Instrument Cluster - Revised Diagnostic Procedure

Article No.
85-9-5

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - ELECTRONIC - REVISED SELFTEST DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE

LINCOLN-MERCURY
1985 MARK VII, CONTINENTAL

The Electronic Instrument Cluster in the Mark VII and Continental has a feature which counts the number of intermittent opens/shorts and displays that number during the Self-Test mode of operation. The instrument cluster is installed at Wixom such that intermittent fuel diagnostic counts which normally occur during the assembly process are tabulated and stored in the computer's memory. The Wixom plant, in the past, used a costly procedure to clear these erroneous diagnostic counts before the vehicles reached the dealers. Effective March 15, 1985, the Wixom plant will no longer be performing this procedure. Normally, the accumulated intermittent fuel diagnostic counts will decrement to zero in a very short time of customer ownership (256 "power downs" - ignition ON-OFF cycles).

Since the intermittent diagnostic fuel counts are part of the EIC Shop Manual Diagnostic Procedure (Section 33-07-16, Step G6 - refer to Diagnostic Chart), any dealer who wishes to check the vehicle's EIC system shortly after delivery to the dealer's lot may discover an EIC failure of Self-Test Step G6. A failure for Test G6 at this time (fresh delivery) does not indicate an electronic instrument cluster or system failure and the cluster should not be replaced. If Test G6 is performed upon delivery of the vehicle to the dealer's lot, Test Step G8 and G9 of the shop manual should be performed first. A revision to the 1986 Shop Manual will be made to reflect this Self-Test procedure change.

OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES: None
WARRANTY STATUS: "INFORMATION ONLY"