Hello!

What you are referring to is called the "drive cycle"; it is the way the car must be driven to allow all of the emissions systems self tests to run and complete successfully.

You will need to make sure the fuel level is between 1/4 and 3/4 tank before starting; if it is too low or too full one of the self tests (evaporative emission system monitor) may not run. Outside air temperature must be at least 40 degrees F. Also, you will need to use a scan tool or code reader to make sure no fault codes are stored in computer memory other than a code P1000; any other stored fault codes may indicate a problem that could prevent one or more of the self tests from running.

The service information for your Mountaineer says that you need to drive it as follows:

(1) Do not turn the engine off during the drive cycle, or you will need to start over.

(2) Drive in stop and go traffic for at least 20 minutes, with at least 4 idle periods.

(3) Drive at expressway or highway speeds for at least 15 minutes, without any sudden acceleration or deceleration.

(4) At this point you will need to use a scan tool to see if all of the self tests (monitors) have completed successfully; if not, you will need to repeat the drive cycle again.