ECM Function
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 Saturn Outlook, 2010 GMC Acadia, 2010 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2010 Buick Enclave. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The ECM can supply 5 V or 12 V to various sensors or switches. This is done through pull-up resistors to regulated power supplies within the ECM. In some cases, even an ordinary shop voltmeter will not give an accurate reading due to low input resistance. Therefore, a DMM with at least 10 megaohms input impedance is required in order to ensure accurate voltage readings.
The ECM controls the output circuits by controlling the ground or the power feed circuit through transistors or a device called an output driver module.