How to reset car computer: helpful pieces of advice

The modern vehicle is under human control. However, electronics play an equally important role in this process. Not everyone knows, but the latter needs a periodic reboot. If you ignore this rule, sooner or later, you may encounter problems in the system. But how to carry out the procedure correctly? Do I need to seek professional services for this?

No computer today can function normally without rebooting the operating system. Errors gradually accumulate in the faulty car computer, which must be reset promptly. The engine control unit is no exception. Car computers with prolonged use, the memory in the car can be overwhelmed with various errors.

It’s a common problem

As a result, the electronic control unit begins to send erroneous signals to the driver and reports concerns that do not exist. Because of this, the electronics confuse and starts to work in an incorrect mode. On the dashboard, at the same time, yellow lamps light up, which indicates that protection has been triggered during self-diagnosis.

The main reason for this phenomenon is the incorrect operation of the sensors. To fix the problem and remove all existing errors, you need to reset the computer’s memory and reset it to factory settings.

As mentioned earlier, modern cars are equipped with an electronic control unit. This computer controls the motor settings and stores them in memory. Experts recommend resetting these settings at least once a year. However, certain rules must be followed during the procedure to reduce the risk of damage to the electronics and car computer.

What do car computers do?

Your vehicle’s computer regulates and optimizes the function of the spark plugs, fuel injector, and other components. To do this, it communicates with and monitors the computer.

When your vehicle’s computer is not working properly, it will display warning signals on the dashboard. For example, if the check engine light comes on continuously, it indicates that there is a problem with your car’s computer.

What problems questioned how to reset car computer

If there is indeed a malfunction in the system, then after resetting the settings it will make itself felt, so do not worry. It turns out that critical errors that affect the operation of the motor simply cannot be reset.

These are messages that tell the car owner about:

• incorrect operation of the camshaft position sensors
• oil pressure problems
• failure of the knock sensor
• damper malfunction
• catalytic converter malfunctions
• misfiring

How to reset car computer

Manually setting the vehicle’s computer is still an ordinary and effective method of resetting the computer.

Whatsoever question with the car’s computer can be figured out quickly and easily, as erasing or resetting the car’s codes can help you solve the problem in your vehicle.

There are two methods to reset the vehicle’s computer: one is to do it with the battery disconnected, and the other is to do it without removing the battery terminals.

Open the hood and disconnect the battery

The first step is to open the cover. Next, remove the two battery terminals with the battery key and pull down the battery out of the storage space. This guarantees that no power fluxes while starting the car’s computer, as well as permitting you to carry through some repair work on the car battery and reset car computer. 

Locate the car’s fuse box and remove the fuse

Locate your vehicle’s electrical fuse box and take away the cover. Nevertheless, before taking away the fuse, be sure to check the diagram. Take away the fuse box and hold it out for 15 minutes before reinstalling it. This will help reset a car’s computer memory.

Reinstall the fuse box and reconnect the battery terminal

Later, put in the fuse and reconnect the positive battery terminal, concluding. Make sure the positive battery terminal is reconnected.

Start the vehicle and perform a test run

If you have followed these instructions to the letter, you have successfully performed the vehicle’s computer reset. You can now start your vehicle and perform a test drive, which will help the car’s computer check all sensors and record the results once again. Besides, make sure that the check engine light is not on.

Simply put, replacing the car’s computer fuse box is all that is needed to reset a car’s battery. There is also another way to reset a vehicle’s computer that does not require the positive battery terminal to be removed.

Check twice

In inexpensive cars, resetting the car computer can be done by disconnecting the positive battery terminal. To do this, turn off the engine, open the hood, remove the positive terminal from the battery and leave everything for 15 minutes. During this time, the car battery will have time to clear the information that has accumulated over a long time and check engine light.

After that, the terminal is connected. The motorist must turn the key to the second position without starting the engine, at which the starter does not start working. At this point, the control unit will scan for existing errors and check the fuse box. After that, the ignition is turned on and off again. Only then do the car computers completely restart.

After resetting the settings, the system should be configured. To do this, you need to drive at a speed of no more than 15 mph for several hundred meters. Within a few minutes, the unit will determine the existing malfunctions.

Be careful

For the computer to establish the correct settings, you need to give it time. To do this, drive at low speed a couple of hundred meters around the yard without overclocking. During this time, the car’s computer will diagnose and correct the operation of the engine and fuel supply systems.

