touch, and we’ll fix your ECM problems.