How do I clear OBD trouble codes on a Mercury Tracer to turn off the check engine light?

How do I clear OBD trouble codes to clear on a 1992 Mercury Tracer? My vehicle failed for OBD. The trouble codes are the O2 Sensor and the O2 Heater. What do I need to do to get these trouble codes to clear? I was informed of several driving situations that might clear the codes, but did not get a printout. Is there a way to get a printout? I was also informed I need to drive my car up to 1,000 miles before they clear or reset. I have spent quite a lot of time on this and I am not sure what to do next.

Answer:

You haven't mentioned whether you repaired the oxygen sensor or not. If you have not repaired the faults which are causing the Oxygen Sensor trouble code and Oxygen Sensor Heater trouble code to set, they will not clear until your make the required repairs. If your Mercury Tracer failed the smog check due to these trouble codes we recommend you have a smog check repair station verify these components are defective and then go ahead with the repair. After the repairs you/technician can erase the DTCs (digital trouble codes) and then drive for 300-400 miles to set the "emission monitors", also known as "readiness flags".

posted by SmogTips Support