How to fix the ICU for less than $5

[JDM1nt2B]

whats your soldering iron look like? Fine point? Cause if you get too much heat around the other components they will get damaged. The soldering iron i use i have 6 different tips for it, and 3 are small/fine points to concentrate the heat. You also need to make sure you put them back on in the same polairty as they came off (white mark facing one side). If it ended up being worse after you changed them out it's simple. It wasn't done right.

[BacardiBreezer]

I had a friend do it, who works with electronics. I bet there was too much heat - the one area was corroded badly and took forever to get the wire out of. Oh well, I have to get rid of my Teg anyway.

[r0yal]

Ok..well, I guess I'll try getting a 105c cap, hopefully thats the problem then?

[JDM1nt2B]

post a pic of the curcit board damage. Did any of the traces get eaten or broken? The one I repaired for someone had 2 traces that were eaten from the acid. I had to solder in 2 jumper wires from each contact point to repair them.

[r0yal]

I went out and bought a 220uF, 35v, 105c capacitor, and it still doesnt work

there is no visible damage to the board, it didnt even look like the capacitor was leaking.

This is the worse board out of the 2

[JDM1nt2B]

can you zoom out a little and get the whole board? I have no idea what i'm looking at.

does it look like this unit?

[r0yal]

god damn, I'm still having issues, I picked up 2 more ICU's today, tried them both..and nothing.

So I double checked all the fuses, they are all good.

Checked the relays *1 under hood, 1 above fuse panel inside*, they are good.

Checked the switch, the ohm test on the SWITCH itself was good, but the bulbs were both burnt out, so I took out the bulb from the foglights, and put it in the defroster,*because I knew it worked* so I ohm tested for the light, there was, so I put the switch back in the car, with the working bulb, but it still wont turn on..

[JDM1nt2B]

can you post a full pic of your original icu. I'm wondering since your in canada if it's different. I know your cars have daytime running lights and don't know if that might be related to the icu.

[r0yal]

Here is a pic of my icu... it IS different then yours, but the capacitors, are basically in the same spot.

the yellow spot indicates the resistor I took out

[r0yal]

Well, I figured out the problem, for some odd reason, the interior light/cig lighter is powered by the stereo, and it was also powering my intermittent wipers, rear defrost, etc.. so as soon as I hooked that back up, everything was running fine.

[xxfile]

I was so glad and exited to fnd out this post, but I need you guys to help me out. My teg is a 91 LS, and I was trying to take out the fuse panel so I can reach the ICU, but I can't find the screws that's holding on to the fuse panel... can anyone help me out here?

[BacardiBreezer]

There is a link somewhere in this thread to detailed pics of how to get it out. There should be on at the very bottom, and one at the top.

[xxfile]

thanks! found the photon album. sorry for not looking carefully, incase anyone care, it's post #41

[David Drumhelle]

This thread has been very helpful, saving me the expense of buying a new Integrated Control Unit (ICU) for my 1993 Integra hatchback. My story:

As with other posters, my rear-window defogger didn’t work. Pushing the defogger button on the dash did nothing--no light, no “click” from a relay. Turns out the 100 microfarad (uF), 16 volt (V) electrolytic capacitor on the ICU--the subject of this thread--exploded. I replaced it with a 100 uF, 35V electrolytic capacitor from Radio Shack. And for good measure, I also replaced a 33uF, 35V electrolytic capacitor in the corner of the ICU with a 47uF, 35V equivalent. Thinking I was done, I reinstalled the ICU, but the problem remained. So...

I pulled the ICU from the fuse box again, but this time I placed it in front of a light bulb and examined it with a magnifying glass. This allowed me to clearly see the traces/paths in the translucent ICU circuit board. Under the black mark produced by the exploding capacitor I noticed a circuit board path was open. I assume the chemicals inside the capacitor eroded it. Clearly I had to repair the path, but rather than soldering a small wire across the gap on the component side of the ICU, I followed each portion of the path (on each side of the gap) to the first component soldered to it. I then took a small length of insulated, stranded, No. 26 hook-up wire and soldered it between these two component leads at the points they are soldered to the *back* of the ICU. As a surgical procedure, this is far easier to do than trying to directly bridge the gap with a tiny stand of wire.

I reinstalled the ICU. The rear-window defoggers works fine.

Some comments on replacement capacitor selection:

Early in this thread, someone recommended replacing the 100uF capacitor with one having a higher voltage rating and equal or high capacitance. This is very good advice, certainly with respect to the voltage rating. Automobile electrical systems can run as high as 14.8V and this is dangerously close to the 16V rating of the original capacitor. I would never design circuit with so little “head room” in the specifications. A good rule of thumb is to use a capacitor with a voltage rating at least twice that of the highest voltage it’s expected to see in use. As for capacitance, depending on the application, going slightly lower in value (uF) would be OK, so long as you don’t stray too far. For example, replacing the 100uf capacitor with an 82uF one would probably be just fine. Going higher is less of an offence, but, once again, I wouldn’t go too far because too high a value may cause high current during short voltage bursts. That said, I’m sure the 200uF capacitor used by the first poster is working just fine.

Dave Drumheller
Bethesda, Maryland, USA

[JDM_DA9]

ok i tryed this and it still does not work... i am have the 220 with 35V and 85C cap and i put it in and it does not still work... i put the ICU up to a light to see if the wire in it has been cut or burned and its fine.. can someone tell me what to do or how to make this work....

[hybrid90]

Can I still be able to drive the car once the ICU has been unplugged? I'm asking this just in case I can't finish fixing the ICU since my car is a daily driver. Thanks.

[Mick Garvey]

I did this a long time ago when I first got mine. It fixed everything but the emergency flashers, which I can live without.

[hybrid90]

Can I still be able to drive the car once the ICU has been unplugged? I'm asking this just in case I can't finish fixing the ICU since my car is a daily driver. Thanks.

Si can I drive with the ICU unplugged?

[Pavlo]

Ahaha, another thing for "you might be in a DA if" :
You don't even know of the features your car has because they don't work.

I live without a rear defroster, no sound for the headlights "on", no "slow" speed on the windshield wipers. I love old cars, you never get bored.

[WickedJester]

anyone have a fixed one they want to sell, or want to fix mine for me? i soldered in a new cap today and it didn't fix anything. none of the circuit paths are broken either.

features that don't work:
intermittent wiper setting
clock
map and dome lights
rear defrost
turn signals in the corner lights