Did I accidently ruin my ECM ..

[Ben Swann]

This ECU, though not bulletproof is fairly robust - I seriously doubt any damage was
done.

You can pull codes again to see if anything else shows up, other than the hall code you
got earlier.  

The main thing to be concerned with on these is static which can zap certain components.

Ben

[Date: Thu, 2 Dec 2010 16:38:54 -0500
From: "Jim Hollander at Hot Grips Mfg., Inc." <Jim at hotgrips.com>
Subject: Did I accidently ruin my ECM by turning the ignition key on
	to	release the steering lock?
To: <200q20v at audifans.com>
Message-ID: <6E2953ED0859414EA60BD96FF17E4E6E at DellInspiron531>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

I just had a horrible thought, vaguely recalling that you should never remove the ECU
with the ignition key on.  I might have done some damage to it today, sort of a
different twist on the same theme.  I am not having a good day today at all.

Picked up my '91 200 TQ 20v today at the local Audi (non-dealer)shop. They had not been
able to get it running on the "no-start" problem and suspected that the ECU might be bad
due to no power at pin 25 on the large multi-pin connector.

I went to pickup the car on a tilt-bed car carrier from their parking area, and the ECM
was disconnected and sitting on the Audi floor.  They asked if I wanted them to hook it
back up and without thinking of the consequences I said not to bother.  I put the
ignition key in the ignition and turned it so as to enable steering the car straight as
the winch pulled the car up onto the car carrier.

I forgot to turn the key off and it stayed on, with the dash lights lit, for the next 40
minutes while driving it home.  Then when I got the car home I went to reinstall the ECM
and heard some noise, indicating the ignition was on.  I reached over and turned it off,
re-installed the ECM.  Did this sequence of events fry the ECM (if it wasn't already
bad)?  I feel like a real idiot.  You really shouldn't mess with these cars if you
really don't have all the caution rules as part of your DNA.  You know all of those
warnings that you never read in the Bentley manuals (like no one reads when assembling a
Sears item...)  I guess this time I learned an expensive lesson in why you have to read
them...and remember them.

Jim in NH ]