Automotive electronics
Stop replacing good parts
Parts are expensive and guesswork is expensive twice. We test the component or module on the bench first, and tell you whether it is faulty before you buy a replacement.
A code that names a sensor does not mean the sensor is bad. Wiring, connectors, supply voltage and the module reading it are all suspects. We separate them by testing the part itself, powered up, off the vehicle.
Where a module is genuinely faulty, repair is often possible at component level — a failed driver, a cracked joint, a burnt track — instead of buying a new unit that then also has to be programmed.
The usual route
- Code read, part named
- Part bought and fitted
- Fault still there
- Next part bought
Our route
- Part removed and bench-tested
- Supply, signal and wiring checked
- Verdict based on measurement
- Repair the faulty unit where possible
Services
Testing, repair and the parts we see most
Sensors, actuators and modules tested off the vehicle, powered up, before you buy anything.
Testing
- ECU testing
- Control-unit testing
- PCB testing
- Sensor testing
- Actuator testing
- Bench testing
- Electronic fault finding
Repair
- Component repair
- Module repair
- Module rebuilding
- Connector and track repair
- Programming after repair where required
Sensors we test regularly
- O2 / lambda sensors
- NOx sensors
- Crankshaft sensors
- Camshaft sensors
- Coolant-temperature sensors
- MAF sensors
- IAT sensors
- MAP / boost sensors
- Fuel-pressure sensors
Actuators and modules
- Throttle bodies
- EGR systems
- EVAP systems
- Solenoids
- ABS modules
- Engine ECUs
- Instrument clusters
- Immobiliser components
- ESL / W204 systems
- BMW FRM modules
- Smart keys
- BCMs
- Ignition switches
Send us the part
You don't always need to bring the vehicle
Many modules and sensors can be assessed on their own. Remove the part, note the vehicle details, and bring or send it in.
- Tell us the vehicle, the symptom and the part
- Bring or send the unit to Swazi Plaza
- We test it and report the result
- Repair, or a clear verdict that it's healthy
Why ALC
Why test before replacing
Tested, not guessed
The part is powered and exercised on the bench, so the verdict is a measurement rather than an opinion.
Repair is often cheaper
A board-level repair frequently costs a fraction of a new module plus programming.
Known problem units
We see FRM modules, ESL / W204 units, clusters and ABS modules regularly and know how they fail.
In the workshop
Units we repair regularly
BMW FRM module
Footwell module recovered and reprogrammed after a lighting and window failure.
Mercedes ESL / W204
Steering lock unit tested and rebuilt rather than replaced.
ABS module
Bench-tested to separate a failed module from a wheel-speed sensor circuit.
Instrument cluster
Dead display and intermittent gauges traced to board-level faults and repaired.
FAQs
Questions we get asked
Can I just post or drop off the part?
Yes. Many modules and sensors can be tested off the vehicle — bring or send the unit with the vehicle details.
What if the part turns out to be fine?
Then you have saved the cost of replacing it, and we point the investigation back at the wiring or the controlling module.
Do repaired modules need programming?
Sometimes. Where they do, we handle the programming as part of the job.
Related
Often part of the same job
Tell us what you need
Send us the part number, a photograph of the module and the vehicle details, and we'll tell you whether it's testable and repairable.