Recall faulty ECU's for years 91-95 3000GT and Stealth

[ProwlerGT]

Originally Posted by flug06

bump If this isent stickied ... I'de like to keep it current....

I'm sure they won't sticky this due to the nature that they believe it won't happen, but if they want to sticky it that would be cool.

[ProwlerGT]

Originally Posted by Bad_VR4_Driver

.... i just recently had an ecu go out on my 92 VR4 it put a 3 inch black burn mark on my ecu cover ( which makes me think that it is possible for one of those things to catch on fire). also i got a hole in my front exhaust manifold, and i m thinkin it was from the faulty ecu. the reason being is that one of the front cylinders was getting an assload of fuel dumped to it just b4 the ecu actually went on to the next life. i have heard that cars running rich tend to increase exhaust temps which i m thinkin could have created a heat spot which led to fuel squirting out of the hole. that is how i noticed it in the first place is because i kept seeing fuel mist out of the exhaust hole. i m thinkin if the ecu would have quit at the right time after the manifold had heated up enough that could have caused a fire. ......

There have been reported cases of these cars catching fire due to almost exactly what you said and those cases were NEWS to me and are mentioned in this thread. If you get a chance and are not on dial-up or are really patient with it one night (LOL), the fire stuff is back a few pages.

There is a thread where a guy was testing out "fans" for the ECU to keep it cool. I started the thread thinking this could be a way to prolong the life of our ECU's, ECS', and TCU's alike and so on.... but there is debate on whether it would actually help. Although I've worked with computers for over 12 years and their worst enemies are: dust, surge, and heat - so I FAIL to see where cooling the boards as they are running would not help the board to "CHILL OUT" and live longer. I just posted in it again to get the dust off it, so we'll see if that dude ever replies. Here's the thread: ECU, Heat, Venting, and Fans

[StealthCRF]

not trying to rain on your parade, but I don't see how this is even remotely a safety issue.

[Lear70]

Originally Posted by StealthCRF

not trying to rain on your parade, but I don't see how this is even remotely a safety issue.

Then I guess we're thankful you're not a superior or supreme court justice.

Thanks for your concern...

[Vital Velocity]

Maybe we should try to get them to recall timing belt tensioners, turbos, and synchros as well....

[ProwlerGT]

Again if you aren't going to contribute to this thread in a positive manner then how about just not contributing at all?

Every story has 2 sides and that means at least 2 arguments; 1 for each side. Last time I checked timing belt tensioners, turbos, or synchros weren't controlling the "entire" car as the ECU does. Without the ECU the car doesn't work how it should period and on top of that it has caused safety issues such as FIRES, stalling, sputtering and IN TRAFFIC. Unlike the tensioners, turbos, and synchros the ECU being faulty problem is NOT easily diagnosed as it sends you ALL OVER THE ENTIRE ENGINE BAY. If a tensioner is broken you are going to know it. If a turbo isn't spinning or not operating to full potential you are going to know it. If a synchro isn't working you are going to know it. With the ECU not only can it cause safety issues, but they are ERRATIC and it causes you to think the car is GREAT sometimes and BROKE on other days. It builds false trust and causes people go to NUTS over their car so much so that people will end up selling the car because its too much trouble to troubleshoot whereas had they known..... OH YEAH.... the ECU the motherboard of the CAR is BROKE.... cause .... OH YEAH..... they were shitty in these year(s) car(s). LOL - I mean its preposterous. I cite AGAIN for the umpteenth time I have NEVER known another vehicle I've driven and I've driven many vehicles over 10 years old to have the MOTHERBOARD that controls the WHOLE CAR'S FUNCTIONS, SENSORS, and provides readouts go CRAP-OLA! It is a MAJOR deal especially when the damn thing costs over $1000 from the factory. For a MOMENT JUST "IMAGINE" IF YOU CAN, HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ON THE 3SI FORUM OR OTHERWISE AFFILIATED FORUMS THAT ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND ARE SPENDING THOUSANDS TO REPAIR CRAP IN THEIR CARS THAT DON'T NEED FIXING!?!?!?! All because of ignorance on the tech's part and/or ultimately because Mitsu put crappy electronics in these cars and YES I do not put it past them that they KNEW they'd break down in such a way later on in life to generate repair and/or new car sales. The fact that ANYONE on this forum has to talk about CAPACITOR REPLACEMENT is absolutely insane. Everyday people driving vehicles who know nothing of electronics or who are not mechanically/electronically inclined would NEVER even fathom such a thing.... they'd simply buy a new car or get raped paying $$$1000'zzzzzz$$$$ again to repair stuff that doesn't need fixing because of the unstable test results that come from the parts running on a vehicle with a faulty ECU.

Tensioner - mechanical - expect to replace
Turbos - mechanical - expect to replace
Synchros - mechanical - expect to replace
Electronics - ahhhhhh static - expect to replace only if there has been physical damage to the electronics, power surges, or short circuits and usually these things happen due to humans messing stuff up and not leaving well enough alone (IE: A tech leans on the wiring harnesses while working on something in the engine bay). Electronics IN A VEHICLE as far as I'm concerned should last the LIFE of the VEHICLE and LIFE = as long as its on the road. The ECU is probably in the safest place in the vehicle and there's no excuse for them just quitting. My 2nd vehicle is a 1995 Ford Windstar with 155K miles on it and it is still running with no blown boards. You guys act like you are telling me and others that EVERYONE should expect to replace their motherboards in EVERY VEHICLE at some point and again I cite I think thats preposterous.

