A new problem… ABS, VSC TRAC, VSC OFF, Brake, and Active TRAC lights all on… (1 Viewer)

[MissouriLC]

Also, this is the best tool to use for the job (or one like it)

Hot Air Rework Station 500 ° C Soldering Station with Hot Air Gun Airflow Adjustable Desoldering Station for BGA IC Desoldering Tool​

Thanks for the link! For a soldering station like that, is that simply for unsoldering the old component, or is it also used for resoldering on the new chip? Or, do you use a conventional soldering iron to resolder the new chip.

Sorry if that is a basic question, but I have never used a hot air station before. Thanks!

 

[FJRyder]

Thanks for the link! For a soldering station like that, is that simply for unsoldering the old component, or is it also used for resoldering on the new chip? Or, do you use a conventional soldering iron to resolder the new chip.

Sorry if that is a basic question, but I have never used a hot air station before. Thanks!

Its for both removing and replacing. Setting the temp to 275-285C and the airflow low to mid, you can reach the solder reflow temp in <5 mins. Ideally you want to minimize the amount of time you have the board at these high temps. This particular kit comes with tweezers and additional nozzles. You want to use the smallest diameter nozzle to limit the area you are heating. Then be careful to not knock/move any of the surrounding components, mainly a chip resistor right next to the resonator.
Once the solder begins to reflow, lift the resonator straight up and off the board. Its best to use some flux/resin when soldering in the new part to clean the surface and improve the solder attach. After finished, use rubbing alcohol or other flux cleaner. Check the solder joint under a magnifier/scope and/or use DMM to measure the resistance before and after the joint (top of the package lead to micro_p pin) .

 

[MissouriLC]

Finally got a chance to connect to Techstream, and what I suspected to be case is true...

Skid Control module not responding. So, it looks like I will be ordering the resonator and attempting a repair!

 

[MissouriLC]

Its for both removing and replacing. Setting the temp to 275-285C and the airflow low to mid, you can reach the solder reflow temp in <5 mins. Ideally you want to minimize the amount of time you have the board at these high temps. This particular kit comes with tweezers and additional nozzles. You want to use the smallest diameter nozzle to limit the area you are heating. Then be careful to not knock/move any of the surrounding components, mainly a chip resistor right next to the resonator.
Once the solder begins to reflow, lift the resonator straight up and off the board. Its best to use some flux/resin when soldering in the new part to clean the surface and improve the solder attach. After finished, use rubbing alcohol or other flux cleaner. Check the solder joint under a magnifier/scope and/or use DMM to measure the resistance before and after the joint (top of the package lead to micro_p pin) .

@FJRyder: This is excellent information! Thank you!

I think I am prepared to do this, and I feel confident that I can. I am ordering the hot air station that you recommended. I've also watched a few YouTube videos on using hot air to rework SMCs, and I have a few questions, if you don't mind.

1. Removal of the component seems straightforward. Once removed, is it best to leave the remaining old solder on the pads, and reflow it to attach the new resonator? Or does the old solder need to be removed?
2. If the old solder is left on, I am assuming I coat the area with flux, position the resonator, and then heat the solder to reflow and attach the new chip. Is this correct?
3. If the old solder needs to be removed, do you use a wick braid?
4. If the old solder needs to be removed, is it best to use solder paste to attach the new resonator?
5. Finally, what is the risk of screwing this up? I assume the biggest risk is unseating another component, as you mentioned. Is these much risk in heat damaging anything, so long as I am on and off in the minimum time it takes to flow the solder?

Thank you, sir, I appreciate the advice. Hopefully I can get this fixed for a few dollars instead of the $400 to $500 for a used skid controller.

 

[FJRyder]

@FJRyder: This is excellent information! Thank you!

I think I am prepared to do this, and I feel confident that I can. I am ordering the hot air station that you recommended. I've also watched a few YouTube videos on using hot air to rework SMCs, and I have a few questions, if you don't mind.

1. Removal of the component seems straightforward. Once removed, is it best to leave the remaining old solder on the pads, and reflow it to attach the new resonator? Or does the old solder need to be removed?
2. If the old solder is left on, I am assuming I coat the area with flux, position the resonator, and then heat the solder to reflow and attach the new chip. Is this correct?
3. If the old solder needs to be removed, do you use a wick braid?
4. If the old solder needs to be removed, is it best to use solder paste to attach the new resonator?
5. Finally, what is the risk of screwing this up? I assume the biggest risk is unseating another component, as you mentioned. Is these much risk in heat damaging anything, so long as I am on and off in the minimum time it takes to flow the solder?

Thank you, sir, I appreciate the advice. Hopefully I can get this fixed for a few dollars instead of the $400 to $500 for a used skid controller.

• Removal of the component seems straightforward. Once removed, is it best to leave the remaining old solder on the pads, and reflow it to attach the new resonator? Or does the old solder need to be removed? In my opinion, it's better to just leave the solder on the pads. If you try cleaning with solder wick and you don't know what you are doing, there is more opportunity to screw it up and damage the pads. I actually add just a tiny bit more solder to make sure all three pads are uniform but this is not absolutely needed.
• If the old solder is left on, I am assuming I coat the area with flux, position the resonator, and then heat the solder to reflow and attach the new chip. Is this correct? Yep, this is the way to do this. Depending on the flux viscosity, it can be slippery which is why you want the airflow on the lower end, to not blow the component off the pad. The flux I use is a thicker no-clean resin and is very sticky. Some flux is as thin as water.
• Finally, what is the risk of screwing this up? I assume the biggest risk is unseating another component, as you mentioned. Is these much risk in heat damaging anything, so long as I am on and off in the minimum time it takes to flow the solder? If the temp on the reflow station is kept at 280C or below, the heat won't damage anything unless you left it on there for a long time, like 30 mins or something. But even then you won't damage anything but the PCB material can oxidize. If you tried using solder wick and an iron to remove the existing flux, then there is risk of damaging the pads. I've done this before.
  

