ECU A FAIL

[ememic99]

Today I had right engine ECU A failure (DA42 TDI, CD-155 engines). Nothing special happened, just the warning couldn’t be reset and, according to checklist, I returned to my base airport. Same thing happened two years ago under similar conditions (low temperature, long cranking) and it turned out to be nothing. However, I’m cautious and I don’t take things for granted, so waiting for my mechanic to check this.

In similar thread related to Austro Engines majority of pilots stated that this error is usually just a nuisance to be reset. What’s the experience with Continental/Thielert engines?

[michael.g.miller]

It really depends. It could be anything from a momentary blip in fuel pressure, or a bad sensor, to an indication something is wrong with your engine core. "ECU Fail" is really just a check engine light, telling you nothing about the root cause.

The only way to know for sure is to get a dongle. You can read off current and past failures once you connect to your engine.

[ememic99]

Are there any special requirements for getting a dongle like for Austro?

[michael.g.miller]

You will most likely have to get a service center to order you one. Just ask your local shop, they should be able to help.

[ememic99]

Thanks, my local shop is service center as well.

[klang]

I had experienced frequent ECU A LH fail indications with my DA42 CD135 engines. It never resulted in any malfunction, however more than just inconvenient but to be taken serious.
All attempts to determine the root cause (eg read outs from data storage) did not yield a sustained solution. My MRO eventually replaced all electric cable connectors. From then on not one single ECU fail ever since.
Lesson learned: It must have been some intermittent out of spec resistance in one or several connectors, impossible to identify.