Seastoke
Well-Known Member
Where did you say your boat was.
Worse Case Scenario Volvo ECUs
- Thread starter Newbroom
- Start date
Seastoke
Well-Known Member
I cant believe an electronics guy cant repair them.
Nito
Well-Known Member
An ECU is only a piece of hardware with inputs and outputs the relationship of which is governed by the programmed software within. There are any number of after market motorsport ECU manufacturers who I am sure could get involved with some energy and enough interest. An all singing and dancing stand alone ecu is typically £1500-2500. I'm thinking people like Syvecs could be coerced if there is sufficient demand. They could read the map/convert/reverse engineer the map from an existing ecu and write a programme for a new one. It's not a big deal in the Automotive industry to fit a standalone ECU to a car. Where there's a will there's a way, usually the after market finds a way, problem is the intervening time until someone steps up.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
They do not with more experience than this lot
Home (GB) | BBA Reman
Been contacted in the past regards having a look at a faulty VP ECU.
Simply not interested.
No volume no money. ?
Home (GB) | BBA Reman
Been contacted in the past regards having a look at a faulty VP ECU.
Simply not interested.
No volume no money. ?
Newbroom
Well-Known Member
And one of the bigger problems is that the car industry does not have to deal with gear shifting and fully potted ECUs
kashurst
Well-Known Member
They are potted - it's really difficult to get it off without damaging anything. In my earlier career I worked for a UK engineering company and we (as in I) used to have to un-pot things. We tried all sorts. Very slow painstaking work. We did it to see what was inside and reverse engineer it. That took a week or more and invariably broke a few bits - that we could still buy.
To do it to try and fix something would be extremely difficult - and a lot of the ICs will not be available.
Nito
Well-Known Member
Syvecs do a sealed ecu with waterproof connections, they cater for paddle shift and much much more and they are young and dynamic enough as a company to be hungry for new markets.
S7-Plus Stand Alone ECU – Syvecs Powertrain Control
Worth a try/phonecall.
S7-Plus Stand Alone ECU – Syvecs Powertrain Control
Worth a try/phonecall.
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Some perspective.
How many folks in your street/ gated community
have got a car, (probably several) which will have ECU somewhere aboard.How many folks in your town will have a boat and how many of those would have a power unit controlled by a ECU. ?
Nito
Well-Known Member
Point taken, but how many of those cars manufacturers would completely withdraw support and by the same token, that many more cars gives a nice rich pool of breakers yards to sift through for replacements. Besides which, boat owners are a ripe target for extracting premium rates from.
As has been said above, I'm sure someone clever will come along that has the skills to repair the OE ones and they will quickly get a reputation. Those Syvecs ones are total overkill but there are others that offer potted marine ECU's already, for example Motec M800 marine version etc. If there were enough demand to produce a marine ecu they could easily scale one down to meet the boat essentials, if demand dictates and corner a whole new market because who else is catering for that sector in the aftermarket currently?
My point is purely that VP withdrawing support for the ECU's doesn't necessarily mean writing off a boat or spending 100k repowering, finding a replacement one secondhand would of course be the easiest option.
As has been said above, I'm sure someone clever will come along that has the skills to repair the OE ones and they will quickly get a reputation. Those Syvecs ones are total overkill but there are others that offer potted marine ECU's already, for example Motec M800 marine version etc. If there were enough demand to produce a marine ecu they could easily scale one down to meet the boat essentials, if demand dictates and corner a whole new market because who else is catering for that sector in the aftermarket currently?
My point is purely that VP withdrawing support for the ECU's doesn't necessarily mean writing off a boat or spending 100k repowering, finding a replacement one secondhand would of course be the easiest option.
PalmaTarga
Well-Known Member
deleted
Megs20Burt!
Well-Known Member
It needs some entrepreneurial spirit to look at the situation and come up with a workable solution.
If VP were smart (and by all accounts, not sure that they are...) they would partner or licence the code to a third party and get some lost revenue for those that refuse to be dictated to by a manufacturer who wishes an owner to once again stump up ££ to re-power following failure of just one component of a complex machine.
VP get to maintain their international reputation and protect potential customer loss to other brands, VP allow owners to re-power when they choose and VP still generate revenue via licence payments from older non-supported engines.
Owners get to keep their boat should they choose or would specify a VP powered craft for their next boat.
Newco gets to generate a viable business that employs people and raises taxes for the country they are domiciled in.
Or am I being too sensible here?
If VP were smart (and by all accounts, not sure that they are...) they would partner or licence the code to a third party and get some lost revenue for those that refuse to be dictated to by a manufacturer who wishes an owner to once again stump up ££ to re-power following failure of just one component of a complex machine.
VP get to maintain their international reputation and protect potential customer loss to other brands, VP allow owners to re-power when they choose and VP still generate revenue via licence payments from older non-supported engines.
Owners get to keep their boat should they choose or would specify a VP powered craft for their next boat.
Newco gets to generate a viable business that employs people and raises taxes for the country they are domiciled in.
Or am I being too sensible here?
andy59
Well-Known Member
I am pretty sure Volvo Penta are not that smart as they appear to be hiding in the cupboard on this one.
petem
Well-Known Member
They're not being smart at all. Either someone will develop a kit to convert the engines back to 100% mechanical (as per the KAD43) or they will develop a 3rd party ECU.
Volvo will lose profit from ECU sales and alienate a load of owners.
andy59
Well-Known Member
I have asked the question , sent to HeleneMellquist@volvo.com