Re: Wet Car woes, clearing codes

[Paul Nicholson <paul@eisusa.com>]

I missed the beginning of this thread but it appears David Powell
got water in his EFI computer.

>> Thanks, I has been great weather here for drying out.  I
>still have the codes
>> in the computer though.  I can't remember how to clear
>them.  Any Ideas?
>> DPowell
>> 89 100

Water for a short period of time on electronic circuitry usually will do no
harm  provided NO POWER IS APPLIED. However if voltage is applied to the
circuitry, corrosion of the components, circuit card traces and connectors
is very rapid. WIth a few volts on a signal, the copper circuit board runs
can be etched away in minutes. Ever heard of electroplating? If you ever
get water on electronic circuitry, turn the power off immediately. Remove
the covers and rinse if necessary, then dry the board. Squirting with
compressed air works great.

If voltage was applied to the computer when it was wet, there was likely
corrosion, which may have left metallic salt deposits on the board. These
salts are likely to be hygroscopic and will absorb water when the humidity
is high, producing leakage currents on the board and causing further
corrosion. If this happened, you should carefully clean the board with low
mineral content water and dry it out, otherwise it is likely to fail at a
later date.

Paul

Paul Nicholson               Electronic Imaging Systems, Inc.
TEL 805 532 1068             5148 Commerce Avenue, Unit F
FAX 805 532 1065             Moorpark, CA 93021 U.S.A.
paul@eisusa.com		     http://www.eisusa.com