tred99

I am seeing more and more threads on the EBCM issues forums members have been experiencing and want to know if there is any way to prolong the life. Will changing the fluid or deactivating the system increase the life? I am sure the more miles you put on the car decreases the life, but I only drive around 1500 miles a year. I have 99 without active handling and 64k on the odometer. I dont know if there is another thread or sticky you can point me too that addresses preventive maintenance. Thanks

XmentalPilot

Great question. I am sure that someone with more real technical knowledge than me can offer better advise.... But, here's my take EBCM care and feeding.
1. Brake fluid. If you drive aggressively it's going to get contaminated. Keep an eye on it and change it before it gets "funky". If your car is a garage queen the brake fluid doesn't get a chance to "circulate" due to the heat/convection from the friction at the calipers. In my mind both of these scenarios could lead to the ABS pump at the EBCM getting gummed up. If the ABS pump struggles that can cause the electronics to over heat and fail and at a minimum it's going to fail initialization check at start up and throw codes. Battery issues compound this problem (see #3)

2. During "normal" driving we hardly ever get into ABS (hard braking) and unless you're a maniac you seldom get into a situation where Active Handling has to intervene for you.
So, it makes sense that the ABS pump doesn't get a workout very often. My first C5 is still in my family and is currently having EBCM issues... It's been a garage queen since my brother-in-law took possession back in 2004. This leads me to ....

3. If you do not drive your C5 regularly, use a battery tender to keep the battery in good shape. These cars are notoriously hard on batteries when the car is not driven for extended periods. Low voltage(s) are not friendly to the electronic modules in our cars, and in the case of the EBCM/ABS pump it really likes to see strong voltage/current to run that pump, even for the few seconds it take to run the test during start up.

O.K., You've got all of the above covered. What now? Exercise the systems... find a big open space and drive the brakes into ABS, make that pedal pulse and run the pump... If you can do it safely, maneuver the car in a manner that will activate the Active Handling.
I know Traction Control is affected by the EBCM but I'm not sure spinning the tires in a straight line and activating TC will always active the ABS pump??? I'm currently in a 2000 FRC. I drive it year round splitting miles 50/50 with my SUV. I keep an eye on the brake/clutch fluid... when it begins to change color it's time to think about changing it. Also I have driven all of my cars at HPDE events and during the course of my daily driving, I might activate at A/H once in a while :-) .
My opinion is the EBCM's are not the weak link... The module is just a victim, it's gummy fluid and battery maintenance (low voltages) issues that cause most of the failures.

XmentalPilot

Exactly! The pump does not fail (I never said that was the problem) The EBCM fails (is killed) by the high current (ohms law) and low voltage that results from poor battery maintenance and a gummed up pump drawing excessive current during the initialization at start up. Makes sense when electronic components get hot solder joints and printed circuit boards take the hit. So, yes the module fails. The OP question was, Is there anything we can do to prevent EBCM failure??? I was just offering some ideasl

ArmchairArchitect

Low humidity (ie. over the winter) is known to damage electronics, so perhaps running a humidifier where the car is stored over the winter would help prolong the life.

Example article: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/9...midity-ruining

rrwirsi

And poor QC by GM. That is why I will never buy a GM car except for the Corvette. I just like the feel of riding in the Vette.

JR-01

I am done with GM. My C5 will be my last one.

ArmchairArchitect

It's both...need to find the middle ground of humidity levels.

grampi50

It's too bad Toyota didn't make the Vette...we probably wouldn't have any of these problems if they did...

rrwirsi

My circumstances require me to keep the Vette outside 24/7. When I asked two trusted mechanics about storing it outside and putting a total cover on the car and not driving it for the Winter months both said absolutely no. No cover is best for air circulation in and around the car and driving it at least once a week if weather permits. Since I have a Vert, I do cover the top year long but not the body. So far no issues involving the electronics after about 4 years of ownership.

Velocity_Vette

Keep in mind last year an individual donated a 2000 YM C5 - containing the more susceptible-to-loss 97-00 EBCMs - with ~773,000 miles. At time of donation the car had no EBCM issues. On the other hand many C5s when they were near new w/ less than 10,000 miles had EBCM issues hence why GM serviced so many under warranty.

There really is no rhyme or reason to why they can fail other than the quality of construction issues mentioned and proper battery charge. It's simply a proprietary item, that had major issues initially, and that ultimately were never fully resolved with the intent of future occurrences. If anything, one thing mentioned in a post back up that is effectively opposite of what you're doing is in regards to lack of driving. It's ideal to frequently drive your car and put mileage on it so the EBCM is not made susceptible to massive amounts of power delivered/bumped from say a new batter or jump (whether it be from a jumper box or direct jump). It's a car and needs to be driven. Many begin to see EBCM issues with cars that sit for prolonged periods.

tred99

Thanks for all the responses. Running battery tender is very interesting as I am sometimes very lazy and don't hook it back up and find my battery voltage is too low to start the car. I did hook it back up at lunch time today I might have the dealer change the fluid at next oil change as piece of mind. Thanks again!

stockC5

I Re soldered the solder points in my EBCM a few years back. No problems yet, knock on wood. I also exercise the EBCM every once in awhile when it rains. Just do a few heavy breaking exercises at low low speed.

golfnutts

Had my EBCM module and Pump replaced by a local Chevy Dealer on my 03 A/E cost around $3,500. The dedicated corvette mechanic told me the pump was so gummed up it overloaded the EBCM module. Had 35,000 miles on it. He told me if you don't use it, it will cause problems, the fluid just sits in the pump and after 15 years it gets thick. So once a month now, I take it out and activate the system. Kept the old parts, cleaned the pump and will send the EBCM to absfixer for backup.

JR-01

And you believed him? $3500?

golfnutts

$2700 for the pump and $800 for the EBCM installed. Yes I trust him, been taking my car to him for 15 years and he tells me if I should fix it or alternative methods I can do. When I bought the car I found a extended warranty that don't cover years only miles up to 75,000 so warranty paid for the pump but not the EBCM (Couldn't figure that one out). Can't find a Warranty like that anymore. He also has 3 Corvettes and has worked on mine when he isn't working at the dealership...Yep trust him. Don't think I would've gotten it fix if I didn't have the Warranty.

golfnutts

I should make a copy of the bill and paste on here, at first it blew my mind when they told me!!!

Phanni

The C-5 was built by an entirely different company than the GM we now know. The reliability of today's GM product has no relevance to cars built 20 years ago

Phanni

Just curious, did he kiss you after had his way with you?

golfnutts

When your rich, what else you going to do with your money.....

tred99

The traction light didn't come on when I spun the tires going around a corner does that mean it's not working? I am trying to work it before I have the fluid changed. I bought the car about a year ago and wondering if the EBCM was malfunctioning from the PO. Is it possible to be faulty but not have a light or warning? I have not run codes yet. Sorry about the stupid questions.