Ford 1996 Contour Manual page 247

Readiness for Inspection/Maintenance 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 a "need for additional mixed city and highway driving
to complete the check" of the OBD II system. As soon as all of
the OBD II system checks are successfully completed, the OBD
II system is set to the ready condition. The amount of driving
required to reach the ready condition varies with individual
driving patterns. To complete this requirement in the minimum
amount of time, refer to the OBD II Drive Cycle defined below.
If the vehicle owner cannot or does not want to do the
additional driving required by law, a service center can perform
this drive cycle as it would any other type of repair work.
OBD II Drive Cycle
The following steps must be run in the order shown. If any
steps are interrupted, repeat the preceding step. Any safe
driving mode is acceptable between steps.
Always drive vehicle in safe manner according to traffic
conditions and obey all traffic laws.
The engine must be warmed up and at operating temperature
before proceeding with the drive modes of the following OBD II
Drive Cycle.
Start the engine. Drive or idle (in neutral) the vehicle for
1.
4 minutes.
Idle the vehicle in Drive (Neutral for manual transaxle) for
2.
40 seconds.
Accelerate the vehicle to 45 mph (70 km/h) at 1/4 to 1/2
3.
throttle for 10 seconds.
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