2. Poor fuel quality or water in the fuel—the engine may misfire or run
poorly.
3. The fuel fill inlet may not have been properly closed. See
Easy Fuel™
“no cap” fuel system
in this chapter.
4. Driving through deep water—the electrical system may be wet.
These temporary malfunctions can be corrected by filling the fuel tank
with good quality fuel, properly closing the fuel fill inlet or letting the
electrical system dry out. After three driving cycles without these or any
other temporary malfunctions present, the
Service engine soon
indicator should stay off the next time the engine is started. A driving
cycle consists of a cold engine startup followed by mixed city/highway
driving. No additional vehicle service is required.
If the
Service engine soon
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
Service engine soon
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
test if the
Service engine soon
indicator is on or not working
properly (bulb is burned 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.
If the
Service engine soon
indicator is on or the bulb does not
work, the vehicle may 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
for 15 seconds without cranking the engine. If the
Service engine
soon
indicator blinks eight times, it means that the vehicle is not
ready for I/M testing; if the
Service engine soon
indicator stays on
solid, it means that the vehicle is ready for I/M testing.
2009 Mountaineer
(mnt)
Owners Guide, 1st Printing
USA
(fus)
Maintenance and Specifications
366
