Can trouble codes be cleared by yourself?
2 Answers
Trouble codes can be cleared by yourself. Automotive trouble codes are divided into temporary trouble codes and permanent trouble codes. Among these two types, the ones that can be cleared on their own are temporary trouble codes, which are faults detected momentarily during vehicle operation. Permanent trouble codes: Permanent trouble codes may have a certain impact on the judgment of the vehicle's onboard computer, sometimes leading to misjudgments. Symptoms of misjudgment include sudden idle shaking, unstable RPM, certain warning lights suddenly illuminating, etc. ECU: The ECU contains two types of memory: one that can retain data after power-off and another that does not save data after power-off. Trouble codes are stored in the latter type of memory, which does not retain data after power-off, so the trouble codes are automatically cleared once the power is cut. However, this method only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause. As long as the fault remains unresolved, the diagnostic program will continue to generate trouble codes.
Fault codes depend on the situation. Some minor issues can clear themselves after driving a few dozen kilometers, like an emissions fault triggered by a loose fuel cap. However, most hard fault codes require manual clearing. I once tried disconnecting the battery negative terminal for 10 minutes to force a reset—it did clear the codes, but it was a hassle: power windows needed reprogramming, radio presets were wiped, and the anti-theft system might act up. Nowadays, you can buy a cheap OBD Bluetooth scanner for a few bucks, connect it to a phone app, and clear codes easily—but only after confirming the issue is fixed. Last week, I cleared an intake pressure sensor fault code without replacing the part, and the light came back on after two days, eventually frying the spark plugs too.
