2000 Toyota Echo hesitates on hard throttle after touching pos lead to negative terminal of battery?

Thought the intermittent radio function could be due to a build-up of static charge in the system. Therefore disconnected the positive lead and touched it to ground to release any charge on the system. Since then, when I give it gas quickly it almost seems to choke out. Never quite stalls, and still runs okay if I accelerate slowly, but didn't do this before. All I've done to the car is this static thing, and change the oil.

Stopped in quickly to two dealerships:

1 Toyota tech figured I had completely reset the ECU and it had to re-learn all the timing etc. His solution was just to drive it, and it would eventually fix itself

2 Another tech figured I'd blown a fuse and put the car into limp mode. His solution was to find the fuse and replace. I've checked all the fuses, everything seems fine.

Any help?2000 Toyota Echo hesitates on hard throttle after touching pos lead to negative terminal of battery?I have seen fuses blow when a person reverse jumps the car, but with one of the cables disconnected there should not be enough current remaining anywhere to blow a fuse. That is not to say that it won鈥檛 cause havoc with electronics, but just not blow a fuse. I tend to agree with tech #1. When you touched the terminal, you effectively grounded any circuit in the car that is on at all times, including the battery back up for all ecus. HOPEFULLY all that did was drain the memory, but I have never seen it done before. How long ago was it? Is the Check Engine light on? If it is, go with the codes. If not, all I can recommend for now is to drive it. If it continues, someone will have to go through the diagnostic tree on the electronic throttle control system. Good luck!

God Bless!



9/10 11:20 pm

Well, it could have damaged the ECM which controls the ignition timing, injection, etc. The IAC could be involved, but its normal function is to go wide open when the throttle is opened, so it shouldn't make a difference. It could be in the fuel system, though, like you, I doubt it because of the relationship with the other. It is possible that someone could look at the data list and find the problem, but it won't be easy without a code to narrow the field, and the ECM could be reading one thing and doing another. Wish I could be of more help, but somethings I just have to have hands on to find.2000 Toyota Echo hesitates on hard throttle after touching pos lead to negative terminal of battery?Maybe the battery thing is just a coincidence. Change the fuel filter see if this helps.2000 Toyota Echo hesitates on hard throttle after touching pos lead to negative terminal of battery?touching the positive lead to the ground shouldn't have affected the idle to that extent. you could have a bad idle air control valve. that would cause a low idle without a stall and no check engine light. the hole static scenario may have been coincidence. sometimes the iac on toyota's can be cleaned, and it will be ok, to be sure replace it. how to know that's the cause of your problem. spray some throttle cleaner in the throttle with throttle wide open, spray majority of can into the holes for iac at the bottom of the pipe, if your idle improves afterwards then you know that was it. hope this helps.2000 Toyota Echo hesitates on hard throttle after touching pos lead to negative terminal of battery?
toyodave has it right this is a hands on deal. i seen revers jumps and it frys the e.c.u. you are going to have to bring the car in. the olny other thing i can think of is to remove the neg termal and let it stand for about 2-3 mins maybe that will clear any codes . but don t touch the neg termal to any thing while it is discounected. good luck

and dont try that static thing again it may do more damage

you can reset codes by just removing the neg termal for 2-3mins