So my FBO ECU crapped out.....

Posted By: gd9704

So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/03/13 12:40 AM

....and I threw a spare orange box ecu in to bring the car back to life. Any reason why I can't just run an orange box with the rest of the FBO system? (It's the older version that used a 2 lead ballast resistor.)

Thanks!

Posted By: 440newport

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/03/13 12:47 AM

I did the same thing, but my FBO coil eventually died too. I don't know if the orange box had something to do with it, or if it was just from age (6 years) or use.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/03/13 02:17 AM

Quote:

Any reason why I can't just run an orange box with the rest of the FBO system?

I think they're compatible enough. I run a older black FBO coil with a stock 4 pin ECU/single .25 ohm MP race ballast & it starts instantly hot or cold which tells me that it is a compatible system. I do carry spares tho

Posted By: dogdays

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/03/13 04:29 AM

An orange box is just a switch. How could it hurt a coil? Supposing it isn't stuck in the "ON" position, how could it be the culprit?

I have a sneaking suspicion that FBO has had some quality problems too. Just don't tell Don that!

R.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/03/13 04:59 AM

Quote:

....and I threw a spare orange box ecu in to bring the car back to life. Any reason why I can't just run an orange box with the rest of the FBO system? (It's the older version that used a 2 lead ballast resistor.)

Thanks!

Other than the orange box being a POS ... if it's something built after the year 2000 anyway ... The current orange box pulls out timing above 4000 rpm . If you drive like your grandma going to sunday mass that may not be a problem ...

Posted By: Dunnuck Racing

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/03/13 05:27 AM

The old FBO boxes had failures which had a lot of people waiting while he redesigned them. There were numerous complaints of people waiting for months for replacement boxes,but now he sells something completely different
Keith

Posted By: gd9704

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/03/13 12:50 PM

Quote:

Quote:

....and I threw a spare orange box ecu in to bring the car back to life. Any reason why I can't just run an orange box with the rest of the FBO system? (It's the older version that used a 2 lead ballast resistor.)

Thanks!

Other than the orange box being a POS ... if it's something built after the year 2000 anyway ... The current orange box pulls out timing above 4000 rpm . If you drive like your grandma going to sunday mass that may not be a problem ...

Lol...I must be getting old....anymore, I don't worry so much about max performance, I just want the thing to run!

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/03/13 01:09 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

....and I threw a spare orange box ecu in to bring the car back to life. Any reason why I can't just run an orange box with the rest of the FBO system? (It's the older version that used a 2 lead ballast resistor.)

Thanks!

Other than the orange box being a POS ... if it's something built after the year 2000 anyway ... The current orange box pulls out timing above 4000 rpm . If you drive like your grandma going to sunday mass that may not be a problem ...

Lol...I must be getting old....anymore, I don't worry so much about max performance, I just want the thing to run!

Me too...

I have already gone really fast in TADs and no street strip car is going to impress me.

I installed a 30 year old stock box a couple years ago and I swear it runs better than the chrome box I took off.

I'm digging the reliability nowadays. I keep my cars simple and they still run great with eddie heads and more. No fancy electric fuel pumps or stuff like that.

Posted By: Aero426

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/04/13 05:56 AM

Quote:

I don't worry so much about max performance, I just want the thing to run!

Almost makes running points look good.

Posted By: Dakota_Don

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/04/13 05:59 PM

Quote:

....and I threw a spare orange box ecu in to bring the car back to life. Any reason why I can't just run an orange box with the rest of the FBO system? (It's the older version that used a 2 lead ballast resistor.)

Thanks!

my ecu crapped out too, i went back to the chrome box...

Posted By: GOLDMYN

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/04/13 08:44 PM

Are there any methods to determine pre 2000 ECU such as date code?

Posted By: superwrench

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/04/13 08:56 PM

Quote:

Quote:

....and I threw a spare orange box ecu in to bring the car back to life. Any reason why I can't just run an orange box with the rest of the FBO system? (It's the older version that used a 2 lead ballast resistor.)

Thanks!

my ecu crapped out too, i went back to the chrome box...

Talking about chrome boxes, I have to use one because the FBO ones won't let the MSD rev limiter work. Kinda hard on valves and springs!!!
Never had any box actually fail yet...Mopar,FBO, or generics. Guess I'm just lucky.

Posted By: JohnRR

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/05/13 05:45 PM

Quote:

Are there any methods to determine pre 2000 ECU such as date code?

there probably is but it seems that even the pre 2000 orange box also pulls out timing over 4k rpm , do your self a favor and just install something else ...

Posted By: BigBlockMopar

Re: So my FBO ECU crapped out..... - 05/05/13 11:16 PM

Quote:

Are there any methods to determine pre 2000 ECU such as date code?

Yes... They're orange...!

Best to leave all the orange ones at the stores.
Or, paint your favorite aftermarket ECU orange...

When it comes to the orange ECU's...
Life sure is like a box of chocolates... You never know when you'll get stranded...