2005 VW Phaeton. Buy, walk, or run?

In reply to 2GRX7:

I remember reading USENET in the early-mid 90s, about people with FCs (which were, at the time, just outside of their new-car warranties) having to pull the Logicons out and resolder them so the HVAC systems would work properly again.

So, username checks out.

This reminds me that I really should do this to the CEM in my Volvo, sometimes the right headlight doesn't turn on until I thump the dashboard near where the CEM is mounted. I'll do it AFTER I have a good used one ready to go if/when I screw it up, though. They're pretty cheap. (For now, thumping the dash every few months works too)

If you told someone the computers on their Corolla would fall apart and cause problems they'd be having fits but somehow on the top of the line VW it just a charming quirk. That fargegnugen must be one hell of a drug.

Wall-e wrote: If you told someone the computers on their Corolla would fall apart and cause problems they'd be having fits but somehow on the top of the line VW it just a charming quirk. That fargegnugen must be one hell of a drug.

The funny thing is, I have a Corolla in the shop right now that had its computer have a siezure in our parking lot. And the replacement reman computer has a fault in it that Toyota says, when you get this code, replace the computer with one with updated hardware. The supplier is going above and beyond to make the situation right, at least.

Apparently this sort of thing is common with that year range Corolla. Toyota used production as beta test for that generation of PCMs or something.

I absolutely would prefer VWAG electronics and electricals to Toyota. The last three Toyota failed emissions I had to deal with were PCM faults. About 90% of VWAG failed emissions are secondary air injection problems that are easy to fix (or delete if you know your way around Motronic, which is utterly, thoroughly hacked) or blown O2 sensors.

Knurled wrote: In reply to 2GRX7: I remember reading USENET in the early-mid 90s, about people with FCs (which were, at the time, just outside of their new-car warranties) having to pull the Logicons out and resolder them so the HVAC systems would work properly again. So, username checks out. This reminds me that I really should do this to the CEM in my Volvo, sometimes the right headlight doesn't turn on until I thump the dashboard near where the CEM is mounted. I'll do it AFTER I have a good used one ready to go if/when I screw it up, though. They're pretty cheap. (For now, thumping the dash every few months works too)

I've heard of putting circuit boards in the oven, to reflow the solder joints. Would that work, in this instance, as well?

In reply to RealMiniParker:

I'm not sure if a standard household oven has the temperature control to reflow a board. Can't back that up with facts though.

Now a toaster oven with modified temperature controller can do it.

In reply to RealMiniParker:

Yeah, I'd probably go with this;

http://www.harborfreight.com/butane-micro-torch-63170.html

Best spent 20 bux as it fixed everything-well everything dealing with the car!

paranoid_android74 wrote: In reply to RealMiniParker: I'm not sure if a standard household oven has the temperature control to reflow a board. Can't back that up with facts though. Now a toaster oven with modified temperature controller can do it.

I've successfully re-flowed BGA soldered chips on a TV circuit board in a regular household oven. I've also seen similar things done with a heat gun and an IR thermometer...

A road flare in the fuel filler usually does a good job of generating heat.