Case CX240 fried ECU....your thoughts?

[gggraham]

Had a customer park his Case CX240 in an open field by some tall pine trees. Machine ran fine no problems machine had just over 4500 hrs. The next day he calls and says it won't start. Dash has no engine codes displayed but one code that meant "failure to communicate with ECU". Machine setup/language codes are fine but all machine history is gone. Machine hours are correct but no previous history. Hooked up laptop and cannot communicate with ECU. Checked all wiring had voltage in, no voltage coming out of ECU. Installed and programmed new ECU.....after that everything is fine starts and runs.

The next day we thought about it and the night before had been a violent thunder storm. There didn't appear to be any lightning strikes near machine but...kinda at a loss to explain the ECU failure. There doesn't seem to be any other explanation other than a voltage spike from lightning. Been around equipment a while and I think this is the first time I ever ran across something like this. I have never replaced an ECU on a Case Excavator and have never seen machine history totally erased from a machine yet the machine language settings are fine. Anyone ever run across something like this on any equipment? I have seen Gomaco DC units go down from the static spikes/ backfeed from grade and steer wands but thats it.

 

[dirthog]

A couple of years ago we had something like that happen on a Kawaski loader when I went to check the mackine it had blown out the controler for the gauges and several of the senders but did not touch the transmission controller we never did figure out how that happened

 

[John C.]

I have seen things like that on Sumitomo built machines before. Just jump starting the engine can cause flame outs on ECUs and other components. There are very few diodes in the electrical systems that can short ciruit a huge spike. I'm thinking that sunspot activity could wipe out half the machines in the world. You were lucky to have the laptop and software to shorten the time it takes to troubleshoot the problem.

Glad you got it figured out.

 

[swampdog]

I suppose that ECUs can't be serviced; that replacement is the only option. What's a typical price for an excavator ECU?

 

[Goose]

A couple of years ago we had the same thing happen to a 621D with about 100 hrs on it. It wiped out the transmission controller and the AIC. The emachine was parked on a hill during a thunderstorm and lightning was the only thing we could contribute the failure to.

 

[joispoi]

Could there be a short in the wiring that might have gotten wet?:beatsme














'

 

[gggraham]

Good to hear the feedback, so we aren't the only ones who experienced this odd occurrence. Lightning is the only thing we can figure at this point. To answer swampdog I believe the ECU was $1300...not sure. ECU is unserviceable.
The laptop sure did help with the diagnosis.

Hey GOOSE...we've had all kinds of strange things with the D and E series wheel loaders, all ground related. There is a bulletin on them. Seems Case grounded the dash to the steering column, but did not get a good ground. Not to mention it is a tilt column so it has a second ground strap from above the swivel to the base of the column. There is a second stack of grounds on the RH side of the machine in the electrical panel. Seen a lot of them with paint on one or more connections. We've been taking all 6 or 7 wires off cleaning them then reinstalling.

 

[scholzee]

Electronics like to stay at a constant temperature , If you never shut them off they last much longer but I know thats impractical. Just think how hot you laptop can get when its running. Many times they fail after running all day and are warm , when things cool down they contract and small circuits or connections can open up, Then next day go to start machine and its dead. Usually lightning will make a hell of a mess and not be isolated to just the ecu.

 

[John C.]

On a lot of machines you can pull the ECU out and remove the covers and inspect the boards. You will see burned components and know for sure. On some machines just the software gets lost and the laptop can reinstall it. Problem is the manufacturers don't make the software available so you are stuck buying a new part.

 

[gggraham]

JOHNulled ECU from unit after many attempts to get laptop to communicate with it. Could not reflash ECU with Cummins insite programming software. Laptop diagnosis told me that CAN BUS connection was not available. Removed engine harness and tested pin to pin connections...everything was good. Opened ECU...it is sealed so basically I pried it apart. No apparent damage or burning on board, no "electrical smell" typical of burned circuits. Got new ECU, flashed the ECU with software...machine runs fine.

This is just a strange one, I see someone mentioned water in a connection. Under the hood was dry as a bone. The harness was dry no corrosion. Maybe like Scholzee said it was just a failure, nothing to do with conditions. But seems odd that the night after a severe lightning storm it happened, when I have never replaced an ECU on a Case excavator. Let me rephrase that never replaced an ECU for no apparent reason. Seen a couple harnesses burned through, physical damage etc. Been working with Case equipment for 20 years.
Only other time this has happened is with a Gomaco left in a storm, factory got us to pull 3 DC units and main board. They tried reprogramming but ended up sending 3 new DCs and a main board. No circuits fried just the eeprom chips would not flash or hold software programming. They had no explanation, they never did say they thought it was lightning.

