I am about to pull out my superchip and take out my cpu. It appears that my connections may still have some of that clear "goo" on them. I truck has "die" several times while driving down the road. The tach needle arms will move from one end to the other and my theft light flashes and or battery light comes on when it dies. It starts back up but do not what this to occur in CA. traffic or a lone stretch of highway out in the middle of no where.

I cleaned and cleaned it before in installed the superchip. I only stopped when copper started showing through somewhat. However, in another thread, it appears that by not cleaning the cpu connections thourghly, this sudden "dieing" can occur.

So, how do you clean the connection enough for a good connection, but do not over clean it and screw it up?

Is there some kind of electrical connection cleaner that will remove the "goo" from the connections?

Thanks.

 

A bright light, small screwdriver and magnifying glass. Make sure you get inbetween the contacts as well. Some have used an eracer. Good luck.

 

George Kropp,

Thanks.

I pulled the computer/superchip.

Out of 30 contacts on the computer plug-in for the chip, one contact at the end, still had some coating on it. I did however, scrape all 30 contacts (again and again and....). I had a lot of coating inbetween the contacts. I scraped those as well. Wiped them down with rubbing alcohol and dryed them.

Could one little partially coated contact out of 30 contacts have caused my truck to die all of the sudden?

Anyway, I plugged (and taped) everything together and it started up. My fuel guage needle arm "jump" a few times for the first five min. of start-up then stopped.

I also changed my multi-function switch since I had the "phantom wiper" problem.

I am going to put some miles on it before I leave for CA. next week.

Thanks for your help.

 

Hi Iron Horse,

Yes indeed, it only takes 1 little bit of that conformal coating in the wrong place to cause problems, and that is why we're so descriptive in our Performance Products documentation on how to properly clean that connector. We give thorough visual characteristics to look for as well as a thorough description of exactly how to do this. If you need a little more help, don't hesitate to call us if you need assistance or just want to go over this, etc.

As George mentioned, the best way to troubleshoot a connection-related problem is to use something to magnify your view of the connector under strong bright light, so you can really see in detail any clear conformal coating that may remain.

Give us a call if you have any problem with this, ok?

Good luck!

 

Thanks Mike (again..ha!).

My 99 had "died" on me about a month ago while pulling out of a parking lot. Didn't occur again. Then two days ago, I took my truck for a test drive, right after installing a 2/2 (was 2/4 but ended up taking shackles out) lowering kit. About 1/8th of a mile out in the drive the guage needle arms started jumping, theft light flashing, battery light flashing and it just died. It restarted immediately. Took it for another drive that same night, and it did it again.

I am about to drive 3,000 miles plus to Disney Land and other tourist sites and back. Therefore, I didn't want this to occur out in the middle on nowhere with my family.

I did not know if it was related to the drop kit installation somehow such as the constant lower of the truck with a non commercial floor jack or what.

In my engine thread on this topic, several members think that it may be the superchip and a bad connection.

Again, I appreciate your offer for assistance, especially since, I did not purchase the superchip from you. As you know, I purchased it used from a site member.

I drove it tonight with no problems and plan on driving it much more tomorrow.

I guess I could just pull the chip before my trip, as Area 52 has suggested but, I wanted the extra performance in heavy California traffic. Yet, I guess that is another advantage of the superchip, if there is a problem with it, you can just pull it out and resume stock settings. If you pull the superchip out and there is still a problem, you know at least, that the superchip was not causing the problem to begin with.

I am hoping that the problem is/was my lack of thoughly cleaning the computer contacts.

 

you bought a bad chip...sorry

 

A bad Superchip????

I had thought that a Superchip in and of its self, either was functional or was not. Meaning, if you plugged it in and the truck started, it was fine. If you had problems post installement, it must be user error and or other mechanical problems?

 

I think the likelyhood of a bad chip, although possible, would be quite slim. I don't think there is any major power running through it so if it were to "fry" I think it would be a result of a different problem. I'm not even close to an expert but the Superchip doesn't appear to me to be so complex that it would be subject to "frying".
We all know (we've been told over and over) that the conformal coating is a real pain in the a$$ to remove. I can see why this would be the major cause of a no-start, or stall condition. The reason we need to check the chip first is beacuse it is the easiest thing to check, and eliminat as a possible.
I would guess that there are a few chips that have caused a problem. How and why, I don't know. I can't imagine there are many.

Sometimes there is an easy solition.
I installed a set of coil packs and wires the other night. It was a bit harder than I thought it would be. A couple hours and it was time to try it out. I turned the key and she fired right up. I gave it a little throttle and it wanted to stall. after a few minuets I got it to run ok. I took it for a spin. It didn't want to run if I gave it a little throttle.
It was time to run to the store for a well deserved six-pack. We hop in the truck. I start it, it idles ok. I try to drive, it wont run. Check engine ligh! Oh, *****, what did I screw up!
On the walk to the store me and my buddy tried to figure out what the hell it could be. This? That? Then my buddy says "did we forget to reconnect something?" The second he said that I had the answer. What a dumb a$$ I am. I wanted to run back and fix it but the beer was calling.
I thought the worse. I could see the "$$$" adding up.
It was easier to get at the drivers side coil pack with the MAF harness removed. I forgot to reconnect it.
This time there was an easy solution!
By the way, I would highly reccoment Accel coil packs and the Accel Super Stock wires. Nice!

