Corsa.

Chippy_Tea · Jan 31, 2021

If you have (or know someone who has) a Corsa model D with the 1.3 diesel engine you need to watch the full video, a mate at work has just been told it will cost him the best part of £1000 to get his fixed as the ECU has been sitting in water due to blocked drain holes, this is a common problem with this model.

A search suggests cars from 2007 to 2014.

Frogbrew · Jan 31, 2021

Quite a few different models from various manufacturers where this same problem causes catastrophic failure of the ECU, why they put them in such places amazes me, not rocket science is it

Frogbrew · Jan 31, 2021

Following on I would seriously consider writing it off if it's an old model or low value as vauxhall will usually not guarantee a new ECU will fix the problem and once fitted is non-refundable, I speak from experience of my old Vectra b.

Chippy_Tea · Jan 31, 2021

The lad i referred to in the OP was told they could get the ECU repaired at a specialist but there was no guarantee that it would fix the problem an absolute disgrace Vauxhall cannot be held responsible for placing the ECU in a place where its obviously going to get wet especially in countries like ours, i own a Corsa petrol and hearing his tale of woe i searched to se if my ECU was in the same place it turns out it isnt its in the engine bay well away from water.

This is something i found posted by a company that repairs many different types of ECU there was no reference to petrol Corsa of any year. -

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

Graz · Feb 1, 2021

Whilst it didn't fry the ECU I had a VW Passat that had similar issues with the drain holes in the bit at the back of the engine bay below the windscreen. They'd get clogged with leaves and other crud which would eventually have the void filling up with water that would then get inside the car. Now you'd think it would be easy enough to check they were free of blockages once in a while and give them a clean but no, several items had to be removed before you could do that, so beyond most car owners these days. Silly bit of design which you'd have thought they'd have sorted years ago.

When looking for my 5 series BMW I specifically avoided the ones with the panoramic sunroof as, guess what, problem with the drains on them that could lead boot floor filling with water which also contained several pretty expensive electronics modules including the gubbins for the self levelling rear suspension.

So it's not just brands like Vauxhall, the German's can't get it right either.