chiefsr

I made the relay swap last night. Here's the adventure:
The 4 T20 bolts at the corners of the EBCM were removed with a ratchet/socket/T20 bit unit.
The 2 middle T20 bolts required a T20 screwdriver as the socket would not fit.
I hammered a flat head screwdriver in each of the two top corners (very shallow to protect the seal) and used them to pry the EBCM from the attached unit.
Then, I removed the ?T15? bolts from the EBCM and used more flat heads to pry the cover open like changing a tire. Insert, pry, insert another driver, pry, etc.
Once apart, I could easily see the relay and used a box cutter-type knife to remove the sealant from around the relay. Once clear, I used a solder sucker on the posts. I trimmed the posts as close to the board as I could.
Pliers were used to pull the relay out from between the aluminum and circuit board.
The replacement relay required a slight post trimming before it would slide back in place.
I soldered the posts and ran some gasket compound around the cover.
Replaced all screws, connections, etc. and the car is running great!

Not a bad job at all!

chiefsr

I should have mentioned that the electrical connections on the front of the EBCM were removed. A white safety plug gets removed. The grey handle gets pulled up, the large wire connector gets wiggled out. The second connector has a tab that must be pulled slightly toward the passenger side of the car before it will separate toward the ground.

Evilash

Great. Now hopefully yours lasts longer than the one day mine did. Back to burning out this morning. As soon as I started it I got my errors for TC, ABS, AH and low brake fluid.
Damn it.
I guess it's off to absfixer and if that doesn't work then a new unit.

Anyone had it just be the connector? Maybe cleaning the terminals or tinning them or something if they're the problem?

chiefsr

I never had a low brake fluid error...

chiefsr

Did you drive the car in the rain/fog/moisture since you fixed it? I am concerned about the shape of my gasket between the EBCM and mating unit. I was a second away from cutting it off and rigging up a new one. I left it and am hoping it still seals.

Evilash

The car was in the garage but I'm wondering the same. My suv outside was all fogged over from over night rain. it was damp and cool this morning.
My seal was in decent shape with no cuts or anything. But then again it's not like I can really see it mated all around to check.
I am missing the lower front mounting bolt when it had been removed at some point in the past.
It ran all over the place yesterday. Then parked in the garage.
If it's moisture related I would think it would go away when I go out this afternoon to leave work.

Evilash

I"m going to pull my specific codes to see if absfixer can fix it.

I saw there is a brake fluid switch that GM parts sells for $13 or so. Maybe it's related to that? I've never had the TC/ABS/AH error without the low fluid error also. And vice-versa.

chiefsr

Out of all the reading I have done on this topic, this is the first mention of a low brake fluid error I have seen. (For what that's worth).

beninchesapeake

A question on the grounding issue. Driver's side, under the sill cover. How did any of you manage to remove that grounding plug? The only 2 things I didn't try is a 1/4 inch swivel, ( going to buy in s few minutes), or cutting away some of that body color plastic. My 2003 will throw a code upon start-up after it's been sitting for a while. This morning it was the usual TCS + ABS. when I shut it off and re-started, the DIC lights were off and I was able to clear the code. Next, I tried to unbolt the grounding plug for cleaning, but couldn't remove it, after about an hour I started the car, TCS+ABS lights light up. Shut car off, lights go off. Being inquisitive( maybe foolish) I sprayed contact cleaner down into the grounding plug, nothing, still being curious, I reached down and wiggled the wires going to the grounding plug, are you laughing yet, lights, messages, A/C shut off. DIC messages were low engine power,service ABS, shocks inoperative, oh and all switches in driver's door stopped working. I'm convinced more than ever it's a wiring/ground/moisture problem since this first showed up after washing the car. Now it seems to show up after the car has been sitting for a while, to me that says grounding. Ok, flame on, laugh, cry, moral support , or helpful hints I'm ready.

Later the same day: Ok, I still can't get that grounding plug unbolted, and as I figured the door switch is unrelated, ( I shook the accordion boot and switch works). Here's the part I'm shaking my head over, remember the spray contact cleaner, well, after I came back from the store tools in hand (driving my truck ) put the car jey in and no TCS or ABS lights on and no messages. First time in a month there were no lights greeting me.
P.S. I read about shaking the accordion boot in one of Bill Curlee's posts, now I gotta find it again and see what the fix is.

leowiz

Hi Zer0vette. Glad things worked for you (Sorry Evilash )

Can you tell me if they really changed the relay for you (I think the relays that you buy these days are black in color as compared to the white relay we have on our EBCMs.

