'97 error code "not completed"

[gandalf23]

Howdy,

My little cousin just bought a 97 Escort LX from my grandma's cousin. It'd been sitting in her garage for a few years. Took it to get inspected and they said it failed, they got some error code, but could not tell him what it was. So yesterday I took it to my mechanic and it didn't get any error codes, but it did say that some of the tests were "Not Completed"

They were not sure what that meant, but we noticed a few fuses were out, so we replaced them, and then they had me drive it about 50 miles to see if that reset the computer. I did that, drove it about 76 miles last night, all but maybe 10 on the highway.

So today my cousin brought it by after school and they checked it again and sure enough it was still saying "Not Completed" on some of the tests. The only one I recall was the O2 sensor test, but there were several that said that. Everything else either said Passed or Not Applicable (or maybe not available, not sure which way it was phrased).

Any ideas what it could be? My mechanic was thinking maybe the computer was bad, but he was not sure.

Thanks,

-Mike

[mightymoose_22]

You need to provide more information about what tests you are doing and how they are being performed.

If they inspection you mentioned was a smog test then that at least narrows things down... but you need to specify.

Slim chance you have a computer problem.

[Davescort97]

If any of the readiness codes are set to testing not complete, the OBDII system has not yet completed testing of that particular component. A component failure may be there, but hasn't yet been identified because the system testing hasn't been completed. The car must be driven a few days to reset the monitor.

[gandalf23]

The test was done with a Snap-on diagnostic device plugged into the connector under the dashboard. As to which test the mechanic was doing I am not sure. Although the state inspection really just care about emissions, so I imagine he was checking the emissions stuff, too.

I drove around for 76 miles, and yesterday Jordan put probably 20 miles on it going to school and then the mechanics. Does it take more than 100 miles to rest the computer or complete the tests?

[AzTumbleweed]

I'd consider getting a second opinion from another mechanic who might better understand this stuff.

[12Ounce]

OK, I've been thru this .... or something very similar. I would keep carrying my D's '97 in for emissions inspection ... system would never "learn". Test guy kept saying "Someone's taking the battery cable loose ...." Well, I knew that wasn't happening ... but figured something electrical was going on. (This may be why someone earlier removed fuses ...?? ...)

I first checked the battery cables ... alternator output with voltmeter ... etc, etc. Did not happened to catch anything wrong with the system voltage. But I did not drive around with the voltmeter in place ... that may have shown something, maybe not. Something was obviously pulling the voltage down, perhaps in spikes, that was causing the PCM to have to restart the learning process.

I stumbled into our problem (the EVAP purger valve was nearly totally "short") and once corrected, the system "learned" in about 50 miles or so.

I suggest you unplug anything not necessary ... ac clutch, interior accessories, etc, etc. After that, I would go after any engine control valves or sensors, one at a time, until the system finally responds.

Good luck!

[FordMan59]

Usually if you will take the car out on the highway preferably an interstate where you can get it up to highway speeds and keep it there without varying speed much and drive it for about 25 miles it will usually make the ECU reset it's perimeters quicker and making all the systems ready for inspection. Otherwise it can take several days and up to a few hundred miles. I learned this a few years ago when I was having trouble passing inspection and was having to work on the car then drive it enough for all the systems to reset.

[gandalf23]

Turns out the computer is reseting when the car is turned off. So we drove it around a while Monday then took it to be inspected, did not turn off the car, and asked the inspection place to leave it running. They did, and it passed. Now to figure out why it's doing that and get that fixed, but at least for now it's inspected and legal to drive

Thanks!

[Selectron]

That was decent of the testing place to co-operate eh; pleased to hear that it passed.

One of the pins on the PCM is supposed to receive 12V at all times even with the ignition switched off, and this prevents the PCM volatile RAM memory settings from being lost. Unfortunately, the Ford service manual doesn't appear to specify which pin that is but I reckon it's pin 55, fed via the 10 amp 'Room' fuse (hot at all times) located in the passenger compartment fuse panel, so it would be worth checking that the fuse is good.

[12Ounce]

Thanks for coming back with the information. I did not think about that possibility.