Warm-Up Cycle
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2005 GMC Yukon XL, 2005 Chevrolet Suburban, and 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The powertrain control module (PCM) uses warm-up cycles to run some diagnostics and to clear any diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). A warm-up cycle occurs when the engine coolant temperature increases 22°C (40°F) from the start-up temperature. The engine coolant must also achieve a minimum temperature of 71°C (160°F). The PCM counts the number of warm-up cycles in order to clear the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL). The PCM will clear the DTCs when 40 consecutive warm-up cycles occur without a malfunction.