But here's food for thought...I was at a hockey tournament. The hotel was very dry middle of Feb. This one parent kept taking pictures of everyone with his digital cam. With hotel being so dry it was easy to shuffle across rug in sock feet and give someone a static shock. I shuffle my feet and touch his arm. Zapped him real good....totally wiped out his memory card he had to reformat it.

 

[willie59]

JOHNulled ECU from unit after many attempts to get laptop to communicate with it. Could not reflash ECU with Cummins insite programming software. Laptop diagnosis told me that CAN BUS connection was not available. Removed engine harness and tested pin to pin connections...everything was good. Opened ECU...it is sealed so basically I pried it apart. No apparent damage or burning on board, no "electrical smell" typical of burned circuits. Got new ECU, flashed the ECU with software...machine runs fine.

This is just a strange one, I see someone mentioned water in a connection. Under the hood was dry as a bone. The harness was dry no corrosion. Maybe like Scholzee said it was just a failure, nothing to do with conditions. But seems odd that the night after a severe lightning storm it happened, when I have never replaced an ECU on a Case excavator. Let me rephrase that never replaced an ECU for no apparent reason. Seen a couple harnesses burned through, physical damage etc. Been working with Case equipment for 20 years.
Only other time this has happened is with a Gomaco left in a storm, factory got us to pull 3 DC units and main board. They tried reprogramming but ended up sending 3 new DCs and a main board. No circuits fried just the eeprom chips would not flash or hold software programming. They had no explanation, they never did say they thought it was lightning.

But here's food for thought...I was at a hockey tournament. The hotel was very dry middle of Feb. This one parent kept taking pictures of everyone with his digital cam. With hotel being so dry it was easy to shuffle across rug in sock feet and give someone a static shock. I shuffle my feet and touch his arm. Zapped him real good....totally wiped out his memory card he had to reformat it.

I think the lightning storm is the culprit, even though you saw no evidence of lightning strike near the machine. Just this week lightning hit a brick chimney on a house on my street, near blew half the top off of it, bricks went everywhere. I had a buddy on his covered deck behind his house, across the street from the chimney house when it got smacked. He said he could feel his hair stand up and he hit his door! WHAM! He was a good 40 yards from the strike and could feel the static charge. Doesn't seem like a stretch to me for a static charge from a lightning storm wiping out an ECU! Man may have harnessed electricity...but God created some mean electricity.

 

[Iron Horse]

A lightning bolt hitting the ground near a machine could damage the IC's in a computer . The gold circuits in an IC are finer than spider web so it would not take much to burn them . Last year , a farmer lost his whole milking heard not far from here . A bolt hit the ground and the charge killed them all . The distance between their hooves in the mud caused a short circuit through their bodies and stopped their hearts . I have no trouble believing it could kill an ECU .

 

[gggraham]

Case has a bulletin out on the 21D series wheel loaders stating that using a two way radio with RFI in the 150-160 megahertz range could apply the park brake or effect the selected gear and default the controller to neutral.

 

[hvy 1ton]

A lightning bolt hitting the ground near a machine could damage the IC's in a computer . The gold circuits in an IC are finer than spider web so it would not take much to burn them . Last year , a farmer lost his whole milking heard not far from here . A bolt hit the ground and the charge killed them all . The distance between their hooves in the mud caused a short circuit through their bodies and stopped their hearts . I have no trouble believing it could kill an ECU .

I take back every time i've said i had a bad day involving cattle.

 

[willie59]

Case has a bulletin out on the 21D series wheel loaders stating that using a two way radio with RFI in the 150-160 megahertz range could apply the park brake.

Well, I suppose that would make your eyes pop out like a stomped on bullfrog!

 

[Iron Horse]

All this new fangled technology , i new a nurse once who owned a Holden Commodore . It would start fine at her home but when she finished her night shift it would not go . After many call outs by Road Assist , it was found that the auto-on light at the hospital car park would interfere with the computer . She started parking in a different spot and the trouble never returned .

 

[motrack]

I experenced a dead ECM on a 400 Kobelco after a storm when it was parked next to some large trees. Laptop was telling me it was unable to communicate with ECM.

A few yrs ago I blew a trans ECM on a New Holland tractor pulling a duel scraper setup while welding on the scraper.