Who can do ECU/EMM Electronics Testing/Repair. DFI Still in business?

[MelbJim]

Have a 1999 225 HP Evinrude Ficht outboard (model E225FPXEES) with low hours (310 hrs). Had a sudden intermittent problem that randomly manifested with console alarms going off with 3 rapidly flashing LEDs. Now its staying that way.

No fuel bulb pressure even after manually pumping primer. Unit has all new hoses and no hint of fuel loss. Cranks strong with new batteries (both main and accessory switched on) - not firing at all. Cycled power at battery switch and got it to come up with no warning horn when turning on ignition (not yet cranking). Cabled up own laptop and started to run diagnostics. No active faults but communications to laptop PC suddenly die after a few minutes of testing fuel and oil pumps and injectors etc. Looked to me like some kind of intermittent power problem on the ECU (Model 586465) so pulled the unit and contacted DFI Technologies to inquire about turn around time for a bench-test and refurb if any problems found.

No one answered the phones for hours and voicemail is all full. No response to email either. Finally got through very late in day to someone answering the phone and he told me to go ahead and send the unit in. I have been tracking it in USPS tracking and it shows it was not delivered due to business being closed on a Monday at 11AM? Getting worried now. I can't wait for 2 weeks to have my package returned for no claim on their end. Anyone know if they are still in business over at: http://www.dfitechnologies.com/ ??

Is there anyone else doing bench checkout and repair/refurb for Evinrude ECU/EMM electronics modules? I found a firm in Texas called http://fichtemmrepair.com/ that says they do them but I don't know anything about them or if its just an ebay vendor swapping out modules from salvaged parts. No one online I can find has any referrals to them but they claim to be a lot cheaper than DFI and give a 6 month guarantee.

Anyone know what's going on with DFI Technologies?
Anyone know if this other place is reputable or can give advice on what our options are now?

 

[daselbee]

Well DFI is closed on Mondays. That I know.

 

[MelbJim]

Whew - ok thanks. That's a relief. Now I feel foolish spending the extra money to get it there express.

 

[daselbee]

Some more.....this three light salute has been discussed here before.
Some feel it is a designed in code that is undocumented in the manuals. It never actually stores in memory so that the software can read it.

Others feel it is the result of an internal EMM fault that by it's nature, causes the lights to go on and stay on.

I have seen this failure twice and I personally think it is the latter. I also feel very strongly that it is a cold solder joint on the circuit board of the EMM that is causing it.
It is very suspicious that it seems to be heat related. EMM works until it heats up good, then gives the three light salute.

I would bet that DFI knows this failure so well that they can go straight to the solder joint in question, re-flow it, and have the thing fixed.

Good luck with DFI. They are hard to contact, for sure.
I also heard tell of another company doing EMM repairs, relatively close to DFI, started by a bunch of DFI ex-employees.
Do not remember the name, sorry. It was NOT the one you referred to in the OP.

But you know how those rumors are....

 

[Faztbullet]

CDI/Rapair does them now.....

 

[MelbJim]

CDI/Rapair does them now.....

Hmm, I can't find CDI but did find another company in NJ called Outboard Wizard ( http://www.theoutboardwiz.com/ ). Am hoping I don't need to send this out again to anywhere else and that by tomorrow I will get a positive delivery notice to DFI.

I am really miffed at the whole early Evinrude Ficht OMC/ Bombardiere-BRP SNAFU history to be honest. It's a great engine that just got abandoned.

This ECU is a REFURB unit I got from DFI back in 2002 when my OEM original ECU failed after only about 70 hrs when I was out 40 miles on the ocean trolling for dolphin and had to be towed in (thank goodness I had the SeaTow contract!). It has their label on it.

It should have been already refurbed with all the known issues and workmanship problems resolved way back then. To just run fine for 310 hrs and just fail for no apparent reason (not even a hint of smoke-smell from a fried component) after sitting at the dock at the tiki-bar for a lunch break after a 1 hr run and failing to restart under horn alarm is just very disappointing.

Too bad that BMP does not offer a small minimal-functionality back-up ECU add-on accessory that just plugs into the wiring harness for all ECU/EMM controlled E-Tec engines that boaters can just manually switch on to backup for cases when one is in an emergency and stranded on the water.

 

[MelbJim]

OK I found CDI finally. They are in Huntsville, AL. Leaving cookie-crumbs here (link) to them as a reference to anyone finding this topic post for completeness sake. I had found another marine forum that referred EMM inquiries to CDI. Still however hoping DFI can get me resolved. Will know by today hopefully.

