ECM oddity

[Cronus577]

So, back before I deployed I used to have to wait for my WTS light to come on. Usually around 5-7 seconds. Started preparing to buy a new ECM for when I got back --- While I was gone I let my co-worker have the keys to my truck, after 2 weeks of being gone he said he killed my brand new Optima red tops that I put in 2 months prior to leaving . Luckily Advanced replaced both of them free of charge and I told him to just keep them on a trickle charger until I got back. The truck went without any kind of battery connected to it for around 5 and a half months. When I got back I put the new batteries in and fired her up and drove away. I've been driving it for about a month now and almost put 1k miles on it since getting back and the WTS delay has completely gone away. It's the first thing to come on as well as the lift pump prime. It hasn't had a single delay.... So far... Did disconnecting my batteries that long essentially "reset" or clear the memory in the ECM causing the delay??

TL;DR -- Had ECM WTS delay, left batteries out of the truck for 5½ months. Now I have no WTS issues for a month now. 

[dripley]

Everything I have read says no. With that being said I have had a few electrical gremlins that have gone away after I have had the batteries disconnected. Though when I started noticing that I tried the disconnect alone to cure and it did not work. So I am not sure what is happening.

[Mopar1973Man]

3 hours ago, Cronus577 said:

So far... Did disconnecting my batteries that long essentially "reset" or clear the memory in the ECM causing the delay??

 

All error codes and diagnostic data is stored in non-volatile RAM so it can bee disconnected for a very long time and still remember error codes. The software is all held on a PROM (Programmable Read Only Memory) this hold the main software of the ECM this will never be lost no matter how long you leave the batteries disconnected. When you leave the batteries disconnected for long term your just losing the APPS calibration. Kind of like your laptop you can pull the battery out of it and leave it unplugged for months or years and it will still boot up years later.

 

Typically the WTS issue is a memory issue on the ECM and it's having a difficult time booting up. Maybe your batteries or connections were poor? 

[dripley]

6 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Typically the WTS issue is a memory issue on the ECM and it's having a difficult time booting up. Maybe your batteries or connections were poor?

I am thinking that this was more of the issue for me. While working on the truck I was contacting or jiggling the connections that were and are my problem. 

[Cronus577]

18 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Typically the WTS issue is a memory issue on the ECM and it's having a difficult time booting up. Maybe your batteries or connections were poor? 

 Possibly, when I replaced the batteries to the red tops I made sure that the terminals and the contacts were cleaned. Tightened them down like I did this last time but I still had the WTS problem. Although with my EJWA and my new TIMBO APPS would only read 92% at WOT. Now with my Quadzilla it will read up to 100%. Electrical gremlins are strange. Hopefully the issue doesn't return but so far it's looking pretty good. Also just replaced my drum brakes and shoes along with a snapped parking brake cable. Never again, I'll pay a dealership to do that.