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Mail From: ddee@des_2.er.usgs.gov (Dave Dee)

Help !!

I have a 1990 Taurus with the 3.0l V6. I had to replace the left headlight bulb. If you have
ever done this you know you have to remove the battery unless you have very little hands or are
a contortionist. According to the owners manual after a dead battery or a battery replacement
you should allow the car to idle for a few minutes so it can "relearn" its' parameters. This
car forgot more than it knew before. It takes approx 4-6 seconds of cranking before it will start.
Previously it would start after 2-3 seconds of cranking. It does not go into fast idle mode after
a cold start. The idle surges for the first 20-30 seconds then smooths out. The car does not
run smoothly for the first few minutes.

Have I set some codes by disconnecting the battery ? It was only down for about 5 minutes while
I pulled the battery, R&R the bulb and replaced the battery. Is there a simple fix for this. The
car started and ran fine before I disconnected the battery. I would hate to take it to the dealer/
shop. I like to do all my repair work.

Thanks,

Dave

# David Dee, Cartographer # email ddee@des_2.er.usgs.gov #
# U S. Geological Survey # phone 703.648.6004 #
# 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr. #561 # fax 703.648.4165 #
# Reston, VA 22092 # OPINIONS are mine, not USGSs' #