Honda 2003 Accord Owner's Manual page 354

Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Readiness Codes
Your car has certain ''readiness
codes'' that are part of the on-board
diagnostics for the emissions
systems. In some states, part of the
emissions testing is to make sure
these codes are set. If they are not
set, the test cannot be completed.
If your car's battery has been
disconnected or gone dead, these
codes are erased. It takes several
days of driving under various
conditions to set the codes again.
350
Taking Care of the Unexpected
If possible, do not take your car for a
state emissions test until the
readiness codes are set. To check if
they are set, turn the ignition ON (II),
but do not start the engine. The
Malfunction Indicator Lamp will
come on for 20 seconds. If it then
goes off, the readiness codes are set.
If it blinks 5 times, the readiness
codes are not set. See State
Emissions Testing on pages
375 .
374 and