I was bored today and decided to check my ECU codes to see if there might be a ghost knock Sensor problem. My car is reaching 60,000 miles, so i figured i might as well take a look. In the process I reset my ECU(I'm installing a Ypipe this week, so its going to be reset again anyway.) After the reset my car would barely start. after a few minutes of cranking its started, with a few puffs of white smoke at the exhaust. The car now idles dangerously low and stalls. Should I wait for the ECU to learn(or will it even fix itself) or should I fix the problem another way?

the car is a 96 i30t 5 speed stock

thanks

 

Did you follow the the write-ups and do every step correctly? Did you shut off the engine and leave the key in the "On" status? After each rotation you should wait 5 seconds then rotate again, did you time with a stop watch to make sure you waited exactly 5 seconds? I would suggest you find a good write-up other members recommend, and reset it again. If that still doesn't solve the problem then you'll just have to take it to a shop to have it checked out.

Good Luck

Andy

 

Good to see another I30 on the org...a 5psd to boot.

Make sure the screw is turned all the way to the correct location where it was originally.

 

Like said before, you turned the screw right without reseting it back to the left.

 

Since nothing at all was wrong before I messed with the ECU, im assuming its causing all the problems. I didnt use a stopwatch to measure the 5 seconds. So i may have had it turned for more than 5 seconds because I didnt believe the timing is so crucial. I followed the directions posted here. i turned the screw back to where I believed was its original location. Is there any way to tell if its turned to where it should be? Or was I supossed to count the # of rotations of the screw and remember the degrees of rotation? Is there a state the ECU could be in besides being re-set to default or not reset at all? thanks

 

Timing is not critical..just count in your head...you can leave it for 5hrs and as long as the screw is back in it's original position (FULL counter-clockwise - until it stops), you should be good to go.

 

You have to play with it to get it right, and when you are done resetting it, make sure your CEL light is lit when you are done, as should all lights be on in the gauge cluster when the key is in the on position, but the car isnt on yet, you can even hear something going on with the idle air control valve. I like to have mine at about 900(auto trans) so when I shift into gear it's at 750.

 

from what you guys are saying, I did everything corectly, and my ECU is just reset. So will the ECU learn that it should be idling higher? Or do should I change the idle speed myself?

 

No, your car should not be doing what it's doing and the ECU does not need to "learn" anything. If the only thing different since the car started running bad was that you pulled your codes, then I bet $20 that you don't have the ECU screw in the correct position. Go check it. It will take 5 min. Make sure it is all the way turned to the original postition...don't remeber if that is clock wise or counter clock wise, but it say right there next to the screw.

If the screw is not put back to the original postitioin then the car will run and idle funny. It happens all the time.

 

Counter clkwise

 

alright, im going to try that. i guess i was confused as to whether to turn it all the way counterclock wise or to where it was originally, which was not quite at the stop point of turning it counterclockwise.

 

yeah, turning it counterclockwise ALL the way fixed the problem. thanks!