*** THIS REQUIRES NO TOOLS AND TAKES 2 MINUTES ***

Please DO IT NOW or in a couple of years you will be hit with numerous error codes as the electronics break down.

All you need to do is (( GENTLY barely punch thru tiny panel nail "air hole" through the RTV silicone on the bottom of the ABS module-

only in one tiny spot -which can be done in 2min and requires no tools !!!





Once you repair the "cold solder" joint you good for the life of the vehicle !!!!!

PROVIDED

1. You left a tiny air hole in the bottom to let air in so
as not to corrode the electronics within a couple of years--

I fear many people did not do this and COMPLETELY sealed all the air out.

And you carefully heated the terminal posts and left no bubble or tiny holes in the solder-

this is NOT wear and tear issue. THE techs/machines whatever did not heat the terminals up enough or long enough but just shot the solder on. I seriously question the "mistake" as Jaguar does charge $2800 to do this "service" on our vehicles.

 

Not necessary and possibly undesirable.

Potted electronic assemblies are potted generally for the purpose of excluding air, contaminants and water.

Any corrosion on a soldered joint would be the result of using the wrong solder for the purpose. In other words, don't use the stuff lying around the house from an old plumbing job. It is acid core and will cause corrosion.

The proper solder to use is rosin core, not acid core. Same for brush on flux.

For those who insist, flushing the excess flux can be done using electronics contact cleaner as for a MAF, or rubbing alcohol.

 

Have to agree with Plumsauce on this one.

If appropriate materials were used on the circuit board, there should be no corrosion problem. This includes correct PCB dielectric material, correct printed circuit plating, correct solder and possibly clear conformal coating over the entire the board.

I suspect the bad experience you had Jagme was due to poor sealing or use of a board in an outside environment that was not made of the correct materials.

The original ABS unit package did not have a pinhole, right?

I especially would be wary of doing this on an XKR, where it 'rains' under the hood through the hood vents.

 

Now I might be incorrect here, BUT dont forget I had to clean a small area of that "special" coating off in order to re-solder the surface mount compont ( diode ) to the board. I cant see how a tiny hole could hurt anything much less let water in.

I AGREE however the initial design was designed to be coated properly and air free. Just to be safe I am leavin g an ultra tiny air hole just in case- I cant see it hurting the components if they get air in-

Am I wrong ??

 

You can do what you like if it makes you feel better. But, you will notice that people with electronics experience are not supporting your position.

 

Your best bet is to touch up any area resoldered with a bit of clear acrylic touch up paint.

I am not going to tell you it necessarily spells disaster, but if the box gets wet, capillary action can actually draw the water inside. I see no reason to do it.

 

Just for good measure, I'm jumpin' in with plumbsauce and whitexkr. That box is sealed up for very good reason. If I open it up, it gets resealed, period.

Cheers,

 

I question the accuracy of this directive! What and where did this information come from? I am in agreement that the unit was sealed and should be resealed returning it to the original state. Drilling a hole in the box will only allow the unit to be contaminated with the everyday contaminants.

 

Its the OP's own work.

Following up on the remainder of your post, yes contaminants will enter, for example oil fumes, resulting from the "breathing" that takes place when the box heats and cools. That will happen irrespective of what surface the opening is on.

 

My background is in electronics technology, albeit a long time ago. All PC board electronics should be sealed if at all possible, especially in the automobile environment.

 

Nothing on the circuit board is going to corrode if the box is sealed. On the other hand, if you put a pinhole in the case you're almost guaranteed to get corrosion in there. Corrosion isn't going to take place in a dry, sealed box. The pinhole is going to allow humid air to enter the box, where it will condense. The box will warm up and the air pressure in the box will increase. At night the box will cool down and moist air will be sucked into the box as it cools. It will condense on the PCB, and then drip to the bottom of the box. The next day the process will start all over again. In my opinion the pinhole is a recipe for more corrosion.

If you're really worried about the PCB corroding, just spray it with some type of moisture displacing compound before sealing it up. There are many such products designed specifically for use on PCBs.