1997 Ford Contour Owner's Manual - Page 216

Maintenance and Care How to Prepare Your Vehicle for Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) Testing In some localities it may become a legal requirement to pass an Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) test of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) II system. If the vehicle's powertrain system or its battery has just been serviced, the OBD II system is reset to a not ready for I/M testing condition. To prepare for I/M testing, the law specifies that additional mixed city and highway driving is required to complete the check of the OBD II system. OBD II Drive Cycle The driving modes required to reach the ready condition consist of a minimum of 30 minutes of city and highway driving as described below: s At least twenty minutes driving in stop and go, city type traffic with at least four idle periods. s At least ten minutes of driving on an expressway or highway. Before completing the above driving modes, the engine must be warmed up and at operating temperature. Once started, the vehicle must not be turned off during these driving modes. Lights and Bulb Replacement It is a good idea to check the operation of the following lights frequently: s headlamps s tail lamps s brakelamps s high-mount brakelamp s hazard flasher 219