Really it just takes some confidence and common sense. You can build up your confidence by trying it on an old piece of electronics like an old PC motherboard or something you have laying around.

Good luck!

 

[MissouriLC]

• Removal of the component seems straightforward. Once removed, is it best to leave the remaining old solder on the pads, and reflow it to attach the new resonator? Or does the old solder need to be removed? In my opinion, it's better to just leave the solder on the pads. If you try cleaning with solder wick and you don't know what you are doing, there is more opportunity to screw it up and damage the pads. I actually add just a tiny bit more solder to make sure all three pads are uniform but this is not absolutely needed.
• If the old solder is left on, I am assuming I coat the area with flux, position the resonator, and then heat the solder to reflow and attach the new chip. Is this correct? Yep, this is the way to do this. Depending on the flux viscosity, it can be slippery which is why you want the airflow on the lower end, to not blow the component off the pad. The flux I use is a thicker no-clean resin and is very sticky. Some flux is as thin as water.
• Finally, what is the risk of screwing this up? I assume the biggest risk is unseating another component, as you mentioned. Is these much risk in heat damaging anything, so long as I am on and off in the minimum time it takes to flow the solder? If the temp on the reflow station is kept at 280C or below, the heat won't damage anything unless you left it on there for a long time, like 30 mins or something. But even then you won't damage anything but the PCB material can oxidize. If you tried using solder wick and an iron to remove the existing flux, then there is risk of damaging the pads. I've done this before.

Really it just takes some confidence and common sense. You can build up your confidence by trying it on an old piece of electronics like an old PC motherboard or something you have laying around.

Good luck!

Awesome! Thank you! That definitely puts my mind at easy.

I’ve done a fair amount of soldering, but it has all been point to point type stuff; guitar wiring, effects pedals, things like that. So, this whole SMC thing is a bit new. However, your advice definitely helps put my mind at ease, and I will be practicing on some junk boards first.

 

[MissouriLC]

It worked!

I ordered up the parts and equipment that @FJRyder recommended, as well as a tube of tacky flux and a tube of soldering paste from Chip Quik. The new resonators (I bought a lot of 25 of them) arrived on Saturday.

Set up and ready to go…

I did practice several times on a junk PCB before tackling my skid control ecu.

Removing the resonator was more difficult than I anticipated. First of all, it broke apart in several pieces as I was heating it. Finally, after about 4 minutes of heating, I was able to remove the baseplate from the PCB. Then, I carefully scraped off as much of the water-resistant coating off the board near the pads, and thoroughly cleaned the area with IPA.

There wasn’t a lot of solder left on the pads, and I was concerned about a good connection. So, I spread a layer of flux over the pads and then applied six dots of soldering paste, one on each end of each pad. I positioned the new resonator and heated the paste, ans it resulted in some pretty solid connections.

 

[MissouriLC]

Hooked it back up and…

it works!

Thanks again @FJRyder for your initial thread and all your advice. This is why I love this forum; people who genuinely love to FIX these rigs.

 

[FJRyder]

@MissouriLC

This is awesome! Glad to see you were successful!

Now you also have a decent rework station along with a working control module for less than a used one.

 

[DuneRunner]

I love this forum. This just happened to me this evening. I'll be ordering my Techstream cable and running some tests. Thank you all!

 

[DuneRunner]

I love this forum. This just happened to me this evening. I'll be ordering my Techstream cable and running some tests. Thank you all!

After a couple of failed attempts to load (on my kids PC) the Techstream software I picked up from Amazon, I bit the bullet and took my rig to a local mechanic for diagnosis. He confirmed with his $10k scanner software that it was in fact the ABS computer.

I was able to source a used unit from an online auto wrecker and it will be here this week. My current situation won't allow me to be down a vehicle so I haven't pulled the current computer to inspect the board. My plan is to get the original fixed and have as a backup.

Funny thing - 12/4/2023 I sourced 1-brand new factory direct computer out of an Atlanta, GA dealer and they wanted $2,700. It was noted that a customer ordered one but they never showed up for it.

I'll report back to keep this post active.

Thanks again @FYRyder for providing guidance on this fix.

 

[DuneRunner]

After a couple of failed attempts to load (on my kids PC) the Techstream software I picked up from Amazon, I bit the bullet and took my rig to a local mechanic for diagnosis. He confirmed with his $10k scanner software that it was in fact the ABS computer.

I was able to source a used unit from an online auto wrecker and it will be here this week. My current situation won't allow me to be down a vehicle so I haven't pulled the current computer to inspect the board. My plan is to get the original fixed and have as a backup.

Funny thing - 12/4/2023 I sourced 1-brand new factory direct computer out of an Atlanta, GA dealer and they wanted $2,700. It was noted that a customer ordered one but they never showed up for it.

I'll report back to keep this post active.

Thanks again @FYRyder for providing guidance on this fix.

3 weeks and $350 later my lights are reset.

I plan on cracking open the original unit and see if I can visually tell where the problem is. Would be nice to have a backup unit for future me.

Thanks for the support IH8Mud crew!

Stay classy.

-Ken

 

[FJRyder]

3 weeks and $350 later my lights are reset.

I plan on cracking open the original unit and see if I can visually tell where the problem is. Would be nice to have a backup unit for future me.

Thanks for the support IH8Mud crew!

Stay classy.

-Ken

Hi Ken,
Glad to hear you are back up and working again.
You won't be able to physically see the problem. Its microscopic fractures in the resonator under a tiny metal lid.
The best method to diagnose is measuring the resistance between the pins.

Justin