 

Thanks Wittom,

I really appreciate your comments, since my set up is "evolving" into what you have. (If I was not keeping the supercharger a secret from my wife, I could actually pick up the kit when I am out in Anaheim, CA. due to the fact that the seller only lives 32 miles from Disney Land! Dam*! But, I do get to pick up my new rims while out there, she knows about those.. ha!)

Actually, since I cleaned the battery terminals and just reset my computer, it has not "acted up since".

However, after re-cleaning the cpu connections and finding one little contact out of 30 with some coating on it and a lot of coating in between the contacts, then starting it up, that is when the fuel guage needle arm "jumped" a few times from 1/4 of a tank to about 3/8 of a tank. This occured within 5 min. of start-up and has not acted this way since. I also changed the mult-function switch at the same time, so who knows.

But, I am definitely taking a small tool box full of tools and the most important tool of all......my cell phone..ha!

I am glad that I put my lowering kit on before our trip. While attempting to removing the spare so that I could have better access at the rear shocks, I found out only then that, the spare had a lock on it..and I don't have a key to the lock!!! So, I had to break my own lock !

 

The fact that you found some of the coating leads me to believe that was the problem. It doesn't take much. Maybe Mike could explain why in some installations the vehicle works fine for a while and then problems crop up related to not getting all the coating off. I guess I did mine right as I have been off road a few times with the chip in. I think you said in an earlier thread that everything worked fine with the chip out. I can understand your concern with a long trip infront of you. I would leave the chip in as it appears you fixed the problem. What part of CA you going to? Have a safe trip.

 

I had the same problem. I put my chip in and worked fine for a coupe of weeks. Then suddenly, while I was driving to work, the truck seemed like it went into Nuetral(RPMs flew way up) and the truck stalled. I had some trouble restarting it but it eventually restarted. That day I tried to drive to lunch but the truck would not start...called Mike and he said to check the connections. I did and he was right. There was still some coating left....I cleaned the connectors and popped the chip back in...I havn't had any problems since then.

 

Hello Everyone, and Iron Horse in particular,

This is very simnple, you had conformal coating on that one contact, and that alone is certainly going to cause a problem, sooner or later, and repeatedly, until it is solved by cleaning it properly. All of the conformal coating from every bit of surface area on both sides of the J3 connector must be removed. Not just from the actual contacts, but from every bit of surface area on that connector that is covered by the slot on the Superchip when installed. So that means in between all of the contacts, outside of the two end contacts on each side and along all the edges, etc. as well, *all* of the surface area of the connector that is covered by the slot on the Superchip must be free of conformal coating.

When that is done properly, and it's not hard, you do not have any more problems as long as the Superchip is firmly attached to the ECU by taping it in place as a precaution against rough vehicle use, railroad tracks, potholes, curbs, impact events, going over speed bumps fast, etc.

Having a proper connection is *everything* in having completely reliable performance from any performance chip. You don't have to scrub the contacts down to the copper, you just have to remove all conformal coating from every bit of surface area.

If the Superchip was bad, it would either never start at all with the chip installed, or if would stall everytime you drove the vehicle for 30-60 minutes or more, due to a failed cold solder joint expanding as the unit gets heat in it from normal operations. I don't think this has anything to do with the Superchip, it's the installation, and that's easy to fix.

Enjoy your trip,

 

Internet has been down at work today.

George Kropp,

Thanks for the response. It is Monday evening. We are not leaving until late this evening or early morning. We are heading West (about 1500 miles) and going to Anaheim (Disney Land/Universal Studios), then San Clemente (pick up rims I bought on EBAY and day at beach), then Las Vegas, then Hoover Dam, then Grand Canyon (if its not on fire!).

Mike Troyer,

Thanks again (and again) for providing tech. asistance to someone, whom has never bought a product from you. I am waiting on the NNP products from you and Neal that will complement the Magnacharger. (Wish you sold houses, trucks, land, etc. ha!)

But, hey Mike, I am going to take you up on your offer of calling if I have anymore problems. We are taking two cell phones so, I may call your organization while on the road, if needed. However, in reality, I can just pull the chip if it starts acting up again. George Kropps suggestion of a bright light and magnifying glass showed all the coating that I had left on the connection. Its too bad that there is not a solvent that will dissolve the coating.

Again, thanks.

Just a side note: I changed the mult-function switch/signal light arm and now my wind shield wipers act like they are suppose to.

 

Glad to have been of some help. Looks like you have quite a tour planned. Enjoy

 

Final Update:

It is late Monday night. I just got back from vacation. After to and from 5 states and over 3700 miles........no problems! SuperChip (and everything eles) worked fine. Thanks to everyone that helped!