1997 Ford Taurus Smog Not Ready

FORD TAURUS
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SWIPERTHEFOX22
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HELLO I HAVE A 97 FORD TAURUS 3.OL. 151000 MILES I RECENTLY TOOK MY CAR TO GET SMOGGED, I PASSED EVERYTHING BUT THE FUNTIONAL TEST. IT WAS SAYING THAT MY EGR WAS'NT READY, O2 SENSORS WASNT READY ETC... CAN ANYONE HELP ME OUT HERE WITH THIS. SEVERAL MECHANICS TOLD ME I HAVE TO REPROGRAM THE PCM. IS THIS TRUE? IF SO HOW DO I GO ABOUT FIXING THIS PROBLEM SO I CAN PASS? OR DO I HAVE TO REPLACE THE PCM? PLEASE HELP!

THANKS NATHAN
Dec 2, 2006 at 3:11 PM
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CATCH_15
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Have you had the car read for trouble codes and the mechanic says that the codes need to be cleared?
Dec 2, 2006 at 3:17 PM
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SWIPERTHEFOX22
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THANK YOU FOR REPLYING AND YES I HAD THE CODES READ AND THERE WERE NONE. THE ONLY OTHER THING HE ASKED ME IF I HAD DISCONECTED MY BATTERY. WHY WOULD THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME NOT PASSING SMOG|?
Dec 2, 2006 at 3:29 PM
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CATCH_15
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  • 250 POSTS
Sometimes, disconnecting the battery can reset the pcm and it has to relearn the idle and air fuel mixture etc. I know that Chrysler vehicles take about 100 miles to relearn everything, but Fords are different. But what was the exact reason that you failed the smog test?
Dec 2, 2006 at 3:32 PM
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SWIPERTHEFOX22
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IT HAS TO WITH I\M READINESS OR MIL BUT THE SMOG TECH. GAVE ME A PRINTOUT OF A DISCRIPTION OF WHY I FAILED AND SAID....

CAT. CONV. NOT READY
O2 SENSOR NOT READY
MISFIRE READY
HEATED O2 NOT READY
EGR NOT READY
FUEL SYSTEM READY

THIS IS WHAT THE PAPER SAID THAT HE GAVE ME IT WAS THE FUNCTIONAL PART THAT I FAILED. BUT HERES THE THING THERE IS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR ANY DTC'S
Dec 2, 2006 at 3:42 PM
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1BIGG1
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im a texas vehicle inspector, disconnecting your battery resets your computer. the only remedy as long as theres no actual problems is to drive it normally, about 50 60 miles and you should be fine. you wont have any trouble codes or check engine light on while computer is relearning. its all part of the obdII inspection if your computer is reading not ready then theres no way for the inspectors computer to know if your systems are working. thats why you failed, like i said drive it a little and as long as you have no problems everything will be fine in a couple of days.
Dec 3, 2006 at 12:00 PM
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SWIPERTHEFOX22
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THANK YOU FOR THA T VEERY HELPFUL INFO. 1BIGG1, BUT I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION. WHEN I DOES THIS DRIVING DOES IT HAVE TO COUNTINOUS DRIVING OR CAN IT BE IN STAGES UNTIL I REACH ABOUT 60 MILES?
Dec 5, 2006 at 1:28 AM
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BRUCE HUNT
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Stages will work. It is the cumulative time that allows the computer to gather the data and determine that things are working fine.
Dec 5, 2006 at 1:33 AM
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SWIPERTHEFOX22
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OK COOL THANKS. NOW HOW WILL I BE ABLE TO TELL IF ALL SYSTEMS ARE READY? AND IF THEY ARE STILL NOT READY DOES THAT MEAN MY PCM IS BAD? BUT MORE THEN LIKELY THIS METHOD WILL WORK SO I CAN PASS SMOG?
Dec 5, 2006 at 3:16 AM
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SWIPERTHEFOX22
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HELLO I HAVE A 97 FORD TAURUS GL 3.0L OHV MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I GOT THE CODES AND THEY WERE P0401 AND P0402 WHICH IS EGR FLOW INSUFFISCENT AND EGR FLOW EXCESSIVE. THIS DOESNT MAKE SENSE TO ME HOW THIS WORKS. CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THIS COULD BE AND THE EASIEST WAY TO FIX THIS.

THANKS NATHAN
Dec 15, 2006 at 3:17 PM
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Suggested Repair

Do not reprogram or replace the PCM based on not-ready monitors alone. After a battery disconnect resets the computer, drive normally for about 50-60 cumulative miles, in stages if needed, so the readiness monitors can complete, then recheck readiness before retesting. No trouble codes or check-engine light are expected during that relearn. Later P0401 and P0402 codes were reported but not diagnosed in the thread.

Conversation Summary

A 1997 Ford Taurus 3.0L failed the functional portion of a smog test because the catalyst, oxygen sensor, heated oxygen sensor, and EGR monitors were not ready, with no check-engine light or trouble codes. Mechanics had suggested PCM reprogramming. Experts explained that disconnecting the battery resets the computer and that normal driving of about 50-60 miles, which can be done in stages, lets it relearn and set readiness. The owner later reported P0401 and P0402 EGR flow codes, but no diagnosis or repair for those codes was given.

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