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Battery "Lobotomy"

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Old 11-11-2020, 12:35 PM
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Battery "Lobotomy"

The procedure for a reset of the ECM on this web site is always to just disconnect the negative battery cable and nothing else.
On a laptop or PC you unplug the power source or remove the battery and then press the power button to discharge any stored power that's in the circuits of the unit.
This video I have makes more sense in doing the ECM reset in a car because it dumps any stored energy in it, like it would on the laptop or PC.
The procedure starts at 4:50 but listen to the whole thing.
Thanks.
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Old 11-11-2020, 12:48 PM
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Disconnect the negative cable for a full 30 minutes, that’ll take care of the discharge.
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Old 11-11-2020, 01:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Oldblue
Disconnect the negative cable for a full 30 minutes, that’ll take care of the discharge.
Did you not read what said ?
Just disconnecting the negative does not discharge stored energy in the ECM on any other "ECM' in the car.
Do you remember a points and condenser distributor ?
Do you know the trick you can play on people with the condenser ?
Do you remember cathode ray tubes in TV's and how dangerous it could be to change a burnt out tube in it even with the power cord unplugged ?
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Old 11-11-2020, 01:44 PM
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Is there evidence that this method does anything different than the 30 minute negative cable disconnect?

When I call tech support, they tell me to unplug the router and modem for at least 30 seconds. There has never been instruction to push any buttons or do anything else while they are unplugged.

Perhaps this video is for if you don't want to wait the 30 minutes for any capacitors to discharge.
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Old 11-11-2020, 02:14 PM
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Originally Posted by RJ_RS_SS_350
Is there evidence that this method does anything different than the 30 minute negative cable disconnect?

When I call tech support, they tell me to unplug the router and modem for at least 30 seconds. There has never been instruction to push any buttons or do anything else while they are unplugged.

Perhaps this video is for if you don't want to wait the 30 minutes for any capacitors to discharge.
I have to say this is a more positive way of discharging energy.
Remember the condenser trick I posted about ?
If you hold that item in you fingers by the outside case and spin the engine over and let the coil wire arc to it you have now stored potential energy in it.
Ask someone to now hold that condenser in their hand. They will get a shock.
Reason is they completed a circuit from case to wire lead to discharge the energy.
Overtime capacitors will lose stored energy but how long ? Some might take 1 second and others can take days.

Here is reading on why you unplug and just not shut off a router or modem:
https://www.howtogeek.com/165110/do-...st-10-seconds/

Love to have more thoughts and discussion on this.
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste".
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Old 11-11-2020, 02:38 PM
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There are no points, condenser or cathode ray tubes in my HHR..............just saying.
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Old 11-11-2020, 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by firemangeorge
There are no points, condenser or cathode ray tubes in my HHR..............just saying.
There are capacitors in ECM's. Capacitors and condensers do the same function.
I did get your joke.
Or did I ?
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Old 11-11-2020, 04:37 PM
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So which button do you think we should push?
and yes I remember the condenser trick, shocking!
the cathode ray tube was dangerous, we were told to shoot old TV sets and never use an aluminum bat to smash them, or metal pipe!
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Old 11-11-2020, 05:32 PM
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The capacitors discharge is a few minutes. GM says to pull the airbag fuse 20 minutes before working on them to discharge the "stay alive" capacitor, I suspect that one discharges slowest of any in the ECM. Any OBD testing that goes on is powered by the battery.

It takes a pretty large capacitor to hold a charge for any length of time, a capacitor is just a battery.

Not only do capacitors and condenser do the same function they are 2 names for the same thing.
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Old 11-12-2020, 02:42 AM
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Originally Posted by donbrew

Not only do capacitors and condenser do the same function they are 2 names for the same thing.
Thank you Don for this statement.
Back high school physics class I said the same thing to the teacher and had a "heated" discussion about it.
The teacher never agreed with me and said the two were different.
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