Historical Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs)

Historical DTCs use bit 5 (the DTC test failed at least once since last code clear) to indicate that a DTC is no longer confirmed or pending, but has failed at least once since the last time the DTCs were cleared. The bit 5 is designed to eventually age out and clear in 80 drive cycles (255 in the future). The scan tool does not allow a technician to retrieve historical DTCs unless there are no active DTCs present. This information, in conjunction with manufacturer freeze frame and snapshot data, may be useful in diagnosing a noticeable fault that did not progress to MIL status, or an extended amount of time has occurred before diagnosis, and the confirmed DTC has cleared.