Resetting your car computer (Engine Control Module) is one of the simplest things anyone can get done in minutes without having to call your mechanic or visit your manual. Even a complete newbie doesn’t need to be spoon-fed before he can get this done.
The car computer is a vital part of a car that plays a significant role in monitoring and adjusting the engine’s emissions by receiving information from different sensors like the oxygen sensor, the air temperature, pressure sensor, and many others.
Because of how important the car computer is, ensuring you do the resetting right is as important as the car’s maintenance.
A minor mistake can cause serious damage. In this article, you’ll find out if it is possible to reset a car computer and if yes, is it possible without disconnecting the car’s battery?
Can You Reset Car Computer Without Disconnecting Battery?
Yes, you can reset the car computer without disconnecting the battery, it would cost you a code reader and a fuse puller.
At first, it is a choice you get to make between getting the reset done with or without disconnecting your car battery. Whichever one you settle in for, there is a procedure to have it done without breaking a sweat.
How to Reset Car Computer without Disconnecting Battery
Now, you probably don’t want to disconnect your car battery for reasons best known to you, but that’s fine. Sometimes it is best that way and other times, we just want to satisfy that part of us that is interested in removing the car’s battery.
For whatever reasons you want to have your car computer reset done without disconnecting the battery, cheers. Here’s a simple method to get it done.
Step One: Open the Hood and Remove the Fuse
At first, everyone knows what a car hood is, now that you know it, open it and locate the fuse box. In case you are not so familiar with the fuse box, I always position it behind the car’s engine.
After locating the fuse behind the car’s engine, remove the fuse with a tag name “Back-up” and the other “ECM or EMU”.
Step Two: Install The Removed Fuse
Now that you have removed the fuses after locating them, it isn’t a smart move to install them back immediately. Not that it is dangerous but there is no point resetting if you can’t wait some minutes before installing the fuses back to where they were before.
If you can’t wait long enough, you should at least maintain 10-15 minutes before adding the fuse. After you must have added the fuses back, don’t forget to put the fuses cover.
Many people always forget to do this but you shouldn’t because a fuse without its cover exposes it to more danger, to avoid creating another avenue for expenses, ensure you put the fuse cover as well.
Step Three: Do A Test Drive
Now, probably you’re asking yourself, when will I do a reset? Initially, I would’ve asked the same question if I’m a total newbie and someone handed this to me this as a guide to get a reset done without disconnecting my battery.
Well, the truth is, you just did a reset by removing the fuse and putting it back in. Now, what you need to do is a test drive.
Doing a test drive is also as important as removing and installing the fuses, when you do a test drive, ensure you focus on how your car functions when driving and also don’t take your eyes off the engine light.
If the engine light is still on, then the resetting didn’t work. The engine light should turn off. It’s this simple.
In a brief, if you want to reset your car computer without having to remove the battery, what you need to do is to open your hood, locate the fuse, remove it and install it after 15mins. When that’s done, do a test drive to confirm if your vehicle is back to normal.
Pros Of Resetting Your Car Computer Without Removing The Battery
The advantages of resetting car computer without having to disconnect the battery are many. They are:
1. It Doesn’t Damage The Car Computer
This is not entirely true, and neither is it false. You could be unlucky while trying to remove your car battery as a consistent habit damages your car’s computer. If at all the car computer isn’t damaged, it could be because it malfunctions.
This is because when the battery is disconnected longer than normal just to reset your car computer; it is likely to cause the processor to forget all that it knows.
Just like how a designer can leave design for some time only to struggle to be as skilled as before, the same is how your car’s processor struggles to regain its memory. This alone makes it a super advantage against removing your car battery to reset the car computer.
2. It Doesn’t Affect The Car Computer Alone
It Does More if the car computer becomes faulty, other aspects of your car get affected, you could lose your air conditioning, your door windows might not work, there could also be false warning lights and other electrical damages can happen.
The damage to the car computer can lead to the removal of the car battery. It’s best to reset your car computer without having to remove the battery, it is safer and better.
Cons Of Resetting Your Car Computer Without Removing The Battery
I know you probably pictured a list of things you possibly think will go wrong if you choose not to remove your battery before doing a computer reset. You feel it isn’t idle to do right?
Well, removing your battery has its own fault but leaving your battery possible has no fault, you are not at risk of being electrified, and neither will you have to worry about your car computer developing a fault.
It’s a swift process, so get it done if you want to.
Pros Of Resetting Your Car Computer
Many car owners have probably asked their mechanic why there is a need to do a car computer reset. Is it needed? If I don’t do it, what are the likely things that will go wrong?
The ECM holds your car system together because it plays an essential role in reading and taking records of the car’s engine.
Keeping records requires that it is able to monitor trouble code, track data, and also indicate and help you identify which part of your vehicle is not functioning.
Vehicles are bound to develop a fault with time, even with the best maintenance, there will always be one error you need to correct, unlike someone who doesn’t do any maintenance, it could be worse but no one truly escapes this, and to make the work easier, the car computer can detect where there is a problem in your engine so fixing can be done.
Now imagine when your car computer finally develops some errors, it won’t be able to read the details and codes that are needed and your car won’t function to its best abilities.
A reset is important to make the car’s computer function better. One of the major things resetting your car computer will do is to ensure it forgets its former error and functions better.
Without this, your entire car system is in a state of confusion. Aside from the electrical aspects of your vehicle, even the engine becomes vulnerable.
Conclusion
Resetting your car computer will only take you minutes. It is neither a technical procedure nor a power draining procedure, it is easy and simple. As important as the engine is to the car so is your car computer, ensure you do a reset when needed.
