One of the first things you might ask yourself after getting your new car is “How do I reset the ECU?”. An ECU is the electronic control unit of your vehicle and if it goes wrong or malfunctions, then it can cost you quite a lot to get it fixed. So you should know what does each stand for? What is an ECU?
How to Reset a Car’s ECU?
An ECU is what the technicians call an Electronic Control Unit or ECU. It is the brain of your vehicle – a computer that tells your car what to do and when to do it. The ECU is what keeps your engine from jumping out of sync, from smoking while you are driving, and from making that irritating squeal when you jump out of your car in traffic. And if the end malfunctions, well then it is definitely a problem and a reason for you to find out how to reset the ECU.
How do you reset the ECU? In order to reset the ECU, you need to remove the battery from your car. Then disconnect the electric power connection from the ECU. Then you need to take the screwdriver that comes with your menu and tap into the little plastic slot on the backside of the eye. The plastic flap may pop open and reveal a wire that is coloured blue or black – this is the wire that you will need to unplug and release the power from the vehicle.
Now that you have removed the electric power, release the ground from the positive and negative terminals on the wire. You can do this by either unplugging the wire from the receptacle or by pulling up on the switch to release the positive and negative tension from the wire. It is a good idea to have someone help you do this as not to damage the switch or the receptacle itself. Once you have done this, remove the screws that are holding the switch in place from the vehicle. Now you can remove the switch and recheck the wiring to ensure that it is still connected to the vehicle.
Next, you need to reconnect the battery to the vehicle. It may be required that you reset the ECU battery to make room for the new one. Once the battery is connected, the next step on your How to reset a car’s ECU? agenda is to connect the sensor switch to the ECU.
There are actually five wires that make up the ECU sensor switch. These wires are black, red, white, ground, and neutral. You will need to identify which wire goes to which terminal on the ECU. If you cannot figure this out, then you may want to enlist the help of someone with automotive knowledge. Most vehicles have the standard black wire, but there are some newer vehicles that have what is called “hot” wires that go to different terminals. In order to determine what kind of wire is needed for your vehicle, you will need to consult the owner’s manual or look it up online.
Once you have successfully connected to the switch, you can then proceed to reset the ignition switch. This involves removing the key from the ignition and detaching the wiring from the switch. Then you must remove the new switch and attach the new wiring. Once you do this, you must replace the key into the ignition and reinstall the switch. Then, you must plug the vehicle back in and reattach all of the wires.
Finally, you will want to replace the bad battery. This is also an easy task as long as you have the correct tools. In most cases, you can use the screwdriver to remove the cap on the battery and place the new one in. Following this, you can reconnect the wiring to the car’s ECU. If you followed these steps, you should be able to reset your car’s ignition and run it with a fresh battery.
