California Smog Check - Readiness Monitors

"Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever" (superchan7) 08/17/2016 at 13:27 • Filed to: None

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Just want to vent. I have no idea how much I need to drive my F355 to clear the OBD2 Evap readiness monitor. The California BAR website states two unready monitors allowed for pre-2000 cars, but various non-official websites and forums are claiming that the limit was lowered to one non-ready in 2015. The mechanic thinks they all need to be ready as of this year.

Anyone have any experience with this? I’ve read about people doing various drive cycles but there’s no way I can replicate that stuff on public roads. Especially with a high-strung car that hates stop-and-go traffic.

The car passes the tailpipe test otherwise.

@#$%!!!

Sweet Trav > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/17/2016 at 13:30

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Simple fix: Leave the communist republic of California.

red_ > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/17/2016 at 14:09

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Any of these useful?

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430-…

http://www.maseratilife.com/forums/quattro…

RallyWrench > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/17/2016 at 14:29

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They are frustrating, but exist for good reason. You can have one unset monitor for pre-2000 cars, any monitor. 2000 and up are only allowed to have the Evap monitor unset. The set procedure, unless it can be performed via scan tool (like VWAG cars... which can’t be cheated this way but is also the “workshop mode” that the diesels use), was designed to be done a dyno, so setting on the road sucks. I’ve seen some Mercedes and GM products take weeks of driving to set the Cat and 02S monitors. At its most basic the ECM needs to see WOT, long full decel, and an extended stable throttle cruise at under 3000rpm, and the fuel level needs to be between 1/4 and 3/4 in some cases for the Evap to run. I can get many cars to set most or all monitors on a 15-30 minute road test given those conditions, but some just take for damn ever, especially if the Cats are a little weak or they have lazy 02 sensors. I live in a semi-rural area (SLO), so I can find pretty vacant farm roads or hit 101 at the right time for minimal traffic, but it’s got to be impossible in more urban areas.

LOREM IPSUM > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/17/2016 at 14:42

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Explained
Here is a procedure how to get this done as fast as possible explaining what the drive cycles are doing.


The purpose of the OBDII drive cycle is to run all of the onboard diagnostics. The drive
cycle should be performed after you have erased any trouble codes from the PCM memory,
or after the battery has been disconnected.
Running through the drive cycle sets all the system monitors so that subsequent faults can
be detected. This is vital for the purposes of our PPI.
The OBDII drive cycle MUST begin with a cold start:
- coolant temperature below 122 degrees F
- coolant and air temperature sensors within 11 degrees of one another
NOTE:
The ignition key must not be on prior to the cold start otherwise the heated oxygen sensor
diagnostic may not run.


F-Car Step 1:
Start the cold engine directly from the key ‘off’ position.
With no driver input, let the engine idle with the ECU in full control of the
idle speed for four (4) minutes.

~ OBDII checks oxygen sensor heater circuits, air pump and EVAP purge.


F-Car Step 2a
Accelerate with moderate throttle and shifting into 3rd or 4th gear &
2,000- 2,500 RPM

~ OBDII checks for ignition misfire, fuel trim and canister purge.


F-Car Step 2b

Hold this steady state engine speed in the same gear at 2,000-2,500 RPM
for 3.5 miles.

~ OBDII monitors EGR, air pump, O2 sensors and canister purge.


F-Car Step 2c
Increase the engine speed at a modest rate to 4,500 RPM and hold for 10
seconds or a bit more to ensure a steady state condition.
Decelerate to 2,000 RPM without braking or depressing the clutch.

~ OBDII checks EGR and purge functions.


F-Car Step 3a:
Safely pull over to the side of the road with minimal or no gear changes and
certainly without double clutch blipping of the throttle. Declutch to neutral
when the slowing engine speed calls for it.
Let the engine idle with the engine in neutral and with the clutch out at the
side of the road. Allow the ECU to fully control idle speed with no driver
input.
For a full 5 minutes, allow the engine to idle in neutral with no driver input.
During this 5 minutes of idling, do not change the engine loading by switching
on any accessories (like the A/C).


F-Car Step 3b:
Switch the engine and key fully off after the 5 minute idle.
Keep the key in the off position for 15 to 20 seconds.


F-Car Step 4:
Restart the car and drive it at a moderate acceleration back up to 3rd or
4th in the 2,500 to 3,500 RPM range (i.e.: “normal driving”).
~ OBDII checks misfire, fuel trim and purge again.
Continue to drive for at least 10 minutes with the car under this steady
state condition (2,500 to 3,500 RPM).

~ OBDII monitors catalytic converter efficiency, misfire, EGR, fuel trim,
oxygen sensors and purge functions.


F-Car Step 5:
Safely pull over to the side of the road with minimal or no gear changes and
certainly without any double clutch blipping of the throttle. As appropriate,
keep the engine in gear as you de-accelerate.

~ OBDII makes a final check of EGR and canister purge.
Check readiness codes w/ OBDII scanner

Might help.

CRider > Sweet Trav 08/17/2016 at 14:44

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Um.... no.

Sneaky Pete > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/17/2016 at 14:56

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Went through the same with my Viper. Seems like there’s no rhyme or reason to when the sensors say they’re ready. I bought an OBDII code reader that also checks for sensor readiness and drove the car a few days in a row until the scanner said it was good to go.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/17/2016 at 15:24

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Is it showing a CEL? Everytime I’ve gotten a car smogged they just make sure the car isn’t showing a CEL or other emissions related light on the dash then they do the test, I don’t think they plug into the OBDII port, assuming the 355 even has one. F-ing gas caps always got me at he smog check (sacramento).

His Stigness > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/17/2016 at 15:49

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Not sure if someone has answered, but I’ll answer it always.

California smog tech here: if the car is 2000 or newer then EVAP is the only monitor that can be incomplete. If the car is a 99 or older, than any ONE monitor can remain incomplete, be it EVAP, catalytic converter, O2, etc, it can be any one, but only one monitor.

So, if EVAP is the only incomplete monitor you have right now, and the CEL is off, then your car will pass the OBD Functional no matter what year your car is.

His Stigness > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 08/17/2016 at 15:53

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With the new rating system that the state has put in place, some smog techs, and some smog stations, will “pre-test” a car. So you’ll go for a smog check and instead of doing a smog check, they’ll use their little scan tool to see if it will pass the functional. I don’t do that because the state has worked it out to where your numbers (and your score) will be fine as long as you do everything you’re supposed to.

Personally, I hate it when people pre test cars because it just adds confusion for the customer then they come bitching to me.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > LOREM IPSUM 08/17/2016 at 17:28

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Thanks for this. Let’s see if I can find a road to do this on!

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 08/17/2016 at 17:30

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I had the codes cleared from earlier troubleshooting, but currently no CELs.

Yes, my car has the OBD2 port as it’s a MY-1998 car.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > His Stigness 08/17/2016 at 17:31

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Thanks for the input. My car is a 1998. Let’s see if I can convince my mechanic that it’s OK to just run the test on my car.

His Stigness > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/17/2016 at 18:55

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If he doesn’t want to or isn’t sure then I think it may be time to find someone else.