Aaargh! Smog test failure / Warning / How many cycles?

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e9999

e9999

Gotta get out there...
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OK, so I have been playing with my new fridge the last few days, doing tests including draining the battery down etc.

This morning, on the spur of the moment, I decide I'm going to have the mandated smog test done. (Thanks Kalifornia!) The truck is in top mechanical condition so I'm not worried. But just in case I go to a place with a free retest.

So, I'm passing all the tests with flying colors, as usual but I failed anyway...

Why?

Functional failure of the the OBD system, it said. I'm guessing some OBD sensors did not reset themselves properly since I've drained the battery and this was my first drive out....

Grrrr......

At least I won't have to pay again $40 to have it redone....


Moral of the story: don't take your truck to a smog test unless you've driven it for at least a few drives/days since the last battery disconnect, I guess....

I just didn't think about it at all. Also read/cleared codes beforehand, (none seen), maybe that contributed.

Q: how many road cycles does it take to reset it all properly?
 
On Toyotas, the number of OBD Monitors is usually down to the maximum incomplete (3) after about 20 miles. The shop should be able to check if they are complete before they resmog it.

And yes, clearing codes or disconnecting the battery will reset all the monitors to incomplete.
 
Eric - You've probaby already found out about the new test too! Pressure leak test for the fuel system!! Fawking Republik of Kalifornia. Any other states have this one too?

Shops appreciate us showing up with full tanks of gas since they slap their gas cap with a nitrogen hose attached on and pressurize the tank. Tank is supposed to hold pressure for 'X' time or you have a fuel leak somewhere that needs fixing too! Empty tank takes forever to pressurize and the shop will complain about all the nitrogen they are using up! I didn't know about this new test and went in near the idiot light coming on (5-6 gallons left).

At least the Republik hasn't forced some shops to equip themselves with a 4wd dynometer for the 'new' tests. If they ever do, watch out!!! Our smog test will be VERY expensive and we'll have to drive forever to find a station that has the test equipment for 4wd! Maybe they aren't going to do this. Haven't heard anything more about it since the implemented the dyno testing for 2wd.
 
Eric's '97 doesn't have to have the Low Pressure Fuel Evaporative Test since his is OBD II, which does its own monitoring of the Evap. system. And by the way, that test has been going on since Dec of 2007, so most have experienced it at least once by now.

Eric, did you say you have a scanner/code checker? If so, it should also show you the monitor/self-test status, you can have a maximum of three incomplete.
 
Interesting - didn't know that. They caught me last July/August. I guess it's still every two years. No smog notice this year.
 
Don, are you saying that the PRK allows 3 self-tests not yet reset to normal and that it takes 20 miles to get that?

The guy mumbled something about the EGR and the cat and maybe more not being "reset".

What would it take to get everything back to normal?

So, damn, I messed things up by checking my codes before going in eh? Not much info on my cheapo reader. Doesn't say the status of stuff, just lists error codes. And clears codes (and more?) automatically if I leave it on too long.

I thought you had to do both city and highway for some time to get the system to be fully reset.


Brent, it's getting there, in fact they were asking me where the truck is registered cuz some of the local guys here can't even do the tests for some of places in L.A. So it's worse in some counties than others. He mentioned Riverside and IIRC Orange. And yes apparently the 96 and older have a tougher test to go through from what they told me. They did get me on the gas cap 2 years ago, though. Expensive lesson.
 
96 and older have to do a test on the evap. system, of course costing more $$. I am guessing because OBDII will show a check engine light and automatically fail if the fuel vapors are escaping. CA is such a joke. One side of the border life or death with smog and in Mexico (1 mile away) it's a free for all.
 
'95 and older get the LPFET.
'96 was when OBD II became mandatory.

Even the cheapo code readers will usually show you monitors, they may just be a series of icons across the top or bottom of the screen. If the icon is flashing, it's incomplete, it goes solid once completed.

If yours doesn't have that feature, swing by the shop and ask if they can quickly check the monitors for you. The small shop I used to work at did that all the time.

I said 20 miles, we'd usually try a 10-mile freeway run, then recheck. You have to get up to freeway speed for several minutes to get the EGR to run. As a matter of fact, I just found something on that, specifically for your Cruiser.
You'll want to do it after the engine has cooled off.
EGR monitor.webp

The catalyst self-test is actually easier, once you get both of those done, everything except Evap. should be good to go.
For the catalyst, it does have to be warmed up, so you'll do this after the EGR run.
Catalyst Monitor.webp

Here's some links to the information the state has out there:
http://smogcheck.ca.gov/80_BARResources/ftp/pdfdocs/obd_ii_faqs.pdf
I was wrong on the max number of incompletes, it is 2 as per this doc.
ETBlast Print Message
EGR monitor.webp
Catalyst Monitor.webp
 
thanks for going through the trouble. Very nice.

