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2016 ECU reset?


Rick

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After seeing this in regard to pre 2016 NC's I wondered if there is a similar ECU reset for post 2016 bikes, or may-be they do not have any problems in this area?

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SteveThackery

Now this is weird.  I've got the official 2016 shop manual in front of me and I cannot find any mention of an ECU reset procedure.  Rick - are you referring to the ECU recalibrate procedure, where you start the engine from cold and let it run until the fan kicks in?  If so, I can't find any mention of it.  If you are referring to the method for wiping out stored fault codes, I can let you know how to do that.

 

Folks: does anyone know where the procedure is described for the earlier models?  Can you let me know the manual section?  If so, I might guide me to the right spot in the 2016 manual.

 

Or, could it be that there never was an official ECU reset, and it's just a story that has grown by repetition?

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embee
8 hours ago, SteveThackery said:

Or, could it be that there never was an official ECU reset, and it's just a story that has grown by repetition?

I believe it is this, but may be wrong. It's one of those things that if it works it might be helpful, if it doesn't there's no harm, so on balance it's worth a try.

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SteveThackery
1 minute ago, embee said:

It's one of those things that if it works it might be helpful, if it doesn't there's no harm, so on balance it's worth a try.

 

Indeed, yes.  But if it is just an old wive's tale then we shouldn't keep repeating it with authority, like it's a fact comparable with the DCT recalibration (which is in the manual).

 

Murray - when it comes to ECUs calibrating themselves (or "learning" as I've heard it described), have you a good understanding of what they actually do?  I've tried to find a detailed account of what they are doing, but at best got some hand-waving and vague stuff about "adjusting for wear and tear", etc, which doesn't help explain the learning algorithm or process at all.

As our forum guru we turn to you for answers like this!  :)

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embee

I agree about the repeating, and I usually try to add a caveat when referring to it. I don't know where we could get any confirmation or denial other than Honda, and if it isn't in the workshop manual I doubt it's a genuine feature, but until proven wrong we may as well suggest it with the appropriate qualifying statement that it's not proven.

 

ECUs can be "adaptive" in that under certain conditions they can adjust a reference value in order to get the system working "mid-range" so to speak.

For example, the so-called reset procedure we are discussing could work by looking at the feedback from the lambda sensor and see where it is working. If it turns out the swings were biased towards lean correction for example, it could adjust the base setting to be slightly leaner (shorter injection time) to balance the correction. Due to the sensitive nature of such things it usually only works under specific conditions (e.g. no throttle inputs during warm up until fan runs etc) to avoid spurious alterations. It could also use it for referencing the idle air controller.

 

I'm not up to date on ECU stuff, but there was a time when knock systems could be adaptive, so if it always saw knock detection at certain conditions it could "re-map" itself at that speed/load site to back off the ignition map, for example. I don't know if this is the case with more modern stuff.

 

It's basically a question of applying some sort of simple logic function, IF A=B AND X>Y THEN Z=Z-1

 

To be honest I'm tending towards thinking the NC doesn't have any adaptive capability, but it does no harm so ................

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1 hour ago, embee said:

I believe it is this, but may be wrong. It's one of those things that if it works it might be helpful, if it doesn't there's no harm, so on balance it's worth a try.

I'm not sure I believe that story about the woman who put her poodle in the microwave to dry it after a bath, either, but the stories have to start somewhere. 😜

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DaveM59

ECU reset made absolutely no difference to my 2012 model. I don't believe the ECU loses any stored settings just because you remove the power, but tried it anyway. There will  be memory holding the base program map that doesn't require power and the same type of memory will be used to hold mapping changes after sensor inputs for normal running. Error codes are kept in memory despite powering off and need manual cleaning.

DCC reset does do something, you can hear something moving for a split second just as you start the engine that isn't heard normally as if the clutch movement or free play is being re-calibrated. Definitely not a difference you would consider a major improvement though, I suspect a lot is in your head because you believe it has made a difference, but in reality the system is making the same adjustment in real time as you ride. If you have a real mechanical problem or defect it may help smooth it out, but it doesn't change the shifting of a gearbox that is working within tolerance before hand.

 

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embee

The engine ECU definitely doesn't lose or forget any mapping data. The only question is whether it can adapt at all, I suspect not, but as said it does no harm.

The DCT clutch initialisation is a different issue completely, it is defined in the workshop manual.

 

There are also procedures for fitting/removing a foot shifter and I think also the throttle body (air meter) change.

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Andy m

An ECU is just running a control loop no matter how complex. Start at setting A. If B increases reduce by C, if B decreases increase by C. Repeat. When B is the same number three times in a row store the current value of C+A as the new A. Brake ECU's remember if the vehicle was laden or unladen so long as the ignition is on. It means each application after the third is smoother. 

 

The so called reset just puts any stored settings back to what they were out of the factory.  Mostly such procedures just wipe the error memory. Do not get drawn in by thinking something with as much intelligence as a video recorder is R2D2. If the dealer ever calls the ECU a "brain" smack him in the teeth with his voodoo wand and run.

 

The Hurley-Pugh currently has a throttle position sensor fail. Diagnosed it with a multimeter and a bit of wire

 

 

Andy

Edited by Andy m
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