6E–38
6VE1 3.5 ENGINE DRIVEABILITY AND EMISSIONS
Intrusive Diagnostic Tests
This is any on-board test run by the Diagnostic
Management System which may have an effect on
vehicle performance or emission levels.
Warm-Up Cycle
A warm-up cycle means that engine at temperature must
reach a minimum of 70
°
C (160
°
F)
and rise at least 22
°
C
(40
°
F) over the course of a trip.
Freeze Frame
Freeze Frame is an element of the Diagnostic
Management System which stores various vehicle
information at the moment an emissions-related fault is
stored in memory and when the MIL is commanded on.
These data can help to identify the cause of a fault. Refer
to
Storing And Erasing Freeze Frame Data in this section
for more detailed information.
Failure Records
Failure Records data is an enhancement of the OBD
Freeze Frame feature. Failure Records store the same
vehicle information as does Freeze Frame, but it will store
that information for any fault which is stored in on-board
memory, while Freeze Frame stores information only for
emission-related faults that command the MIL on.
Common OBD Terms
Diagnostic
When used as a noun, the word diagnostic refers to any
on-board test run by the vehicle’s Diagnostic
Management System. A diagnostic is simply a test run on
a system or component to determine if the system or
component is operating according to specification. There
are many diagnostics, shown in the following list:
D
Misfire
D
Oxygen sensors
D
Oxygen sensor heaters
D
EGR
D
Catalyst monitoring
Enable Criteria
The term “enable criteria” is engineering language for the
conditions necessary for a given diagnostic test to run.
Each diagnostic has a specific list of conditions which
must be met before the diagnostic will run. “Enable
criteria” is another way of saying “conditions required”.
The enable criteria for each diagnostic is listed on the first
page of the DTC description in Section 6E under the
heading “Conditions for Setting the DTC”. Enable criteria
varies with each diagnostic, and typically includes, but is
not limited to the following items:
D
engine speed
D
vehicle speed
D
ECT
D
MAF/MAP
D
barometric pressure
D
IAT
D
TP
D
high canister purge
D
fuel trim
D
TCC enabled
D
A/C on
Trip
Technically, a trip is a key on-run-key off cycle in which all
the enable criteria for a given diagnostic are met, allowing
the diagnostic to run. Unfortunately, this concept is not
quite that simple. A trip is official when all the enable
criteria for a given diagnostic are met. But because the
enable criteria vary from one diagnostic to another, the
definition of trip varies as well. Some diagnostics are run
when the vehicle is at operating temperature, some when
the vehicle first starts up; some require that the vehicle be
cruising at a steady highway speed, some run only when
the vehicle is idle; some diagnostics function with the
TCC disabled. Some run only immediately following a
cold engine start-up.
A trip then, is defined as a key on-run-key off cycle in
which the vehicle was operated in such a way as to satisfy
the enabling criteria for a given diagnostic, and this
diagnostic will consider this cycle to be one trip. However,
another diagnostic with a different set of enable criteria
(which were not met) during this driving event, would not
consider it a trip. No trip will occur for that particular
diagnostic until the vehicle is driven in such a way as to
meet all the enable criteria.
The Diagnostic Executive
The Diagnostic Executive is a unique segment of
software which is designed to coordinate and prioritize
the diagnostic procedures as well as define the protocol
for recording and displaying their results. The main
responsibilities of the Diagnostic Executive are listed as
the following:
D
Commanding the MIL (“Check Engine” lamp) on and
off
D
DTC logging and clearing
D
Freeze Frame data for the first emission related DTC
recorded
D
Non-emission related Service Lamp
D
Operating conditions Failure Records buffer, (the
number of records will vary)
D
Current status information on each diagnostic
D
System Status (I/M ready)
The Diagnostic Executive records DTCs and turns on the
MIL when emission-related faults occur. It can also turn
off the MIL if the conditions cease which caused the DTC
to set.
Diagnostic Information
The diagnostic charts and functional checks are designed
to locate a faulty circuit or component through a process
of logical decisions. The charts are prepared with the
requirement that the vehicle functioned correctly at the
time of assembly and that there are no multiple faults
present.