Then you need to unscrew the steering wheel in both directions to the extreme positions so that the electric amplifier of the rack is reconfigured. After these manipulations, the car will be ready for full-fledged work.

There are other combinations of how-to reset car computer errors that do not involve disconnecting the car battery. The first step is to turn off all electrical appliances, including the audio system, headlights, air conditioning, and heating. The ignition key must be turned to the second position without starting the engine.

Back in the day

In this position, it must be left for about 20 seconds and then turned off without removing the key from the lock. After that, all actions must be repeated in the same sequence, and then remove the key.

At the next start of the engine, all errors should go out. A similar algorithm launches a forced self-diagnosis of electronic systems. It works on a variety of European brand vehicles produced since the early 2000s.

Does unplugging the car battery reset the computer?

If you reset the car’s computer, then all parameters stored in its memory will be set to their original factory state. It will subsequently be adapted and adjusted during operation until the final stage when all indicators are read and written to memory.

On Japanese-made cars, depending on the year of manufacture, in addition to self-tuning and adapting the parameters of the onboard computer, you also need to train the computer itself, that is, adjust it to your driving style. After resetting the computer, readings are read from the vehicle’s sensors, which will subsequently be recorded and saved.

Follow the instructions

Therefore, after resetting, it is recommended to test the car in various engine operating modes. Many drivers do not like to take off in a car by pressing the gas pedal to the floor and therefore, after resetting the car’s computer, this operation will not be carried out.

Accordingly, the car’s engine will not pass this mode, the computer will not record the reading, and later, when it will be necessary to sharply increase speed or overtake. We step on the gas, and the car cannot understand what we want from it, it starts to be inarticulate.

To notice

For instance, we give a command to maximize the supply of the fuel mixture, and the car computer of the vehicle is accessed. The search and selection of the desired mode, the parameters of which have not been determined and recorded in memory, is in the progress of the car’s ECU.

Consequently, this mode is not detected, and the car starts to determine the parameter of this mode, which will no longer be written to the computer’s memory because it was not initially determined. There is only one solution, reset a car computer and set it.

How long does it take for a car computer to reset?

To do this, turn off the engine, remove the positive terminal and wait at least 15 minutes (or more) for the computer memory to restore the factory settings. The battery can then be reconnected.

To reset the electronics, you need to carry out simple manipulations with the ignition: without starting the engine, move the key to the second position when the starter does not work. The car computer starts scanning all systems, recommend you check engine light. After that, turn off the ignition and turn it on again. The electronics will then restart and reset a car computer.

Should I reset my car’s computer?

Note that there is a more complicated way that helps to reset all errors. For this, a special scanner is used. These devices are sold online on the Internet. It is a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi router. It is inserted into the provided connector and connected to the phone through a pre-installed application.

The program has a convenient menu with which you can view errors and reset the computer to factory settings and reset a car computer. Warm up the car to the operating temperature. Preferably in motion. Stop the engine, and turn off the ignition.

Remove the negative terminal from the battery. Turn on the ignition, and hold the brake pedal for 30 seconds. After 2 minutes, put the terminal back on.

We start the engine without touching the gas pedal. Let it run for 15 minutes, without turning on any additional devices (the parameters are read and fixed from the sensors). After 15 minutes, stop the engine and turn off the ignition. The computer records and saves the information.

Then we start the car and switch to the automatic transmission. In all modes by holding the selector in each mode for 10-15 seconds.

We start moving, allowing the automatic transmission to shift gears independently in ascending order. Vice versa, slowly braking, we allow the automatic transmission to downshift until the car comes to a complete stop. We repeat the procedure a couple of times.

We start moving

Working out each gear as much as possible, while developing a speed of no more than 50-55 mph. We repeat the procedure a couple of times.

1. We stop, turn off the engine, and turn off the ignition.
2. The computer is configured
3. The main parameters are determined
4. Everything else needs to be finally configured by itself

Important to notice, after resetting the computer, it is necessary to perform the above operations before the car has traveled 9-12 miles because, at this time, the parameters are being adapted!

Outcome

The electronic control units in the car need to be reset periodically. This is necessary for the correct operation of all sensors and the engine. If the car has a malfunction that needs repair, all of these combinations will not work.

The system will continue to issue error warnings. These can be misfires, oil pressure problems, catalytic converter failures, and other problems. In this case, a vehicle diagnostic will be required.

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