2008 Ford Crown Victoria Owner's Manual - Page 259

Maintenance and Specifications If the indicator remains on, have your vehicle serviced at the first available opportunity. Although some malfunctions detected by the OBD-II may not have symptoms that are apparent, continued driving with the indicator on can result in increased emissions, lower fuel economy, reduced engine and transmission smoothness, and lead to more costly repairs. Readiness for Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) testing Some state/provincial and local governments may have Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) programs to inspect the emission control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection could prevent you from getting a vehicle registration. Your vehicle may not pass the I/M indicator is on or not working properly (bulb is burned test if the out), or if the OBD-II system has determined that some of the emission control systems have not been properly checked. In this case, the vehicle is considered not ready for I/M testing. indicator is on or the bulb does not work, the vehicle may If the need to be serviced. Refer to the On board diagnostics (OBD-II) description in this chapter. If the vehicle's engine or transmission has just been serviced, or the battery has recently run down or been replaced, the OBD-II system may indicate that the vehicle is not ready for I/M testing. To determine if the vehicle is ready for I/M testing, turn the ignition key to the ON position indicator blinks for 15 seconds without cranking the engine. If the eight times, it means that the vehicle is not ready for I/M testing; if indicator stays on solid, it means that the vehicle is ready for the I/M testing. The OBD-II system is designed to check the emission control system during normal driving. A complete check may take several days. If the vehicle is not ready for I/M testing, the following driving cycle consisting of mixed city and highway driving may be performed: 15 minutes of steady driving on an expressway/highway followed by 20 minutes of stop-and-go driving with at least four 30-second idle periods. Allow the vehicle to sit for at least eight hours without starting the engine. Then, start the engine and complete the above driving cycle. The engine must warm up to its normal operating temperature. Once started, do not turn off the engine until the above driving cycle is complete. If the vehicle is still not ready for I/M testing, the above driving cycle will have to be repeated. 259 2008 Crown Victoria (cro) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA (fus)