Zetec ECU Overheating

[pksurveyor]

In this 95 degree Texas heat, the ECU on my 147 hp Zetec is overheating. The engine will not rev over 4,000 rpm when the ECU gets too hot. At last Saturday's track day, I wrapped ice pack under the ECU with bungee cord per Jeff Sloan's suggestion. It worked well but it is a pain to carry an ice cooler around. Any suggestions??

[slngsht]

Where is your ECU located? Any chance of putting some sheet metal around it, with insulation, and venting it to the outside?

 

 

 

[pksurveyor]

It is located inside at the end of the passenger side footwell. The ECU is bolted directly to the bulkhead. I think the heat comes from the engine compartment through the bulkhead. I have not figured out a way to vent the heat. If I open a hole near the bulkhead, more heat may come in.

[MHKflyer52]

Try spacing the ECU away from the bulkhead on some spacers to let what air flow you have their get behind it. You can always add a little electric fan like the kind that are found in computers to help move the air around the ECU.

[Kitcat]

Venting the bulkhead will let more heat in- putting a vent there is sort of like drilling a hole in the bottom of your boat to drain the water out:).

[slngsht]

well, if you vent it, you wouldn't vent it to where the heat is coming from. Gotta vent it to the OUTSIDE

[gjslutz]

There is many types of heat sheilding products out there. I would start with some on the outside first. Summit Racing has some.

[pksurveyor]

Good idea. Heat shielding appears to be the most easy approach.

[gjslutz]

pksurveyor

 

My plan would be to shield the outside of the foot wells and then do the stand offs like MHKflyer52 said if required. If they didn't resolve the heat issue his idea of the small fan directed to the area should resolve the issue. On my Birkin my ECU was mounted up under the dash, and cleared the wipper arm movement no fan. I doubt if yours would require outside air. Just my thoughts.

 

Gary

[pksurveyor]

I ordered a stick on reflective heat barrier plus a sheet of insulation pad with foil backing from JC Whitney. Hopefully this will resolve the problem.

[pi7ot]

My Birkin has the Ford ECU dangling thru a slot the size of the ecu body that is cut at the top of the passenger footwell at the Distal end.

The harness connector then "clamps" the ECU. No known problems except that the ECU cannot manage the raised compression f 10.2 to 1.

megasquirt coming .

 

m

[Cherik]

just about any surface on the bulkhead will conduct heat. I solved that by using heavy duty velcro (Radio Shack has it), to prevent heat conduction.

One issue during trackdays is the higher revs, and subsequent higher load on the ignition and injector drivers because of the number of pulses per second that it results in.

 

I used to have a GEMS unit, which had no real heatsink and it eventually died. Repeated cut-outs from overheating will eventually damage the drivers. I now have a DTA unit on two of those velcro strips and it's been flawless.

 

Cherik

 

[roll a 7]

Mine is also velcroed to the bulkhead in the drivers side footwell. Never had a problem.

[EburgE]

I know this is probably a day late and a dollar short, but mine is beneath the passenger's seat. The mount is riveted to the floor, and the ECU is velcro'd to the mount.http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1037282377_ECUMount2.JPG

[pksurveyor]

Putting the ECU under the seat certainly makes it a lot easier for access. It is a chore to crawl inside the footwell. I have installed a heat shield on the bulkhead and added insulation inside the passenger footwell. I am going to take a test drive this weekend.

[gjslutz]

Waiting to see how the weekend goes. My Emerald has an 18" wired serial port plug on the end for programing with the laptop. I would think under the seat could get wet, my car has on a trip a few weeks ago. I also got wet!

 

Gary