James Henry <jch@JCHGIS.COM> writes: > Question: does the computer on a 1.9 "learn" and set up a "standard" > state that it then adjusts from so that it seems to run better over > time? I have heard of this happening on other cars, and would have > the evolution of better behavior as driven more miles. I doubt it. We're talking about technology that's 20+ years old. All that the computer is doing is lookups in ROM indexed by a few monitored inputs (O2 sensor, throttle, RPM, temperature, etc) to find the correct operating parameters for the current conditions. I think the effect you are describing is actually the reverse, the owner "learns" the behavior of the car and adjusts his driving behavior to get optimal performance within those limits. A brand new engine will tend to run a little better after several thousand miles, that's not the computer learning anything it's the seals and rings getting properly seated and commonly called "break-in". Conversely an old gunked up engine can sometimes find new life if it is driven aggressively for a while (the so-called "italian tune up") but things have to be basically in good order for that to work. It sometimes happens when there is a change in drivers and the former driver was conservative and the new driver is aggressive. Allan |
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