Engine Running Diagnostic Mode

WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 26 other vehicles, including the 2020 Lincoln Navigator, 2020 Lincoln Nautilus, 2020 Lincoln MKZ, 2020 Lincoln Corsair, and 2020 Lincoln Continental. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

For Aviator and Explorer,

The green READY indicator flashing once every 3 seconds indicates the vehicle is in the engine running

apply the parking brake
place the gear selector in the PARK position
ignition in the OFF position
NOTE: Do not start the engine.
ignition in the ON position with the engine OFF
within 5 seconds of the ignition in the ON position, fully apply the accelerator and brake pedals, hold the accelerator and brake pedals fully applied for 10 seconds
within 5 seconds, release the accelerator pedal, cycle the ignition to the ON/RUN position, fully apply the accelerator pedal and hold the engine RPM at the REV limiter, approximately 4, 000 RPM, for 10 seconds until the green READY indicator turns OFF, then release the accelerator pedal

If the green READY indicator does not turn off after 10 seconds, cycle the ignition to the off position. Allow the vehicle enough time for all the modules to power down then procedure can be repeated.

For all others,

The engine running diagnostic mode is a powertrain control module (PCM) strategy which is separate from the normal operating strategy. When in this mode, the engine is running and does not turn off, as it does during normal operation. The engine RPM may be increased to the desired speed as the vehicle is in the pedal follower mode. To activate the engine running diagnostic mode the gear selector must be in the PARK position, and the ignition cycled to the START position. The engine is allowed to idle as long as the powertrain and hybrid electric systems operate within the calibrated limits. This mode is helpful whenever the engine must stay running for diagnostics and repairs that require the engine to be idling for extended time. Carry out the following sequence to activate this mode:

apply the parking brake
place the gear selector in the PARK position
ignition in the OFF position
NOTE: Do not start the engine.
ignition in the ON position with the engine OFF
within 5 seconds of the ignition in the ON position, fully apply the accelerator pedal and hold for 10 seconds
within 5 seconds release the accelerator pedal, shift the gear selector to the DRIVE position and fully apply the accelerator pedal
hold the accelerator pedal fully applied for 10 seconds
release the accelerator pedal and shift the gear selector to the PARK position

If the sequence is correctly executed the powertrain malfunction indicator (wrench) flashes once per second when the gear selector is shifted to the PARK position. The engine may be started by cycling the ignition to the START position. The PCM exits the engine running mode when the gear selector is shifted to any gear other than PARK, when the ignition is turned to the OFF or ACC position, or the powertrain or hybrid electric system exceeds calibrated limits.