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‘Only the makers of Jeep could possibly pull this off’: Man looks under the hood of his car. He’s shocked by what’s by the windshield washer fluid

‘Imagine if it had to drive through a puddle of water?’

Photo of Beau Paul

Beau Paul

man shares issues with jeep(l) Jeep dealer sign(c) Jeep Water reservoir(r)

Did this mechanic spot a major electronic control unit (ECU) flaw in this Jeep? Is the ECU in danger, or is he making a fuss over a tempest in a teacup?

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TikTok mechanic Corndog112, a.k.a. Mike (@big_mikes_meats), seems to think this Jeep’s wiper fluid reservoir is dangerously close to the component that controls the vehicle’s electronic systems.

He posted his concern to TikTok on Jan. 25. It now has over 453,300 views.

‘It’s like a caveman designed it.’

“It’s like a caveman designed this engine bay,” Mike complains in the video’s caption.

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“This is one of the most mind-blowing things In the world,” Mike states at the beginning.

“Ready? Only the makers of Jeep could possibly pull this off,” he claims before pulling his camera back to reveal the Jeep’s window washer fluid reservoir.

“You know what’s right behind it?” he asks incredulously as he pans to show the electronic control unit resting behind the reservoir.

“So, you know, if you like spill anything out of that, there you go,” he concludes.

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While Mike doesn’t specifically call out a problem, he does seem to imply the proximity of the two items could be an issue.

What is an ECU?

A car’s electronic control unit, or ECU, is a component that controls the electronic fuel injection subsystems in a vehicle. Its primary job, per Carwow, is “to keep the engine working smoothly.”

“On cars fitted with electronic fuel injection, an ECU can control the amount of fuel that enters the engine’s cylinders.”

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ECUs are essentially computers that take over the mechanical tasks once handled by a car’s carburetor.

According to Cars.com, if the ECU fails, “fuel and spark wouldn’t be delivered at all, and the engine would immediately shut down.”

In the event that the ECU fails, most cars have a “limp home” protocol that allows the vehicle to “keep the engine running, though it will likely run roughly and with limited power.”

Can wiper fluid short out your electronic control unit?

While spilling wiper fluid on the ECU is certainly not a good idea, a modicum of care will likely prevent an owner or mechanic from doing so.

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The three major causes of ECU malfunction are high engine temperature, strong vibrations, or burnout caused by a faulty circuit, per Actronics.

However, ECU Pro does note that water damage caused by a leak or driving through deep water can damage an ECU.

“To prevent water damage to your ECU, regularly inspect your vehicle for leaks, leave buildup, seal any gaps or cracks in the engine bay – especially the E-box in which the vehicle electronics are located,” it states.

It also advises, “If you suspect water has entered the ECU, disconnect the battery and remove the ECU to allow it to dry out completely before attempting to use it again.”

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As for the wiper fluid, just be very careful when you fill the reservoir.

The Daily Dot reached out to Jeep via email for a statement.

@big_mikes_meats It’s like a caveman designed this engine bay 🙄 #mopar #bigmikesdeli #gabagool #pittsburgh #engineeringatitsfinest #gothgirl #ilovegothgirls ♬ original sound – Corndog412

Viewer feedback

Surprisingly, even people who weren’t Jeep fans showed up in the comments to point out that the reservoir location wasn’t that big of a deal.

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Cwmills23 (@cwmills23) wrote, “As a Chrysler technician Jeeps are terrible, but this isn’t even close to the worst thing you could have pointed out in that engine bay.”

“Now, if he popped those off, they are sealed. You could dump a gallon of water on them and it will not affect it,” another viewer stated.

“You’d have to mess up really bad to spill over the ECU,” another added.

The Daily Dot reached out to Corndog112 via TikTok comment and direct message for a statement.

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