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[Varche]

Can an engine ECU learn if a fault has been present long enough (say 200 dirty starts) and put up with a fault to the point where it isn't there when you do a paperclip test? i.e. accept it as "normal".

I am thinking about knock sensor and thus the engine runs badly but no codes are present. I just chose 200 as an arbitary figure. The stored codes disappear after 20 clean starts when a fault is fixed.

What do you think?

Varche

[jonnycool]

Wouldn't have thought so, I don't think engineers want to stop annoying a driver if there is a fault with something. And the ECU's not going to figure this out on its own!

[Andy H]

Could a dying knock sensor tell the ECU it was poorly and bring up a fault then later on die totally and get forgotten about by the ECU?

The two things I know about knock sensors might not be relevant
1. they use the piezo-electric effect (when a crystal is put under strain it produces a voltage) I assume that there must be a little electronic chip in the knock sensor to convert a raw voltage to a digital signal.
2. the knock sensor mounting bolt has to be done up to the correct torque otherwise the sensor gives misleading readings. Could the mounting bolt have come loose (or been overtightened)?

Oh and
3. On Omegas the knock sensor wiring often gets damaged when people are working on the front of the engine.

[KillerWatt]

Just abot all ECU's are capable of "learning", but they don't learn anything where faults are concerned (other than to store the fault code).

[feeutfo]

they certainly learn, auto's often have adaptions, and engine ecu's can learn your driving style. For instance a smart car will give something like 10bhp  more, if you thrash it. A big gain on that engine.

But as said, not when it comes to a fault. Generally, no codes and rough running=missfire/ignition issue. Or Maf also springs to mind, unplugg and see if it improves. Obviously tech 2 not available to you out there? Would reveal more.