What Does a Car ECU Cooling Unit Do?
A car's engine generates a large amount of heat simply by running. Much of the engine's equipment is dedicated to dispersing this he...
A car's engine generates a large amount of heat simply by running. Much of the engine's equipment is dedicated to dispersing this heat so it does not damage critical components, such as the engine block or any electronics.
ECU
The Electronic Control Unit (ECU) is a small onboard computer used by virtually every modern car. The ECU acts as an on board engine management system and, using various sensors, controls items, such as fuel intake and ignition timings.
Cooling Unit
Like most electronics, the ECU is sensitive to heat. Excessive heat can cause damage to the control board, so it must stay as cool as possible. To this end, vehicles can have the ECU installed outside the engine compartment, placing it instead in the passenger compartment. An ECU cooling unit allows the ECU to be placed in the engine compartment and kept at close to the same temperature and environment as that in the passenger compartment.
Advantage
While placing the ECU in the passenger compartment is less costly, it does produce additional weight from the extra wiring and wire harnesses. Placing the ECU in the engine compartment with a cooling unit helps eliminate extra weight due to excessive wiring.