CDI Electronics
353 James Record Rd SW
Huntsville, AL 35824
Customer Service:1.800.467.3371
Technical Service:1.866.423.4832
Fax:1.256.772.5701
http://www.cdielectronics.com/

 

[MelbJim]

DFI got the ECU, ran bench tests and now its working fine. Hate these kind of intermittent problems. They said they will run it in a higher temperature environment and see if they can get it to fail.

 

[daselbee]

This is very strange.....I hear rumors that a bunch of guys started their own company not far from CDI, and now you are having a hard time contacting them, and now you report that their address is in Huntsville......

Something catastrophic must have happened to the company. They used to be in Orange Beach, AL.

Are you certain the address and numbers above are for the same CDI we have all used for years?

Regarding the ECU.....a cold solder joint is notorious for acting this way. The heat expands the joint, and it goes open, when cool it is conducting again.

Anyway, thanks for the CDI report.


EDIT: I am confused this AM. Getting DFI and CDI mixed up. Disregard the above post. Too much beer last night....

 

[MelbJim]

NO. You misread that. DFI is there at Orange Beach AL. The address I posted was for CDI Electronics that someone mentioned was another source.

I am in touch with DFI fine now.

But I hope someone posts the other company address contact info too since its always good to have alternative sources.

 

[MelbJim]

Did some more research on who is "out there" and doing repairs. It turns out that DFI's founder gave it over to his brother apparently and has reopened a new company located in the general same area called:

Marine Computer Supply
206 Congress Street Unit 1
Mobile, AL 36603
1-844-MCS-CALL (1-844-627-2255)

http://www.marinecomputersupply.com/home.html

 

[daselbee]

There ya go....that's the one I was thinking about.

 

[MelbJim]

Updating info on this thread for anyone interested following along and reading...
Just spoke to DFI on status of re-bench testing while thermal cycling the ECU. They DID got it to FAIL with the "three-light/finger salute" at a higher temperature so they are going to break into it and upgrade/replace some components. Hopefully this will resolve it. Will know in a few days when I get it back and re-installed.

 

[daselbee]

Poifecctttt.

 

[Faztbullet]

From what I heard thru tech grapevine Chet is still at DFI and Eric left and started MCS and I don't know about the "brother' deal...Both were former OMC tech/engineers as I was told....

 

[MelbJim]

Got my ECU back mid-morning from DFI Technologies. Chet was the one who worked on it and who I was in communication with.

Took me less than 30 minutes to re-install and recheck basic functionality with Evinrude Diagnostics from my laptop. All injectors are firing, fuel and oil pump hum away and sound nominal. During static diagnostic monitoring I have only a red warning to check CPS (Crank Position Sensor) synchronization. But this by all accounts is "normal" till the engine is actually running and flywheel pickup is actually inducing a current in the sensor.

After priming the fuel bulb she started right up! Took it out and ran it hard for 1 hr at varying speeds and she's running strong. When in the sweet-spot (about 4200 RPM for my boat configuration) she's purring with a pleasant and powerful resonating sound as if new again. Love it! Since my laptop screen is hard to see in bright sunlight I could not see if the CPS synch warning went away and actually in the excitement forgot to relook at it. Obviously its running so I presume CPS sensor is working fine. May recheck it again tomorrow.

As part of the deal I now have a full 1 year warranty on the ECU which gives me some relief after dropping $609.05 on the basic refurb. They say that they replaced some components (PTC sensor - positive temperature coefficient), did some "upgrades" and repotted the whole electronics in a water proof gel substance. I did some research and this seems to be the one ECU component that fails a lot basically gives up the ghost and loses power if it thinks its too hot o circuits drift out of spec.

Happy Camper here.

From this experience I can say that if anyone has problems with the notorious three-finger/LED salute after checking basic power voltages at the harness save yourself the trouble and time and send it right away to DFI Technologies, Inc. They seem to know exactly what components get stressed and fail. It's unusual that anyone these days replaces individual components on these solid state electronics boards without swapping them all outright. I am pleased.

Thanks to those weighing in here to help.

I note that DFI invoiced me under the corporate name called "Advanced Engine Electronics, Inc". but its a "DBA" as DFI Tech. Inc. (e.g. "Doing Business As"). Can't recall if this is the way they have always been set up or if its a new organizational structure they are using. Whatever the case is its the same address and contact info.

For completeness and history for others that may run into this failure mode I am including the full address and company contact info here:

Advanced Engine Electronics, Inc.
dba
DFI, Technologies, Inc.
22638 Canal Rd. Suite B
Orange Beach, AL 36561
251-974-5210

 

[Mac3]

Gday from Australia... I have a 1998 150 Ficht and have used DFI Technologies for the ECU and power distribution panel. Got onto them originally through iBoats, can't praise them enough.
cheers
David