ECM Resetting

[Zora1]

After installing a reman ECM in my 84', I noticed in the manual it says to drive the car gently with little throttle until "performance returns." It says that everytime you disconnect the battery, the ECM clears all memory, and it must relearn the vehicle. I've disconnected the battery several times (since the manual tells you to do that for many repairs) and have never altered my driving style. Does anyone know how important this rule is and what impact is has or does not have on performance?

 

[L82Dan]

Yes, that is what I understand too! I am needing a battery change in 1996 Camaro and was thinking about that very same thing. Mid-America Corvette out of Effingham, IL sells a device that your attach a 9-volt battery to and then plugs into your cig lighter. It suppose to keep enough current flowing to keep your radio and clock setting untouched and keep the ECM from reseting. I don't know it it works, since I don't have one, but maybe someone else has used one before. If the ECM reset is true and you disconnect your battery alot, you might want to get one. I have a 1979 model, so I don't have a ECM onboard. That's all I know.

 

[vigman]

Just Drive it normally

The Car will learn what it needs...

If the idle is Funky

Start it up ( and before 10 seconds ) shut it off...

Restart

It will relearn the Idle routine


Vig!

 

[Mikebmab]

This is indeed true it does this so it can check itself for a Now start against a memory parameters. It can sometimes take up to 25 restarts to set a complete new memory on some vehicles. This why you can have 1 computer to work at sea level & or Mile High Colorado. And Yes the 9volt plug in works to retain current settings. You can make these fairly easy with a coulpe of alligator clips to a 9v. connector and attach to the B+ & B- ends too. or go to Radio Shack & get a cigg plug in to make this type.

Mike