Should I Reset the ECU?

[BlackKnight]

I just purchased a 2012 explorer with 26k miles on it. I have been reading on the forums about how the explorer "learns" your driving style. Should I disconnect my battery cable to reset the ECU in order to adapt to my style? Is it possible this could generate better gas mileage if I am very slow from the stop. If the previous owner was very aggressive, I'm thinking this could benefit me. What are your opinions?

 

[HughCares]

I just purchased a 2012 explorer with 26k miles on it. I have been reading on the forums about how the explorer "learns" your driving style. Should I disconnect my battery cable to reset the ECU in order to adapt to my style? Is it possible this could generate better gas mileage if I am very slow from the stop. If the previous owner was very aggressive, I'm thinking this could benefit me. What are your opinions?

Don't waste your time....the transmission will adapt and adjust it's shift points to your driving habits over time. Just like it would have to if you were to reset it......

 

[1995E]

You can if you want. No harm in doing it I think.

 

[plumbago]

In a word the answer to your questions is YES. If it were my used car, and I just purchased it, I would disconnect the battery for 10 minutes or more, known as a Master Reset, and then start over with the "transmission learn" based on your driving style....also you should read the manual on allowing the motor to re-learn the "Idle and Fuel Trim" after the reset, and before you drive it.....It's a short procedure, but well worth your time.......best regards Plum

 

[13Sport]

Don't waste your time....the transmission will adapt and adjust it's shift points to your driving habits over time. Just like it would have to if you were to reset it......

If I learn to do something one way my whole life, it takes a lot longer to learn to do it a completely different way. If I've never learned to do something then learning to do it one way is much faster. The learning transmission is kinda the same. It will learn faster from a clean state than from an already learned state.

 

[HughCares]

If I learn to do something one way my whole life, it takes a lot longer to learn to do it a completely different way. If I've never learned to do something then learning to do it one way is much faster. The learning transmission is kinda the same. It will learn faster from a clean state than from an already learned state.

So you're saying that you are "slow"...Okay...who am I to argue!

I also think you are over analyzing the subtle shift point differences/changes that tranny likely makes. The OP is making the assumption that the vehicle was driven aggressively when in fact it may have been driven no different than how he himself drives. The gas mileage improvements in my uneducated opinion would be negligible at best by re-setting it versus leaving it alone. Does his wife also drive identical to his style (assuming that he is married)? She had better or the tranny will be forever confused!

My original point was that will adapt quick enough without intervention and the gas mileage will most likely not suffer to any degree while doing so.


From the owner's manual:
"Automatic transmission adaptive learning
Your transmission is equipped with an adaptive learning strategy found in the vehicle computer. This feature is designed to increase durability and provide consistent shift feel over the life of the vehicle. A new vehicle or transmission may have firm and/or soft shifts. This operation is considered normal and will not affect function or durability of the transmission. Over time, the adaptive learning process will fully update transmission operation."

 

[13Sport]

So you're saying that you are "slow"...Okay...who am I to argue!

I also think you are over analyzing the subtle shift point differences/changes that tranny likely makes. The OP is making the assumption that the vehicle was driven aggressively when in fact it may have been driven no different than how he himself drives. The gas mileage improvements in my uneducated opinion would be negligible at best by re-setting it versus leaving it alone. Does his wife also drive identical to his style (assuming that he is married)? She had better or the tranny will be forever confused!

ok, so if you want to make it more technical.
The transmission is using mathematical calculations based on data stored as the car is driven. If there is no data to begin with, then it would take far less data to create averages relevant to the current driving patterns. If there is a large amount of data present, it takes a large amount of data to overcome already calculated averages.

example.. if there is nobody in a room, and you add 4 people all aged 10, the average age of the people in the room is 10. If there are 100 people in the room and the calculated average for those people is 20, it may take hundreds of people age 10 and lower to bring the average back down to 10. If you want a room full of people w/ the average age of 10, and you already have people age 10, then start w/ an empty room.

The wife's driving habits would be included in the newly calculated data points and the car should adjust to driving somewhere between both of their styles. At any rate, starting over with no data is going to take FAR LESS time to develop a programming tree for the transmission, than if you are overcoming calculations based on what may be millions of existing data points.

 

[HughCares]

ok, so if you want to make it more technical.
The transmission is using mathematical calculations based on data stored as the car is driven. If there is no data to begin with, then it would take far less data to create averages relevant to the current driving patterns. If there is a large amount of data present, it takes a large amount of data to overcome already calculated averages.

example.. if there is nobody in a room, and you add 4 people all aged 10, the average age of the people in the room is 10. If there are 100 people in the room and the calculated average for those people is 20, it may take hundreds of people age 10 and lower to bring the average back down to 10. If you want a room full of people w/ the average age of 10, and you already have people age 10, then start w/ an empty room.

The wife's driving habits would be included in the newly calculated data points and the car should adjust to driving somewhere between both of their styles. At any rate, starting over with no data is going to take FAR LESS time to develop a programming tree for the transmission, than if you are overcoming calculations based on what may be millions of existing data points.

You are falsely assuming that ALL the data is stored and never purged. There is no way that the system would have room to store (nor need to) all of the data. I would bet that only so much info is stored before the system starts replacing the oldest data with the new. Which then becomes the average and is also likely always a moving target (up or down) since we are only human and can't ever accelerate identically every time.
And you just solidified my point when you spoke of how the wife's data would be integrated. Thus the need to NOT feel compelled to reset the entire system as it will not likely make a hint of difference in the OP's concern for better gas mileage.......

 

[Lewisra]

I'd say it's a good thing to do it. Also, do a master reset of your MFT(assuming you have it) before disconnecting the battery.

 

[BlackKnight]

I'd say it's a good thing to do it. Also, do a master reset of your MFT(assuming you have it) before disconnecting the battery.

What does doing a master reset of the MFT do? How do I do this?

 

[FordIVTteam]

Hi BlackKnight,

Congrats on your new-to-you Explorer!

While I can't answer your other questions, I do want to jump in and say a master reset to MFT will not do anything for your situation. All it does is reset your SYNC settings back to factory defaults. Crystal at FordService will be able to point you in the right direction for your ECU questions. Don't hesitate to contact me for any SYNC, MyFord Touch, or navigation questions.

Rebecca

 

[rb142]

Waste of time. Disconnecting the battery won't do anything, because the adaptations are stored in non-volatile (flash) memory and would still be there unless cleared through a commanded reset. There is no stored history of data, so the idea that it would take less time to adapt is wrong. That's not how the systems adapt. It's also not really about a particular driver's behavior. These are subtle modifications to the shift control that are mainly to account for changes over time in the powertrain and vehicle-to-vehicle build differences. You will eventually adapt to essentially the same place you are now. And you aren't going to notice a change in fuel economy as a result. Just drive the truck.

 

[Lewisra]

Hi BlackKnight,

Congrats on your new-to-you Explorer!

While I can't answer your other questions, I do want to jump in and say a master reset to MFT will not do anything for your situation. All it does is reset your SYNC settings back to factory defaults. Crystal at FordService will be able to point you in the right direction for your ECU questions. Don't hesitate to contact me for any SYNC, MyFord Touch, or navigation questions.

Rebecca

I wasn't clear on why to do the master reset to MFT. My point was supposed to be that since he was disconnecting the battery to possibly clear the ECU, the MFT would also reboot. That along with the master reset could clear up any "issues" and remove any prior settings with MFT. Definitely does not have anything to do with the ECU or shifting patterns, sorry.