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Stelvio NTX ECU Water Seal Boot From Recall

Daniel Kalal

Daniel Kalal

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
Oct 28, 2008
Messages
301
Location
Kansas
ECU rain protection is required

background:
On earlier Stelvios, the ECU is mounted with the connectors entering from above. Later (and current) Stelvios have the ECU mounted so that the connectors enter from below. The earlier system had problems associated with rain so Guzzi put out a rubber rain protector (#883968).

currently:
This boot is apparently not installed on new Stelvios (the ones with the inverted ECU).

problem:
My Stelvio (model year 2013) recently died due to rain entering the ECU. It has no protection against water, and I am concerned about any future riding in the rain or allowing the bike to sit outside when it is raining. This has now happened twice to me: the first was with an earlier Stelvio (with the upright mounting), and now it has happened to a new-model Stelvio. In both cases, I was stranded on the road.

Does anybody have a photograph of the rubber cover? Is there any reason it wouldn't fit the latest ECU mounting? Or, is there, perhaps a better way to waterproof this rather expensive part? I'm thinking RTV in key areas. You cannot encase the whole thing as it requires airflow for cooling.
 
Re: ECU rain protection is required

GT-Rx said:
there is a picture of it shown in the '12-13 parts list
Click to expand...

I've got the pdf file for 2011, but not the current one (I'll poke around for it). If it's in the parts manual, wouldn't you think it ought to be on the bike? Perhaps it was just left off by accident.

Simple splash guards probably won't work. The solution needs to be good enough to guard against an aimed water-hose. Mine was sitting in a parking lot with a howling sideways gusher from a thunderstorm. Water was blowing up, down and everywhere else with considerable force.
 
One of the recent recall items for the Stelvio is to install a water-sealing boot or glove over the front-mounted ECU unit. I suppose that there has been some problems with a non-waterproofed electronic component positioned up front where rain water can be prevalent.

I recently removed my tank (not a difficult task) to repair loose motor mounts and had a look at the ECU boot recently installed by Riders Hill.

This is what my installed boot looked like.



This looked like a shoddy way of installing a half-baked fix. One rubber band held the floppy cover and there were many folds and places for water to easily find its way beneath the boot to the connector.

I spent a little time and better-secured the boot to the ECU with nylon ties. I taped the boot securely up front where the wiring harness enters the boot. I also repositioned the wires in the rear to allow bringing the boot better-up onto the ECU body. Then, as an extra precaution, I used some non-hardening IDEAL brand duct sealing compound to cover the margins of the boot around the ECU body without covering any of the heat-discharging parts of the upper ECU body.

I wasn't trying to make the unit totally submersible but I wanted to help the boot better serve the purpose for which it was intended. There remains vent openings where the wires enter at the rear.

The result is this.


Drain holes for good measure.
 
I believe that boot was intended for the pre 2012's that had the ECU plugs pointing up. There was a recall but the 2012+ were not affected by this one. The coupon was listed in the recall but was not active for the 2012+ (at least mine was not). With that setup I would worry about water getting in and pooling. At the least, it will keep condensation in.
 
No, I did not totally seal it. There is vent space remaining on the rear, protected side where the wires enter. I just tried to prevent splash-up from reaching the connector.
 
Aaah, nice pool for the ECU. The cover is intended only for the ECUs with the plugs at the bottom.

At ECUs with top sided plugs it collects water instead of preventing the ECU from water. Your mechanic doesn´t seem to be the sharpest tack in the cork-board...

If you want to keep it, perforate the bottom several times with a hot thick needle so water can flow out.
 
Mine is the sister orange one to leafs from European motorsports. Really the only issues I have had are a really flaky left grip switch, and leaky rear wheel spokes I think these problems were a batch issue our... NTXs are really probably 2011s, (the owners I have corresponded with over the left grip switch issue and leaky spokes were on 2011s not in N.A. market, except for 1 Canadian owner I spoke with)

My Bike has the odd AC engine code. It has flat tappets in the roller tappet head casting (the head casting is identical to my roller '12 Griso, but they are machined for flat tappets)

the recall list on our bikes includes stuff that was changed on real 2012s.

this boot is really for the right side up ecus, not connector down versions.

our bikes I believe were re-worked to 2012 spec. from very late 2011 production models, mine at least also has the center stand recall (even though it has the newer style stand) and the rear wiring harness upgrade (even though it looks to have been done at the factory), and shock link replacement (just completed)

This is JUST supposition on my part but it may explain the "12 models having the previous recalls in place.

Ps my leaky spoke moves around the wheel,and gets better and worse on a regular basis....They are working on a warranty replacement.
 
Yes, I had read that the main water problems with the ECU were on the upside-down ECUs but mine was still in the recall for the rubber cover.

Even though the later Stelvio has the connector on the bottom, I think it's good idea to have some protection from rain exposure rather the just rely on gravity to keep water out of the joint. I've had water migrate or wick uphill into connectors before.

As far as water pooling inside the rubber cover, yes, the slipshod way that it was first installed on mine by Riders Hill would be terrible. By sealing the perimeter of the boot, this reduces the opportunity for water ingress.

I left a vent opening in the rubber cover on the rear and I did poke a hole in the bottom for good measure. I need to add those pics to the thread.

All in all, I would rather have some protection on the ECU than none. I do a lot of rain riding. Where I live has the highest annual rainfall in the US.
 
I would ask your dealer about that again. If they run your VIN they will find all available coupons for your bike. When they ran my 2012 every coupon came up for the model including the ECU boot, centre stand, wiring harness, fuse box mod, and a couple of others. I knew that most of these were not needed because I had already reviewed the TSB for the work. Not until they try to submit the coupon does the system tell them if it is valid or not for you bike. My 2012 already had, or did not need all the work other than coupon 7 which was a frame guard for the wiring harness on the right side of the bike behind the side cover. If you look at the original TSB you will see that the boot was intended for only the pre 2012 (My11) bikes with the ecu connectors facing up. Something sounds a little fishy......

Extra protection is never a bad thing, but just make sure you are not making the situation worse. I too ride in rain and wash my bike often. I have yet to have an issue after 26,000KM.
 
Yeah, well I had the same TS Bulletin too. They claim they ran the VIN and all. Did everything EXCEPT the frame guard. I've made my own frame guard and whether these other things were in the recall or not, Im happy with what Ive done.

I am not confident about the non weather-proof connector on the ECU module regardless of whether the module is up or down and I think the boot is good insurance.

Ive got the fuse block boot too.
 
I was on a Stelvio trip to St Augustine this weekend and I had to ride all day in the rain going down.

I paid particular attention to what was going on in the vicinity of the ECU and I can report that the ECU receives a good bathing in wnd-blown rain coming up from the forks through the tunnel around the steering head. My ECU was totally soaked.

If the big ECU connector is not weather-proof, I think there is a possibility for problems regardless of whether the connector is on top or on bottom.

Im glad I have the rubber glove.

Can anyone post a pic or provide info on the design of that big connector? Does it have a built-in weather seal?
 
It has a silicone gasket between the outside of the top of the connector lip and the ecu socket
 
I just discovered this thread from Daniel that augments my thoughts on covering the ECU of even the later-model bikes.
 
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