Administrators BRAAP Posted November 28, 2009 Administrators Share Posted November 28, 2009 (edited) Seen more than a few mentions of under the seat. I would agree that is a great choice for space reasons, but disagree with using that location for an ECU or any other electronics item, "especially" in a street driven Z, and double especially in a wet climate. S-30's are known for their rusted floor boards from standing water due to leaky windshield and sun roof seals. Learning of a new windshield/sunroof leak by finding dead electronics under the seat, in particular the engine managment system, is not my favorite way to discover such a leak. Just my opinion. Kick panels are ok, under the dash is good, mounting it up high in the glove box, (to the ceiling of the glove box), is a great location especially if regular access is required. In my old 240-Z race car I mounted the MS ECU on top of the trans tunnel just under the dash. Edited November 28, 2009 by BRAAP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 That's why they make stand-offs! Mine goes on an aluminum 'hat' that sits the ECU above the carpet 1/2" or so, and then has a 'cover' to prevent the horsehair from falling on it (or whatever Datsun Cushions are made of...) The idea came to me not so much from guys putting monster amps under there, but the fact that in the 10-Series Cars (Like the Maxima, and several JDM Cars) that is where Nissan put the ECU! Under the passenger seat, matter of fact. Makes a nice donor harness for a Z, BTW... I might also note that leaking seals may be a reason to get them fixed so they don't leak... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inferno 08 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Seen more than a few mentions of under the seat. I would agree that is a great choice for space reasons, but disagree with using that location for an ECU or any other electronics item, "especially" in a street driven Z, and double especially in a wet climate. S-30's are known for their rusted floor boards from standing water due to leaky windshield and sun roof seals. Learning of a new windshield/sunroof leak by finding dead electronics under the seat, in particular the engine managment system, is not my favorite way to discover such a leak. Just my opinion. Kick panels are ok, under the dash is good, mounting it up high in the glove box, (to the ceiling of the glove box), is a great location especially if regular access is required. In my old 240-Z race car I mounted the MS ECU on top of the trans tunnel just under the dash. That's where I put the ECU on my CRX, but is there room there on an S30? I haven't taken mine apart quite that far yet to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Heck, that's where the one is in my 260ZT right now, it seemed the easiest place to put it. Likely it will go somplace else eventually. If you don't have a radio it's spacious enough for most... But if you want to use a heater, there are probably better areas to put it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 I thought about the water issue before mounting the ECU under the seat. I have first hand experience with low mounted electronics from working for Honda way back in the day. They had a whole fleet of new cars the was partially submerged. What really hurt was that the water level got just high enough to reach a little above the floors. The ECU's were wet. For me having the ECU under the seat is just one more reminder not to drive the Z in the rain. I think it would be worse to mount it in the floor of a race car, because you never know when the rain will hit at the track, and you mostly run with windows down. Many times racers run no door seals and poor window sealing also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossman Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Locating it under the seat down here in southeast Texas where it floods in a matter of minutes is probably not the greatest idea. Here is what it looked like in front of my house earlier this year. I don't drive mine even if it looks like it might rain but you never know. I considered the drivers side kick panel but, like others have said I was afraid it get in the way and I'm not crazy about the idea of kicking $1500 worth of electronics . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 There is a cure for that affliction, to paraphrase Sam Kinnison: "Move where the water isn't...OH OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" You guys all realize that 'flood cars' are something not to be sold anyway, right? Over the Axle flooding requires a full service of the vehciles' underside. We are fretting over something that really, in the grand scope of things, not all that common, despite anecdotes to the contrary. If your car is in a flood that comes to the bottom of your seat, you got FAR worse things on it to worry about than the ECU! If it leaks from the outside it...FIX IT! It's not supposed to do that! OH OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z-ya Posted November 28, 2009 Author Share Posted November 28, 2009 There is a cure for that affliction, to paraphrase Sam Kinnison:"Move where the water isn't...OH OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" You guys all realize that 'flood cars' are something not to be sold anyway, right? Over the Axle flooding requires a full service of the vehciles' underside. We are fretting over something that really, in the grand scope of things, not all that common, despite anecdotes to the contrary. If your car is in a flood that comes to the bottom of your seat, you got FAR worse things on it to worry about than the ECU! If it leaks from the outside it...FIX IT! It's not supposed to do that! OH OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! This is easy to say from someone that lives in SoCal! It is not a good choice for my project for just the fact of having to extend the stock harness. Plus New England weather, wet feet in an out of the car, etc. etc. It will be a driver that my Wife and Daughter can use (main reason for stock NA RB25DE). I just got a notice from Chevy on my Silverado. It seems that wet carpeting caused by wet feet (common in NE) can cause electrical problems with the diagnostic module under the seat. Stereo OK to mount under the seat (can get home without tunes). