Clearing KAM on the ECU

Learned something new today. It can be very useful for those what wrench. As many know, the standard scan tool cannot clear “permanent” codes. If you don’t want to wait for however many drives cycles, there is a simple way to clear the active memory / KAM (keep active memory) quickly.

Disconnect the negative and then the positive, make sure they cannot touch the battery. I personally like to cover the positive terminal on the battery to be safe.

Hook up a lead between the positive and the negative cables, WITHOUT the battery in line, of course. Essentially what you are doing is grounding the system and this will drain any power left in the ECU and clear the KAM in 5 min or less. Quite useful.