OBDII Drive Cycle for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep Vehicles: Your Complete Guide

Ensuring your Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep vehicle is running efficiently and meeting emission standards is crucial. One key procedure in this process is performing an OBDII drive cycle. This process allows your vehicle’s onboard computer to run self-tests on various emission control systems, ensuring they are functioning correctly. If you’re facing a pending smog check, have recently cleared your check engine light, or performed repairs on your emission system, understanding and executing the correct OBDII drive cycle for your Chrysler vehicle is essential.

This guide, tailored for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep owners, provides detailed drive cycle procedures to help you get your vehicle’s monitors into a “ready” status. This readiness is often a prerequisite for passing emissions tests and ensures your vehicle is operating as designed.

Understanding OBDII Drive Cycles and Readiness Monitors

Modern vehicles equipped with OBDII (On-Board Diagnostics II) systems continuously monitor various engine and emission control components. These systems run diagnostic tests, known as monitors, to ensure everything is working within specified parameters. When a problem is detected, it can trigger the check engine light and store diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).

However, even after repairs are made and DTCs are cleared, the monitors may not immediately show a “ready” status. This is because many monitors require specific driving conditions to complete their self-tests. An OBDII drive cycle is a predefined sequence of driving maneuvers designed to fulfill these conditions, allowing the monitors to run and report their status.

For Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles, completing a drive cycle is often necessary to set the readiness monitors for systems like:

• Catalyst Monitor: Checks the efficiency of the catalytic converter.
• EGR System Monitor: Evaluates the Exhaust Gas Recirculation system.
• Evaporative System Monitor: Tests for fuel vapor leaks in the EVAP system.
• O2 Sensor Monitor: Verifies the functionality of the oxygen sensors.
• O2 Sensor Heater Monitor: Checks the heaters for the oxygen sensors.

Getting these monitors to a “ready” state is vital before a smog test. If your vehicle’s monitors are not ready, it will likely fail the inspection, even if there are no current issues.

General OBDII Drive Cycle for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep (All Monitors)

This drive cycle is a general procedure intended to run most of the OBDII monitors. However, Chrysler recommends using monitor-specific drive cycles for more reliable results.

Pre-Conditioning Requirements:

• Check Engine Light (MIL): Must be off.
• Cold Start: Begin with a cold engine. While the exact cold start temperature isn’t specified, ensure the engine has been off for several hours, allowing it to cool down to ambient temperature.

Driving Procedure:

1. Warm-up: Start the engine and let it idle for five minutes. This allows the engine to reach closed-loop operation, where the engine control unit (ECU) starts using feedback from sensors to control fuel and air mixture.
2. Highway Driving: Drive at a steady speed between 40 and 60 mph (64 and 97 km/h) for 8 minutes. Maintain a constant throttle position to facilitate monitor operation.
3. Idle: Stop the vehicle and idle for 3 minutes.
4. Moderate Speed Driving: Drive at a steady speed above 20 mph (32 km/h) for 2 minutes, again with a steady throttle.
5. Cool Down and O2 Sensor Heater Test: Turn the ignition key off and leave it off for ten minutes. This allows the O2 sensor heater monitor to run.

Note: Chrysler recommends using the monitor-specific drive cycles detailed below for more targeted and effective monitor completion. The “All Monitor Drive Trace” may not be as reliable due to limited preconditions.

Monitor-Specific OBDII Drive Cycles for Chrysler Vehicles

For more reliable results in setting specific readiness monitors, use the following drive cycle procedures recommended for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles:

Catalyst Monitor Drive Cycle

This drive cycle focuses on testing the efficiency of your vehicle’s catalytic converter.

Pre-Conditioning Requirements:

• Check Engine Light (MIL): Must be off.
• No DTCs: No Diagnostic Trouble Codes should be present in the system.
• Fuel Level: Fuel tank should be between 15% and 85% full.
• Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT): ECT must be above 70ºF (21ºC).
• Engine Run Time: Engine must have run for at least 90 seconds prior to starting the drive cycle.
• Engine Speed: Engine speed should be between 1,350 and 1,900 rpm during the pre-conditioning phase.

Driving Procedure:

1. Idle Warm-up: Idle the vehicle for five minutes. This ensures the engine reaches closed-loop operation and warms up the catalytic converter.
2. Moderate Speed Driving: Drive at a steady speed between 30 and 45 mph (48 and 72 km/h) for 2 minutes. Maintain a steady throttle.