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 There should be no tuning required, Famous last words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossman Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 You guys all realize that 'flood cars' are something not to be sold anyway, right? Insurance companies will "fix" them and owners resell them all the time. You got to be careful buying used cars down here. For me flooding isn't a real driver for the ECU location because I would never drive my Z or any other car thru flood water. That said I may stick with the glove box simply because it's easier to access and view the LED's on my J&S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators RTz Posted November 28, 2009 Administrators Share Posted November 28, 2009 (edited) I knew this guy once, who attempted to install an Electromotive EMS in a well cared for S130. He eventually gave up on trying to get it to run and brought it to me. He still had a number of unfinished details, like mounting the ECU. The EFI harness came through the firewall in the sock location, but the ECU was still sitting on the floor pan... the low point. The car sat outside for a while. Rain water collected on the unwrapped harness via the hood vent, followed gravity as its told to do, and came to a rest in the ECU connector. The car was delivered to me, dry of course. After checking the basics, I could get no life out of the unit. I pulled the ECU connector, and this very pretty, brand new ECU, was nothing but pure corrosion inside. Moral of the story, don't make the ECU the low point. Very few installations will completely prevent ALL water over many years of rain, under hood washing, etc. If the ECU is mounted low (in the stock location, for example), I put a 'droop' in the harness creating a trap of sorts. Most of my installs have been OE location or in the glovebox. Edited November 28, 2009 by RTz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strotter Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 Mounted mine in the glove box on a tilt out tray. You will need easy access to it while setting everything up and tuning. I did something like this, but I created a false floor, standing about 3" off the original bulkhead. Made it out of .15 aluminum sheet, which I wired as a ground plane, and then used as a mount for the computer, wideband box, relays, wire routing etc. It tilts out for access on a pair of hinges mounted on the floor, locks in place with a pair of butterfly nuts on the kick panel and tunnel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 I didn't always live in SoCal, you know. I lived on a tropical island with daily rainfall and typhoons. I practiced what I preached: I moved away from the waters that rust and wreak havoc. I just see using flooding as justification for not mounting an ECU under the seat about as justified as saying there are tornadoes, so don't ever buy a mobile home, it will come and get you. Maybe in Oklahoma it will, or Arkansas. But c'mon! Like Ron says, 'don't make it the low point'... notice I mentioned brackets and standoffs? I mean how wet are those feet?'??? That's an entirely different floor section, separated by a metal 'bridge' that the seat bolts to... But really, the car should not be leaking. I do go through automated high pressure car washes occasionally. I should not be dripped upon! If I am, I'm slipping on my vehicle maintenance. I poked the choke cable hole bigger, and used a grommet for the penetration. Sealed the backside (inside the firewall) with that urethane sealant like you use on windows of newer cars. Cable makes a turn UP and is secured by an adel clamp. Overkill? Probably...and I live in SoCal where it never rains. There are things that are common sense to do to prevent these disasters from happening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inferno 08 Posted November 28, 2009 Share Posted November 28, 2009 I did something like this, but I created a false floor, standing about 3" off the original bulkhead. Made it out of .15 aluminum sheet, which I wired as a ground plane, and then used as a mount for the computer, wideband box, relays, wire routing etc. It tilts out for access on a pair of hinges mounted on the floor, locks in place with a pair of butterfly nuts on the kick panel and tunnel. Got any pictures of this setup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strotter Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Got any pictures of this setup? Here's a pic of the aluminum plate partially swung open. And here's one of it open about as far as it will go Advantages: 1) it's easy to get to, 2) it's easy to see and access the components, 3) it's easy to get to all the wiring feeding the components, 4) it's fairly invisible when closed up and covered with the carpet. Disadvantages: 1) there's a huge wire tangle, (which is going to happen whenever you put all the electronics in one place), 2) it jams on the door sill as it swings open (which is more about my design than the geometry of the car), 3) it steals a few inches of legroom (which is really the big one for me; it's OK with da ladeez (mine is 5' 6"), but a normal-sized guy is a bit jammed), 4) I had to adjust the carpet aft about 3". If I were doing it again, and I probably will, I'd make a "sub-glovebox" hinged at the firewall just below the big wiring opening, but closing against the bottom of the dash. It would swing downward for access. That way, passengers can stretch their legs out, but it maintains the easy access of this arrangement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.