Try A Battery Cable Reset For Those Odd Electrical Problems (B12010E)

TRY A BATTERY CABLE RESET FOR THOSE ODD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS

SERVICE NEWS ARTICLE

SERVICE INFORMATION

EDITOR'S NOTE:  This article replaces "Electronic Component Troubleshooting Tips" issued in August 2007  .

Many automotive systems today rely on software. Should that software develop errors, which can happen from something like a low battery or interrupting a learn procedure, it can cause all sorts of odd electrical problems that can be hard to troubleshoot. If you've got such a problem, try doing a battery cable reset; it just might do the trick.

A battery cable reset forces all capacitors to discharge faster, and clears and resets most control unit volatile memory. It's like removing and reinstalling the battery in a cell phone that's acting weird or locking up.

Before you start, make sure the battery is fully charged. A low battery can cause problems with electronics. Then, get the anti-theft code and write down your client's audio presets.

Now, follow these steps:

1. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0), and remove the key. This lessens the chance of voltage spikes.
2. Disconnect the battery cables-negative  cable first, then positive  .
3. Short the battery cables together with a jumper wire.
4. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II), and wait 10 minutes  .
5. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0), and remove the key.
6. Remove the jumper wire, and reconnect the battery cables-positive  cable first, then negative  .
7. Check ISIS, and do the required reset/learn procedures for the vehicle you're working on.
8. Enter the anti-theft code, and restore your client's settings.

You can watch a demo of this procedure in a new Tech2Tech  segment coming your way.