Disconnect my battery!?!

[patullose]

hey guys, ive herd that if u disconnect your batter for 10 min's and then Reconnect it..and then take it for a 15 min drive it will re set your computer and give it better Fuel eco? can anyone comfirm this??
thanks

Sean,

[kopper69]

Not the way but if you do a search we have discussed the right way to do it. Dont get confused about 'computers' in the car. There are different types, this just works for the 'RAM' type if you like, as oppose to the 'ROM' type which cannot be altered. No need to drive for 15 mins. You can disconnect your battery but you can also just remove your engine fuse (I would be disconnecting the battery as least as possible to avoid wearing out contacts). This will reset your error codes as well. Some people say rev to 3000rpm when you start it some say just leave it for a minute for computer to take readings but do the search and read what we have discussed.

[nomad]

The battery in my VR has been disconnected a couple of times for different reasons, the first time for 2 weeks, 2nd time for 1 hour. Both times it was reconnected, I just started the motor & left it idling for a couple of minutes like I do every morning when it's cold before moving off. Everything worked fine both times, including having the same good fuel consumption.

[patullose]

Not the way but if you do a search we have discussed the right way to do it. Dont get confused about 'computers' in the car. There are different types, this just works for the 'RAM' type if you like, as oppose to the 'ROM' type which cannot be altered. No need to drive for 15 mins. You can disconnect your battery but you can also just remove your engine fuse (I would be disconnecting the battery as least as possible to avoid wearing out contacts). This will reset your error codes as well. Some people say rev to 3000rpm when you start it some say just leave it for a minute for computer to take readings but do the search and read what we have discussed.

Thanks mate, what should i do a search for???

[sircruisealotVS]

I just started the motor & left it idling for a couple of minutes like I do every morning when it's cold before moving off. Everything worked fine both times, including having the same good fuel consumption.

there's no need to "warm up" a fuel injected engine...start her up and as soon as the revs smooth out your good to go (takes about as long as putting your seat belt on).

[nomad]

there's no need to "warm up" a fuel injected engine...start her up and as soon as the revs smooth out your good to go (takes about as long as putting your seat belt on).

Does that also apply in the minus 4 degree & less temperatures we experience in my part of the world in winter.

[sircruisealotVS]

Does that also apply in the minus 4 degree & less temperatures we experience in my part of the world in winter.

it sure does

[nomad]

Ok. Thanks sircruise. I'm finding there's a lot more to learn about these later model cars than I thought. Before this one the latest model car I'd owned was a 1983 model.

[sircruisealotVS]

no worries mate...im probably the opposite to you..i know a fair bit about cars from late 80's on, but once someone starts talkin about carbies and old 202 motors and stuff im lost, lol.

[Don Sutton]

The practice of warming cars up was often detrimental in that many left the engine idling. The oil being thick when cold specially with older oils meant that very little was thrown onto the cylinder walls. Some vehicles from the 70's used to (these from colder countries as well) have a statement that the vehicle is best driven straight off from cold and less damage is done by driving straight off from cold than allowing the engine to idle. There used to be a recommended speed of approx 1000 - 1500 rpm. Of course now with Euro 3 emmission regulations, many vehicles (automatics) have a feature programmed into them to delay upshifts by approx 1000 rpm until the engine attains 58deg C. This is to warm the catylitic convertor quicker but also warms the engine quicker. The only thing is it makes your neighbours think you have turned into a revhead as your roar up the road in the morning heading to work.
On the subject of disconnecting the battery giving better economy. It is unlikely that this would happen as the computer would take a fresh read of the sensors and if it found one that was not giving a sensible reading either uses the last known good reading (just been destroyed by disconnecting battery) or uses a default value. If there was nothing wrong with the sensor readings there would be no change. You would really need to address the problem of faulty sensors if the ECU was using default values.