Can a bad battery cause ECM failure?

[mike2004tct]

I've recently had an ECM (or EEM depending on the person diagnosing)
go bad on my '97 Blazer. My mechanic who found the problem after I replaced the Ignition switch to no avail said it was due to a bad (OPEN)
connector.

The new post is for this, somewhat off-topic because it relates to my In-laws Saturn.
Has anyone ever heard of an ECM taking a dump because the battery has been dis-connected for 6 months.
I find this hard to believe, because the memory in these units are flash memory of the ROM type, and they shouldn't erase (non-volitile type memory)

(BTW, It's an '02 Saturn that's been in storage)

Any thoughts?

[wolfox]

Who checked it and said it was bad? Your Mechanic? Does he also do inspection for state emissions?

[mike2004tct]

Originally Posted by wolfox

Who checked it and said it was bad? Your Mechanic? Does he also do inspection for state emissions?

I'n not sure which one you mean, but I'll guess the Saturn, as I know for sure the one in my Blazer bit the dust.

I'll add some more info on the Saturn.

It's in Florida (I'm in Wi.), were my in-laws spend the winter (Nov to Apr).
It's in a garage, and the old man dis-connected the battery last April before going north for the summer.

The car cranks, but won't start. No fuel pump priming.

The old man's a AAA member, called them, they towed it to a AAA member/mechanic (private shop) who diagnosed a bad ECM.
It's now on it's way to a Saturn dealer for ECM transplant as the AAA shop couldn't do it (probably the flashing of the ECM, although my replacement unit was done by NAPA)

[wolfox]

Right, okay. Gotchya. May have been how your in-laws plugged the battery back in. One just needs to lift the negative terminal and let it lay aside under the hood. It is rare that an ECM like this could go bad unhooking it and re-hooking it back up in this manner. Not impossible, rare. I would have first asked to have gotten a look at the IGN, ECM/BATT, and RADIO fuses in the interior fuseblock first and then made sure that the fusible link before the power center was also good.

Another thing to watchfor, especially when storing a vehicle is *mice*. The ECM may be fine and once swapped, the car still may be dead. This is because those little blighters love to make mincemeat of wiring insulation and the wires themselves to make bedding. Check your air cleaner box for a nest too. A buddy of mine had to change Winter storage yards because two cars on two consecuative years suffered damage like this from mice. Same symptoms too...the vehicle would crank, but never start.

[mike2004tct]

More info coming in from the SE coast to the upper MidWest.

Turns out the ECM itself was still usable, but the Alarm portion of the program in the ECM is shot. ECM needed re-programming at a $300.00 clip (Have I told anyone how much Stealer/dealers suck?) BTW, seeing old folks in God's waiting Land (Fla), these guys must get BIG eyeballs.
Still can't figure out how it happened in a warm climate/enclosed garage, but last year the fuel pump died from inactivaty over the summer months of storage.

I paid $300.00 for a rebuilt ECM with programming from my local mechanic who bought the unit from Napa.
The idiot delear is going to drain $800.00 from my wife's inheritance with other nic-nac bulldookey stuff they found wrong- again old folks suckers.
NEVER buy a Saturn Product in Lake County, Fla. Not sure of the Stealer's name, but it's in Clermont, north of Orlando.

RANT over, Good Day.