Pending Code

Many faults must occur on two drive cycles before a code is confirmed. Scan tools list pending codes separately. They are useful early warnings of developing problems. Pending codes are also stored when a monitor fails once during an inspection drive, so they are a good indicator of what the car will report next.

If the fault repeats on the next cycle, the code matures; if not, it eventually clears.

Checking pending codes after a repair shows whether the fault returns. Do not ignore repeated pending codes.