What does resetting your car's ECU do?

"Resetting the ECU" is the process of clearing all the long term memory from the ECU's memory. These variables trim idle speed, fuel, spark, and more. The ECU will also store trouble codes for diagnostic capability.
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What are the benefits of resetting the ECU?

Resetting your ECU is a popular myth. In reality, resetting your engine control unit (ECU) after modifying your engine isn't necessary. However, resetting your ECU can help you fix a faulty check engine light or restore your car to factory setting.
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Does resetting ECU remove tune?

No, it will not change your tune. If you tune with open source, you can write it to the ECU. It resets to whatever you flashed it with when you reset it.
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How long does it take for ECU to reset?

In fact, to reset the ECU, you do need to let the car run at idle for at least 10 minutes. The engine needs to warm up, the idle needs to stabilize and the ECU itself has to collect all new data from all the sensors over a period of time to begin functioning again.
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How much does it cost to reset ECU?

You should expect to pay between $150 and $300 at a local repair shop or service center just to have the ECU inspected and tested. In many cases, the faulty ECU can be repaired or reprogrammed, and this type of repair will usually run between $300 to $750, depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
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How To Reset All ECU’s and Control Modules in your Car or Truck



Does disconnecting the battery reset the ECU?

A. It depends on the car's age and type of ECU used. On some older cars, disconnecting the battery will reset the system but in most new cars it does nothing, except potentially reset the clock and radio station presets.
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How do I know if my car's ECU is bad?

Here are the most common symptoms of a bad ECU: Check Engine Light stays on after resetting. Car was jump started on reverse polarity. Engine turning off for no reason.
...
Many other symptoms may occur that can drastically lead to an ECU failure such as:
  1. Erratic idle.
  2. Stalling.
  3. Poor running condition.
  4. Excessive fuel usage.
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How long do I leave my battery disconnected to reset ECU?

Disconnecting the battery for a short time may not do the trick because the car's computer, or ECU, still has some current in it. Waiting for over 15 minutes after disconnecting the engine will help ensure the equipment is reset.
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How many miles should I drive after resetting check engine light?

To make sure the check engine light does not reappear, it's recommended that you drive your car 30 to 100 miles. This enables the vehicle's “Drive Cycle” to reset, as the various sensors need time to recalibrate.
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Can a remap reset itself?

No it reverts to a default std spec version of itself. There isnt enough room on the ecu for both a full version and the original version of the software.
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How long does it take for a car computer to relearn?

How Long Does It Take For Ecm To Relearn? For maximum efficiency, you should leave your vehicle at idle for at least ten minutes so that your ECM has the chance to “relearn” anything it's not already doing.
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Should I reset ECU after changing spark?

It's not necessary but it's also not a bad idea. Just make sure you're not due for a vehicle inspection in the next week, since the computer will not be "ready" for a scan until it re-learns its operating parameters. After you perform the reset, all that is needed is for you to drive.
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Will check engine light come back on after reset?

If there's a problem, the light will just come back

When you reset your computer's memory, the warning light will turn off. However, if there's a problem, the light will come back on as soon as the computer runs the test that caused the light in the first place.
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Can you tell if a code has been cleared on a car?

When codes are cleared all vehicle emissions tests are reset and will display a status of 'not complete'. In order to update the test status the vehicle must be driven under different conditions (town, highway, etc) so that the ECM may gather sufficient data to determine whether the tests have passed or failed.
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How do I know when my drive cycle is complete?

15 minutes of steady driving on an expressway/highway followed by 20 minutes of stop-and-go driving with at least four 30-second idle periods. Allow the vehicle to sit for at least eight hours without starting the engine. Then, start the engine and complete the above driving cycle.
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Does disconnecting the battery clear engine codes?

Disconnecting the battery will clear the error codes and reset the check engine light.
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How much does a ECU tune cost?

The ECU tune should cost between $400-$1,500 for a mid-range car or truck and between $600-$3,200 for a luxury or racing vehicle. If your vehicle requires a new ECU chip, these range from $150 to $1,600. Engine tuning can be complicated, with some vehicle shops specializing in it and doing nothing else.
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What causes ECU failure?

1) Dead Battery

Car batteries have electronic cells which need to function in order for the ECU to function. If any of the cells in your car battery are dead, then your ECU is going to fail soon afterward. Once all the cells are dead, the battery is considered dead and your entire vehicle won't be able to function.
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Can you drive a car with a bad ECU?

It isn't recommended to drive with a faulty ECU, but it is possible to keep driving the vehicle. The longer you run with the deteriorating ECU, the more issues you're going to run into when it's time to bring it to the shop.
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