2002 Journey DL no start ..
Now what's with this thing ?? Last weekend, I went out to where our 2002 Winnebago Journey DL is stored to perform it's monthly engine run-up. When not being driven, the chassis batteries are disconne...
Forum Discussion
smlranger wrote:famtech wrote:
Well, here is what was the cause of all of this. The engine ECU failed. The Electronic Control Unit and the repair cost about $3300 parts/labor to get the rig going again. Dang computers.
Regards,
Jim L.
Well, for that kind of money, I hope they gave you a big kiss ;).
If your primary issue was a failed ECU/VDU, that price seems high. I had the same coach for 2 years and had the cold solder joints referenced in this thread. Re-soldered them and it ran like a top for 2 years. The VDU failed again so I got a new one from Freightliner in Gaffney, SC. New ECU/VDU module was $458. Takes about 15 minutes to R&R the gizmo on that coach.
Now maybe you had other things going on or it took the shop mucho labor hours to find the problem. Still, $3K sounds steep,
SML,
The "ECU" and the "VDC" are two different units. I'm pretty sure you know this as you've done a lot to your coach. But, the Engine ECU, "ONLY" controls the engine. Its has nothing to do with what shows up on gauges. The Transmission ECU has the same function, to ONLY control the transmission. The "VDC" or, Vehicle Data Computer, is an "Interpreter" of sorts. It gathers all the info sent from the engine ECU, the Trans ECU, the ABS module and desipher's it, then converts what it needs to, in order to send it to the gauges, be them digital or, analog. The cost of a VDC is considerably less than an Engine ECU.
And to Bill S,
You are right, the VDC has had a somewhat less than plausible reputation. Many have had the infamous "Cold solder" joint issues. But, as I stated, that unit, the VDC in particular, is primarily a computer that receives information from the Engine and Trans ECUs and the ABS module and then combines/converts/interprets all that info and sends it to the Dash displays. That would include the annunciator panel (the multicolored light bar with all the icons that light up when the ignition is first turned on) and, all the analog gauges that perform "Operational rediness" characteristics.
But, in all I've learned about both the VDC and, it's later brother, the unit we have, called the MMDC, (Multi-Module-Data-Computer) do not have anything to do with the engine running. They only tell you what's going on WHEN it's running.
Scott
