ECU reset

[bluedog]

After my ecu reset, I'm now getting hesitation at 5000rpm every now and then. So much that even my wife noticed it, and she's not too interested in my car behaviour.

After the pause for about 0.5 seconds at 5000rpm, it continues hammering towards the redline as if nothing happened. Quite strange to me...

Has anyone else found this? Is it a common side-effect of the ecu reset?

[Sinister]

After my ecu reset, I'm now getting hesitation at 5000rpm every now and then. So much that even my wife noticed it, and she's not too interested in my car behaviour.

After the pause for about 0.5 seconds at 5000rpm, it continues hammering towards the redline as if nothing happened. Quite strange to me...

Has anyone else found this? Is it a common side-effect of the ecu reset?

do you have an 07 STi?

[bluedog]

Sorry, I didn't say. I actually have a gf8 (gc8) STI v4. It's the MY98 year.

I've never had it happen before, and it's sprung up now.

[bluedog]

I figured out the strange hesitation type effect at 5000rpm. It's the clutch slipping. At first it seemed like a bit of hesitation, and then now it's much more obvious. The rpms start to rise out of sync with the road speed at about 4000rpm when the boost hits, they go up, then come back down again. Looks expensive

[Anulith]

Ok, so I got my 2004 WRX last fall used with about 50k miles on it. I've since put about 6k on it. I haven't done any modifications myself however I can see that the previous owner has done a few. I know for sure that he installed a typhoon intake system. The only other modification that I know of is I've adjusted the clutch a little (just two turns).

I decided that I would try the ecu reset since I had been driving with regular fuel up until recently and have now switched to 93 octane. I went out to a secluded parking lot and disconnected the negative terminal. Pumped the brakes a few times and then hooked the terminal back up. I started up the car and ensured that it was properly warm. I set the emergency brake and put it in third. I started letting out on the clutch and accelerating. I got to positive boost and was holding when I heard a pop and smoke started billowing out from somewhere underneath the intercooler. I immediately stopped and shut off the engine. Smoke kept coming for a while but eventually cleared up. It smelt kind of like I had set off a bottle rocket or something. After I let it cool down I started it right up and drove it home (gently mind you). I haven't moved it since. Any ideas as to what I could have **cked up?

I should mention that I've never really been into cars much before, the most I had every done was change my oil and brake pads so I'm not completely familiar with all the terminology and definitely don't know what I'm doing.

***Edit***

I should also mention that when I heard the pop and saw the smoke that the rpm's immediately started going down but the boost stayed about the same until I let up on the gas.

[Sinister]

Directly beneath the intercooler is the transmission, to the passenger side of the intercooler is the turbo, towards the bottom front of the intercooler is the intake manifold and the throttle body. Can you give us a more exact location?

Also, was it black, grey, white, blue-grey smoke? Any sounds on the drive home?

[Anulith]

The smoke was gray in color. The smoke and smell seems to be coming from somewhere around/beneath the throttle. I had a buddy look at it to help me identify where it was coming from and we started it up and revved it a bit. No more smoke but as soon as you start it the smell comes back very strong. He said the smell smelled electrical to him but we couldn't find anything.

My buddy's hypothesis is that the computer may have not been trained well enough to handle that kind of stress and was operating in an open loop allowing some raw fuel to come back and have a back fire. He's not a mechanic by any means but he definitely knows a lot more than I do. Anyone else think this may be the issue or is there more than likely something else that I should take to get checked out?

This photo isn't of mine but I've used it to try and show you where the smoke and smell came from.

[YBNormal07]

Did you stop and check to see if any fluids were on the ground where this happened? Have you been under the car to look in that same area?

There are many reasons why this happened in that area:
1. popped a coolant line and spilled coolant overy your exhaust
2. popped an oil return line from the turbo and spilled oil on the exhaust
3. Roasted your cat which plugged the exhaust then popped a gasket letting exaust come out the front.
4. Clutch/brake master cylinder let loose (doutdbull from the location)
5. Turbo is smoked.
6. A wire/hose is touching the exhaust manifold/tubing.

I can think of a few other reasons too. First, you need to get the car up in the air and closely inspect the engine/tranny. You also need to check the CEL history and see if any issues are showing up in the ECU. If you can't identify the source with inspection/CEL check, try slowly increasing rpms in neutral and while driving to see if you better identify the location. Also have a look at your exahust to see if any smoke is coming from it.

Check these things out and get back with us. Sorry you are having this issue. First I've heard of something like this.

[Jimbolion]

im sure this thread is hella old, but first time reading through it ...


gonna try it tomorrow before work.

[nfm]

@Jimbolion
I hope it goes well

Is it necessary to reset ECU the way described here after flashing to a new map using AccessPort?

[tivenr]

The smoke was gray in color. The smoke and smell seems to be coming from somewhere around/beneath the throttle. I had a buddy look at it to help me identify where it was coming from and we started it up and revved it a bit. No more smoke but as soon as you start it the smell comes back very strong. He said the smell smelled electrical to him but we couldn't find anything.

My buddy's hypothesis is that the computer may have not been trained well enough to handle that kind of stress and was operating in an open loop allowing some raw fuel to come back and have a back fire. He's not a mechanic by any means but he definitely knows a lot more than I do. Anyone else think this may be the issue or is there more than likely something else that I should take to get checked out?

This photo isn't of mine but I've used it to try and show you where the smoke and smell came from.

same exact thing happened to me yesterday - white smoke. smelled like burned clutch, i turned the car off and let it cool for a couple minutes, then I disconnected the neg pole from the battery, presses the brakes a couple times, re-connected the battery and then started the car and drove home. I didnt want to do any more experimenting being that i was 35miles away from home. Anyone have an idea about the smoke? i dont think its something to worry too much about, but the smell is still there. It might be because it just impregnated everything in the engine bay with it.

[Lbleiweiss]

Hey guys just read this thread today if you reset a car with a protune flashed on the ECU *no engine management at the time of protune* Is there a way to transfer protuned map onto an AP and still be able to revert to stock like from the manufacturer?

If not, would reseting the ECU put my ECU back to stock?

[bhodgy41]

I know its an old thread but today i finally got around to resetting the ecu and after i did the one to upgrade the ECU and i had the e brake engaged rev'd it up over 3000 rpms let the clutch out and maintained while doing so my car began to smoke from under the IC in the turbo side it was a white smoke and of course smelt terrible anyone know what that may be? I literally just replaced my clutch last weekend car still runs fine after smoke

[YBNormal07]

I know its an old thread but today i finally got around to resetting the ecu and after i did the one to upgrade the ECU and i had the e brake engaged rev'd it up over 3000 rpms let the clutch out and maintained while doing so my car began to smoke from under the IC in the turbo side it was a white smoke and of course smelt terrible anyone know what that may be? I literally just replaced my clutch last weekend car still runs fine after smoke

Check back and see responces for other car with same smoke issue. Do a thorough visual inspection and let us know what you find. The other guy never did.

I'm assuming you didn't totally let the clutch out?

I'm also starting to think that maybe brake torquing is the way to go for some folks too.

[bhodgy41]

yeah that must be it i didn't let the clutch out all the way cuz thats what it smells like since i just got my new clutch in it shouldn't be damaged to bad right? And if i didn't release the clutch all the way would the AM have worked like it should have.