Recent repairs to your vehicle’s “Check Engine Light” have included a reset of the On Board Diagnostic (OBD) system. This process has also reset the OBD readiness monitoring system. The readiness monitors now need to re-test the computer system before verifying that all systems are functioning as designed and working properly.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Drive the car normally. All OBD systems self-test the computer while you’re driving and you will never know it. Depending on the manufacturer of the vehicle, there are 5 to 10 readiness monitors that need to be tested.
To allow your vehicle’s readiness monitors to perform their tests and reset the OBD system to a “ready” state, and to determine that all systems are working properly, your vehicle will have to be driven through a drive cycle.
(Who knew my car had to pass a test to work properly?)
Your vehicle’s specific drive cycle can depend on the vehicle’s make and model. A normal drive cycle is 5 miles of the city, stop and go driving, and 5 miles of steady 60 MPH of freeway driving in the same key cycle.
Keep in mind that repairing a check engine light for one system or code may unlock another hidden pending code of another system while the drive cycle tests are being performed.
So, if the Check Engine Light illuminates on the dash again, don’t be alarmed. It means the system failed the test. This may happen because when the original check engine light was on, all OBD monitoring stops. Just stop in and we will re-check the system.
NOTE: A flashing check engine light should be corrected immediately.
Thank you for your trust in us and please ask if you are not clear on the computer readiness monitoring system. We will be glad to help you.