EGR System Monitor Drive Cycle – Vacuum Controlled

This procedure is for vehicles with vacuum-controlled EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) systems.

Pre-Conditioning Requirements:

• Check Engine Light (MIL): Must be off.

Driving Procedure:

1. Idle Warm-up: Idle the vehicle for five minutes to reach closed-loop operation.
2. Highway Driving: Drive at a steady speed between 40 and 60 mph (64 and 97 km/h) for 8 minutes.

EGR System Monitor Drive Cycle – Electronic Controlled

This drive cycle is for vehicles equipped with electronically controlled EGR systems.

Pre-Conditioning Requirements:

• Check Engine Light (MIL): Must be off.
• Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP): MAP sensor reading must be between 0-60 kPa.
• Engine Speed: Engine speed should be between 500-850 rpm.
• Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT): ECT must be above 180ºF (90ºC).
• No Misfires: No pending or mature misfire faults should be present.
• Accessory Status: Avoid changes in the state of the A/C clutch, power steering switch, and cooling fans (keep them off if possible during the test).

Driving Procedure:

1. Idle Warm-up: Idle the vehicle for five minutes to reach closed-loop operation.
2. Moderate Speed Driving: Drive at a steady speed between 40 and 60 mph (64 and 97 km/h) for 2 minutes.
3. Idle: Idle the vehicle for three minutes.

Note: This monitor assesses EGR flow by detecting changes in engine roughness and idle stability. Unstable idle conditions can prevent this monitor from running.

Evaporative System Monitor Drive Cycle

This drive cycle has two variations, depending on your vehicle’s EVAP system type.

Trace 1: Standard Type

Pre-Conditioning Requirements:

• Fuel Level: Fuel tank should be between 50% and 85% full.

Driving Procedure:

1. Idle: Idle for 5 minutes.
2. Moderate Speed Driving: Smoothly accelerate and maintain a speed between 30 to 45 mph (48 to 72 km/h) for 2 minutes.

Trace 2: Leak Detection Pump Type

Pre-Conditioning Requirements:

• Cold Soak: Vehicle must be off for 6-8 hours (cold soak period).

Driving Procedure:

1. Idle: Idle for 5 minutes.
2. City Traffic Driving: Drive in city traffic with natural stops and accelerations for 5 minutes.
3. Idle: Stop and idle the vehicle for 4 minutes.

O2 Sensor Monitor Drive Cycle

This drive cycle is designed to test the functionality of your vehicle’s oxygen sensors.

Driving Procedure:

1. Idle: Idle for 5 minutes.
2. Moderate Speed Driving: Smoothly accelerate and maintain a speed above 25 mph (40 km/h) for 2 minutes.
3. Idle: Stop and idle for 30 seconds.
4. Repeat Acceleration and Driving: Smoothly accelerate and maintain a speed between 30 and 40 mph (48 and 64 km/h). Repeat the idle and acceleration to 30-40 mph cycle five times.

O2 Sensor Heater Monitor Drive Cycle

This simple drive cycle checks the functionality of the oxygen sensor heaters.

Driving Procedure:

1. Idle: Idle for 5 minutes.
2. Cool Down: Shut off the engine and leave the vehicle off for 10 minutes.

Tips for Successfully Completing a Chrysler OBDII Drive Cycle

• Use an OBDII Scanner: A scan tool or code reader can help you monitor the readiness status of your monitors in real-time. This will let you know if a particular drive cycle is working and if the monitors are setting to “ready”.
• Follow Preconditions Carefully: Ensure all preconditions for each drive cycle are met before starting the driving procedure. Failing to meet preconditions can prevent the monitor from running.
• Maintain Steady Speeds: Use cruise control where safe and possible to maintain steady speeds during the driving portions of the drive cycles.
• Drive Safely: Always perform drive cycles in a safe location, obeying all traffic laws.
• Patience is Key: Drive cycles can sometimes take multiple attempts to complete. If a monitor doesn’t set to “ready” on the first try, review the preconditions and procedures and try again.
• Check for Trouble Codes: If monitors are not setting, use an OBDII scanner to check for any new or pending diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) that may be preventing monitor completion. Address any DTCs and clear them before attempting the drive cycle again.

By following these OBDII drive cycle procedures specific to your Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep vehicle, you can effectively ensure your emission monitors are ready for inspection and that your vehicle is running optimally. Remember to consult your vehicle’s repair manual or a professional mechanic if you encounter difficulties or have further questions.

Source: https://img.neons.org/AGN/chrysler_drive_cycle.pdf