The Ford Diesel Engine Drive Cycle is very unique and must be followed preciously. The Ford F250 Diesel Engine Drive Cycle below should set all the OBDII monitors, including the EGR monitor.
On models with Power Take-Off (PTO), be sure to disengage the PTO system before performing the drive cycle. Perform the drive cycle as smoothly as possible and avoid rough roads. Be extra cautious in traffic.
Ford Truck 6.0 Liter Diesel Engine Drive Cycle
1. Turn the ignition on, but do not start the engine until the WAIT TO START indicator turns off, or 10 seconds has passed.
2. Start your truck's engine. Allow the engine to idle. Ensure the transmission is in Park or Neutral. Idle the engine for 40 seconds. Before proceeding, turn all accessories off and disengage TOW/HAUL (if equipped).
3. Begin driving... accelerate steadily to 3rd gear (A/T) or 4th gear (M/T) and keep the engine RPM at 1500 RPM for 3 seconds. Continue by accelerating steadily from 35 MPH to 65 MPH in about 15 seconds (A/T) or 11 seconds minimum (M/T). Repeat this procedure three times while maintaining conditions set in this step. The following conditions must be followed to run OBD-II monitors that require the engine to be under a load, one of which is the EGR monitor.
4. The driving portion of the drive cycle is now complete. Stop vehicle and allow the engine to idle for 20 seconds in Park or Neutral. Turn the ignition off. Start engine and allow engine to idle for 40 seconds in Park or Neutral. Drive cycle is complete. Turn off the ignition and do not start the engine for 30 minutes; while the ECU is performing additional self-tests.
5. Repeat the drive cycle at least twice. Check for READY OBDII monitors using a scan tool. This will avoid having a smog test administered to only find out that the EGR monitor is still not ready. If you don't have a scan tool, most of the larger auto parts stores can scan for trouble codes/ready emission monitors for free.