OBD-I Codes List

Ford 81 Secondary air diverter circuit failure

Make
Ford (1981-1995)
Category
Powertrain - Auxiliary Emissions Controls
Severity
Check Engine Light

How to read it

Code 81 reads as 8 flashes, pause, 1 flash on the check-engine light. Jumper the self-test input to signal return at the test connector, then run the key on engine off self test and the running self test, counting the check-engine flashes each time.

New to flash codes? The How to Read Ford EEC-IV Self-Test Codes walks through the test and what the numbers mean. The general OBD-I guide covers the rest.

What does Ford code 81 mean?

Secondary air diverter circuit failure

Common causes of 81

  • The AIR diverter circuit is open or damaged.
  • The AIR diverter solenoid failed.
  • The wiring to the AIR diverter solenoid is damaged.
  • The ECM cannot command the AIR diverter.

How to fix 81

  1. Check the wiring and connector at the AIR diverter solenoid.
  2. Check the AIR diverter passages for a blockage.
  3. Test the AIR diverter solenoid and replace it only if it fails its own test.
  4. Test the ECM last, only after every circuit test has passed.
  5. Clear the code, then retest to confirm the AIR diverter works.

Source

Source review recorded

Sources and review

Review: checked against the recorded source material.

  • EEC-IV Ford trouble code table (MIL, description, type)

    archived reference page (troublecodes.net via Wayback Machine)

    Supports: code identity and meaning

    Fetched directly. Code row matches the description used in the data file.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20030720231430id_/http://www.troublecodes.net:80/Ford/eec-iv.shtml

  • Ford EEC-IV trouble codes, Crown Victoria, Mustang, Taurus, Thunderbird 1992-1995 (code, fault location, probable cause)

    archived reference page (troublecodes.net via Wayback Machine)

    Supports: code identity and probable causes

    Independent table on the same archive site with matching code identity and additional probable causes.

    https://web.archive.org/web/20160502051413id_/http://www.troublecodes.net:80/ford/crown-victoria-mustang-cobralxgt-taurus-thunderbird-1992-1995/

  • Ford EEC-IV trouble code table: code, fault location, probable cause (Crown Victoria, Mustang, Taurus, Thunderbird 1992-1995)

    reference page (troublecodes.net)

    Supports: per-code probable causes used for the page cause list and test order

    Fetched 2026-09-30. The probable cause column is what the page lists, in source order, with the test order built from it.

    https://www.troublecodes.net/ford/crown-victoria-mustang-cobralxgt-taurus-thunderbird-1992-1995/

Last updated 2026-10-10.

Report a correction for 81. Include your vehicle, the issue and a source if you have one.

Related Powertrain - Auxiliary Emissions Controls Codes