Wanna go further? In 2001 I finally bit the bullet and bought a new computer. I used my 486DX4/100mhz computer until the year 2001 where I replaced it with only my 2nd owned computer an Athlon 900mhz. Sure neither of these were/are in a CAR, but my point is simply that the electronics remained functioning after much use and heat exposure for several years. Sure there is a certain degree of this that applies to one taking care of their stuff, but in the case of an ECU its likely never even seen or touched by the owner of the car.... especially someone who isn't on these forums. I certainly don't assume that someone who has taken their board out and rubbed screwdrivers all over the traces deserves a recall replacement ECU.

Another related type of question could be: Would you buy a Pentium 4 Duo processor motherboard if you knew in a few years the processor and motherboard would just burn out?

Here's the simplest explanation: You put shit in you get shit out. Who's fault is it that shit was put in? THE SHIT INSERTER !!!!! HA HAaaaaaaaa .aaa.......hhhhaaaaa I've had my laugh and fun for the day.

[Vital Velocity]

Ok so you want mitsubishi to recall an ECU because it is an annoyance to track down the problem with the car. The 12 year old ( at newest based on what you want recalled ) car is giving you a headache because it is not working 100% like day one

If you cant deal with repairs and headaches maybe you should sell your car and get a civic

Your arguement that the car can start to sputter in traffic and become a hazard, guess what if your timing belt tensioner malfunctions your shit stops running.

If you blow a turbo do you not think you are going to have stuttering issues?


This thread is pointless, its not going to suceed in anything.

"Another related type of question could be: Would you buy a Pentium 4 Duo processor motherboard if you knew in a few years the processor and motherboard would just burn out?"
If you have a 12 year old HP computer that burns out on you are you going to take it back to HP and say, the thing you sold me doesnt work and its a headache to find out whats wrong with it, replace it?

[ProwlerGT]

Gee I guess yer right. Recalls shouldn't exist at all in any product because why.... well eventually at some point in the life of that product 1 or more parts are going to go bad safety or no safety.... so yer right.... Recalls shouldn't exist period. We should start to push this in congress so the million dollar corporations that sit on their piles of cash can continue to get away with bullshit. I guess we've solved everything though. No recalls. Hip hip hooray. The end. Makey you happy now?

The home computer example was probably not the best, but when my desktop dies it doesn't pose a safety hazard. My point is specifically that on vehicle ECU's should last the life of the vehicle if not tampered with or physically damaged by outer forces besides just regular use.

And whether or not this thread has a purpose why is it keeping you up at night? Ignore it. If we achieve at best a TSB I'll be happy with that.

[Vital Velocity]

I am not saying recalls should not occur, the transfer case recall is legit, if things go south your WHEELS LOCK UP. When wheels lock up the car becomes totally uncontrolable and can put the car into a spine, endangering the driver and everone around them.

When an ECU fails and it causes the car to sputter, its not so much a safety hazard unless you really just try justify it as one, the same way you could a timing belt tensioner or a failed turbo.

Half your arguement for a recall is based on the inconvinience it causes the owner when there 12 year old part fails, give me a break.

"Gee I guess yer right. Recalls shouldn't exist at all in any product because why.... well eventually at some point in the life of that product 1 or more parts are going to go bad safety or no safety.... so yer right.... Recalls shouldn't exist period. We should start to push this in congress so the million dollar corporations that sit on their piles of cash can continue to get away with bullshit. I guess we've solved everything though. No recalls. Hip hip hooray. The end. Makey you happy now?"


When you talk like above, you look really ignorant.

[ProwlerGT]

Well now that you are making it personal whoever you are you look ignorant for saying fires underneath the dashboard are not safety hazards as well as stalling out in traffic and that is what you are saying if you have read this entire thread. Its easy for you to talk about sputtering cause yes we can all see how you can sputter along to the shoulder of the road if need be, but these fires that HAVE HAPPENED and the STALLING out that have HAPPENED are indeed safety issues. I don't know how much more in the face it can get than if the ECU and dash catches fire and/or the car STALLS out and you also in those situations LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR how that is not a safety issue. All you are doing (and I thank you for it) is providing me with what the other side will defend and make argument with. So good counter arguments for us to expect.

I could certainly argue that the tranny case leaking is no big deal cause it could be sealed up with some good sealant, but you don't see me trying to take down issue and I admit up front if it was beyond the case leaking at the outer seals then I don't know about it..... but if it was indeed that in summary then yes.... some good sealant. DO I want to go there? NO. Cause I agree with the tranny case recall for it having been designed/built wrong to begin with JUST AS THE ECU'S WERE DESIGNED AND BUILT WITH CERTAIN CAPACITORS THAT WERE KNOWN TO BE CHEAP CRAP TO BEGIN WITH. It is a design flaw and yes I'm saying the type of capacitor used was included in the design otherwise it would not have been built with such.

Now leave the personal stuff out of this please. I don't need someone assuming the role of my parentals because they feel a different way than I and/or others in this thread do. This will be my last time arguing with you as you are not contributing to the forward movement of this thread.