Housing for a control unit

1. A housing for a control unit of a motor vehicle, the housing comprising:

a housing element having a main body formed of a light metal;

a further element attached to said housing element by way of a joining technique that does not use a joining layer or by way of a joining layer; and

a protective layer applied to said main body and disposed between said main body and said further element joined to said main body;

said main body having a surface, said protective layer composed of a metal applied to said surface of said main body, and said metal of said protective layer corresponding to a predominant element of said light metal in pure form; and

said main body formed with a recess, said protective layer configured to encircle said recess, and said further element covering said recess.

2. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein said protective layer is applied, in places, to a face of said main body that faces said further element and said protective layer protrudes laterally beyond said further element.

3. The housing according to claim 2 , wherein said protective layer projects laterally beyond said joining layer.

4. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein said light metal is an aluminum alloy, and said metal of said protective layer is pure aluminum.

5. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein said protective layer extends beyond a bearing face for said further element by not more than a predetermined range.

6. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein said further element has a cover for closing the housing element.

7. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein said further element comprises a functional component.