resetting ECU??

In some of the manuals for my '90GT they mention needing to drive the car at a steady highway speed for about 10-15 miles after doing any modifications to the engine, fuel, iginition or air systems of the motor. Is this really necessary for the computer to adjust to the new mods? I always unhook the negative battery terminal when doing mods. I try to take it for a drive with some highway driving sometime shortly after a significant modification. The reason I'm asking is because occasionally I'll do a little tweaking on something (timing, fuel pressure, spark plug gaps, etc.) just before I go to the track. Sometimes I don't get the chance to take it for a drive before flying down the 1/4 mile...due to weather, lack of time...or whatever. Do you think it makes a difference?

[Capri306]

Makes no difference. Ford did an excellent job in the programming for the EEC-IV computer, better than most manuals give them credit for, and it adapts very quickly. Personally, if I do something it'd better be drastic before I reset the computer. Even then, I just go directly to beating the snot out of it (after warming up) to ensure the computer knows exactly what its job is going to be like.

I've never had a problem, and I think if people do have problems it has more to do with the mods in relation to the computer accepting them as normal inputs, crunching the numbers, and adapting to them. Sometimes it's the adaptation that makes people go nuts, too. Planning ahead goes a long way.

Capri306-
Thanks for the reply. I was hoping it wasn't as crucial as some of the manuals state it is. Can anyone else give their experience(s) with resetting their ECUs...whether or not you think it takes 10-15 miles of steady highway driving for the computer to properly adjust to new changes done to the motor?? From installing a new T/B & MAM to little tuning things such as timing, fuel pressure, spark plug gap changes. Thanks in advance.

Simi-