Engine light and blinking cruise light

Asked by subarured Jul 28, 2018 at 08:50 PM about the 2006 Subaru Outback Sport

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I recently had to disconnect my battery(oil change and they didn't have the key
fob to stop alarm from going off) and it hasn't idled properly since and now after
a couple of days these lights came on. Am I right in thinking I need to
disconnect the battery and retrain the computer to run right again? I did this
after I replaced my alternator. Or should I have it towed to mechanic.

1 Answer

7,465

I've had that problem with vehicles after battery disconnect and repairs before, especially the ones with all the electronics built in and not replaceable (map,maf,tps ect.). There may be a specific relearn process for you car but what i usually do in such situation is unhook both cables from the battery, touch the brake pedal then hold the 2 batteries cables to each other for a few seconds. This clears all modules and the Keep Alive Memory so you can start fresh. Once I've hooked the battery back up I turn the key and quickly run over to the throttle body listening for the clicks and hums (you want a quiet space), once they're done I start the car and let it idle until the fans come on them take it for a test drive. For the ecu to relearn its parameters fully its good to be able to go wide open throttle and bring the revs up close to the redline in 3rd gear for a standard, 2nd or 3rd gear for an auto so you may want to hit the highway! Lol. Frequents stops at lights and even a shut down restart once you're back home would be good too and a quick drive around the block. I saying you're home because I like to play it safe that way.

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