P1000 is a manufacturer specific trouble code. In the case of Ford vehicles manufactured by Ford (including the Ford Flex), it indicates that the OBD-II monitor testing has not been completed. This often occurs when the trouble codes have been reset, or the battery has been disconnected/replaced.
Auto manufacturers are required to have their OBD-II equipped vehicles run through a series of diagnostic tests on their readiness monitors. All vehicles manufactured in 1996 or newer are equipped with an OBD-II system.
These tests are intended to verify that the system is functioning as designed. Some of these systems are “continuous” which means that they run all the time, while others are “non-continuous” which means that they will only run under certain conditions.
If your Flex is getting P1000 it means that one of these tests were not completed. It is very uncommon for this code to need any help to be cleared. Usually it’ll just clear itself after a period of time.
Ford Flex P1000 Symptoms
P1000 indicates that the OBD-II diagnostic check has yet to be completed. Once the code set, the only symptom that you should notice is the check engine light. Other than that, your Flex should run and drive fine.
P1000 Causes: Ford Flex
- OBD monitor failed before a drive cycle was completed.
- P1000 usually occurs if the battery has been disconnected.
- ECM/PCM has been recently replaced.
- It can also occur after the trouble codes have been cleared from the OBD-II systems memory.
P1000 Fix
The way to fix P1000 is to drive your Flex. Whatever system that needs to run a full diagnostic cycle will complete it through normal usage.
There are different types of readiness cycles.
Here are the continuous ones:
- Misfire Detection– Checks to make sure that there’s no misfire present. If it detects a random misfire, misfire at startup, or cylinder specific misfire it’ll throw a code.
- Fuel System Monitor– Makes sure the air/fuel mixture is ok.
- Comprehensive Monitor– The comprehensive system looks for wiring issues, transmission shift issues, and at the crank/cam sensors.
These three systems are constitutionally running to confirm that the vehicle is running right and within specs. The rest of the monitors are non-continuous, which means that they only run at certain points in the drive cycle.
Here are the non-continuous ones:
- Oxygen Sensor Monitor
- EGR System Monitor
- Heated Oxygen Sensor Monitor
- Catalytic Converter Monitor
- EVAP System Monitor
As long as there aren’t other codes stored in the OBD-II system with P1000, it’ll usually clear itself after a certain amount of standard driving.
Conclusion P1000: Ford Flex
99% of the time you just need to drive your Flex long enough for this code to clear up. If there is anything that you would like to add, please leave a comment below. Good luck!