Just curious if they actually replace the relay.

Thanks.

Evilash

still a code when I leave work. Nice and warm.
Park in the garage and turn off the car.
get out my printed instructions on how to display the codes.
Turn car to ON but no start.
No warnings.
Start the car.
No warnings.
turn off and go back into diag mode.
All history errors.
TCS C1247
HVAC B0333
RDCM B2263 and B2265
RFA C2100

I have no idea what any of those are but I cleared them all.

Started car again and no warnings.
I'm starting to suspect a loose ground being that the engine has been swapped, the front frame swapped and the rear end swapped twice.

beninchesapeake

I am having a hard time believing this, but after spraying that contact cleaner on the ground pack/splice, my warning lights are off. I didn't even unplug the thing, just sprayed it down and let it dry. For the past month, every time I started the car, the warnings were there, TCS + ABS, ( CODE 1214 ). The lights would come on at start-up and then clear after a few minutes of driving. I just came back from my second test drive and no codes. I hope this trend continues.

Evilash

played with brake fluid level sensor thing.
unplugged, got the error codes.
Cleaned the contacts and no codes.
Drained out the brake fluid and got the same error codes.
Filled the fluid back up and no codes.
Just going to order a new sensor.
I don't know how it works since it just rattles around in the body of the reservior but I think it's cheap enough to just throw at the problem.

chiefsr

I am on day two following the EBCM fix..all is well.
I still can't believe how fun the Z06 is to drive. I don't want to get out of it!

Evilash

new brake sensor didn't do anything.
checked the ground lead from the sensor to the ground stud on the front area of the frame. it was ok.
Jumpered the cable to the sensor. still low brake fluid and tc/ac errors.

checked out the other ground I could find coming off of this set of wires. seemed ok.
checked the ground going around the headers to the motor. looked ok.

This is absolutely infurriating. Don't these companies get it that when you save 5 cents with these low quality parts you lose thousands when your customers go somewhere else?

I'm so pissed at this car right now with this random failure. I know the dealer is just going to charge me a thousand plus and not actually fix the real issue.

beninchesapeake

I know how you feel, all I can say is DO NOT underestimate the value of cleaning the grounds. I'm on my second day of no codes and all I did was spray contact cleaner into one of my grounding splices. I'm not saying this will work for you, but it seems to have solved my problem.

Evilash

cleaned the front two frame grounds, the frame ground under the brake booster. even took apart and added star washers. nothing.

Where are some other grounds I could look into?

Thanks,

beninchesapeake

Hi Evilash. I'm far, very far from the expert on this, we all know the expert is Bill Curlee when it comes to this grounding issue. He even has a post with a picture showing the locations for the 13 grounding points. The three I do know about that you didn't mention are; one just forward of the battery, it's hard to see and I think if I remove that plastic piece that surrounds the battery I can access that one. There are a few pictures of it somewhere in these posts. There are 2, ( one on each side ), inside the car at the front of the doors. To access them you remove the plastic sill covers, they just unsnap and pull up and then slide towards the rear. I started at the rear gently pry up the end, ( it is plastic ), then worked my fingers under it and unsnapped the next 2, then it just slides rearward away from the hinge area, then lay somewhere that you won't step on it You will see a splice pack and the grounding plug. I have no idea how to even unbolt this one yet, it is very difficult to get to. I don't recommend spraying contact cleaner on it like I did, looking back, I probably didn't let it dry long enough. At first I had lots of DTC's and dash warning lights, I let it dry for 2 hours while I was out running errands and when I came back all the warning lights were off and no codes. I am now on my third day with no warning lights. This is what I have done so far, I am such an amateur and don't know a lot about all this but if you have any questions, just ask.

Evilash

ok thanks for the info.
I'll look into the battery location one and the door sill ones.

I'll do a search for that grounding diagram. Thanks for that heads up.

The car just has too much power and gearing to drive without the tc/ah and all that working.

Evilash

I found Bills thread.
Great thread and pics Bill, thank you.

I will be pulling those connectors apart. I was already considering just cutting each wire out and making them there own lug as the vette engineers suggested.
I think these connectors are only this way for assembly and service speed anyway so why not eliminate them?

I will clean first and maybe even tin the connector pins.

I have hope again. This was an Arizona car so I don't know how they would get that corroded.