This paper focuses on the electrochemical characterisation, e.g. current-voltage-measurement and time resolved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (TREIS) of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) during operation of the fuel cell with oxygen and H-2 + 100 ppm CO respectively. Due to the poisoning effect of carbon monoxide, the system changes its state during the experiment. The reconstruction of quasi-causal impedance spectra was made by using enhanced numerical procedures. The reconstructed impedance spectra recorded at constant load, in galvanostatic mode of operation of the fuel cell show a strong time dependence and exhibit pseudo-inductive contributions at the low frequency part of the spectra which increase during the experiment. The analysis of the spectra suggests that the pseudo-inductive behaviour can be attributed to a surface relaxation process of the anode. Furthermore, the influence of the carbon monoxide on the electrochemical behaviour of the contaminated fuel cell may be interpreted by means of a Faraday impedance in addition with a potential-dependent hindrance of the charge transfer.Otherwise, the impedance spectra recorded during CO poisoning of the anode at constant cell voltage, in the potentiostatic mode of operation of the fuel cell, show also a strong time dependence, but no pseudo-inductive contribution in the low frequency part of the spectra. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.