Not obvious how to do these speed patterns in the real world, though, but I'll try. And I'll drive the truck a bunch the next 2 or 3 days to help out.

What kind of bums me out is the notion that the tech probably knew right away that the monitors were not ready and he went through the whole test anyway. Is that likely? Interestingly, he disappeared when he was done into the restroom without saying anything and it's the front desk guy who came to tell me it had failed... The tech had been very friendly earlier.

What my little reader (HF) was showing is something like "Launch 1 2" and then "----". The latter for no error code seen. Strangely, I would have sworn that in the past it was saying "Launch 1 2 3 4" instead. Does that mean anything?

And Don, are you pretty sure that "clearing" error codes would also mean these monitors are set to non-ready condition?

The thing that's scary about all this is how much we are losing control over our vehicles. Now the sensors decide themselves when they're ready to say something or not and if not, BAM, we fail tests... Before too long, they'll decide when they'll let the doors open or not... sheesh....
 
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So I guess another Warning/Advice we may be able to provide now to our fellow Mudders is:

If you have futzed with the battery recently, ask the shop to check first for monitor readiness before even starting the full test. This may save you a fail and the corresponding fee. Although, obviously, the shop may not want to do that for the latter reason. So, a good code reader there would help.


(Does the scangauge 2 show monitor readiness states, btw?)


and while I'm at it, I'll repeat the lesson I learned last time. I failed that test because of the gas cap. But I was stuck there and if I left, I'd have to come back and pay another fee. So they were able to sell me a $5 gas cap for $25 on the spot... That was cheaper than coming back and paying another fee, but I was still not happy about that. Pretty skanky I thought. So: get a new cheapo gas cap BEFORE you get to the smog station...!
 
Some smog machines will tell us right away if it fails for that (after the test runs) others you have no idea until the results have already been sent to the state.

I've had some experience dealing face to face with customers, but most techs don't like to break the news to customers. Even with the experience I have, it's still easier to leave it up to the guy whose "job" is to do that.

OTOH, he may have really had to go.
 
From the Scangauge website.
ScanGaugeII - Scan Tool

Some states now require that vehicle self tests have been completed since the codes were last cleared, before running emissions checks. The ScanGauge reports this "Readiness".
 
man, I can't quite figure out how to drive the pattern described above. No way I can get from my house directly to 50 mph for 3 mins with the engine cold. And then this 40 mph for 7 mins? How do you do this? Either I'm in town and I got to stop all the time or I'm on the freeway and I can't quite go 40 mph...

sheesh....


will these monitor not reset until the specific patterns above have been fulfilled or is "regular driving" for a while sufficient? I always thought one just needed to drive a couple of times at normal speeds and that was it....
 
They may have already completed just with normal driving. I just replaced an EGR Vacuum Switching Valve on a 2001 Camry, and it only took about 8 miles at 65 MPH for the EGR Monitor to complete. The EGR pattern above is specific to the 1FZ-FE, so it may be more difficult than others.

If it's convenient enough, just swing by the smog shop and have them check it for you.

Do you know the brand name on your scanner? The Harbor Freight website shows this Cen-Tech. It doesn't say on their site if it shows monitors, and I couldn't seem to find a Cen-Tech website to get a better description.
 
Readiness codes are a real PITA. Chased an issue with my EVAP/pressurization system for nine months in my Audi.

The only saving-grace with my Audi is that I can go into the OBD II and have the PC software (Ross-Tech) and OBD dongle read the readiness, then run through each of the codes and set them to zero...all while while sitting in the driveway and in less than five minutes. Essentially that system asks to have the RPM at a certain point as it goes through the cycles of each subsystem.

Not trying to hijack the post, but would love to hear if anyone knows of any OBD II software for the PC which would allow for for this type of "modification/check" on Toyota/LC's. I have already tried my Ross-Tech, but it only works with Audi/VW for the most part, and it for some reason does not like the OBD II of Toyota (though works with my Volvo, go figure).

IMHO the ScanGuage II is nice, but nowhere near the capability of a PC-based OBD tool.
 
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FWIW it took forever to get my readiness code for the EGR system to be marked okay. Took about two weeks, and my truck is my daily driver, and I drove it around plenty trying to get the two required drive cycles in.

The good news is I have the EGR system disabled the Toyota way..... :grinpimp:
 
ToyotaDon said:
They may have already completed just with normal driving. I just replaced an EGR Vacuum Switching Valve on a 2001 Camry, and it only took about 8 miles at 65 MPH for the EGR Monitor to complete. The EGR pattern above is specific to the 1FZ-FE, so it may be more difficult than others.

If it's convenient enough, just swing by the smog shop and have them check it for you.

Do you know the brand name on your scanner? The Harbor Freight website shows this Cen-Tech. It doesn't say on their site if it shows monitors, and I couldn't seem to find a Cen-Tech website to get a better description.
Click to expand...

well, I tried to do as close as I could to the pattern above. Not quite that but did the best I could given traffic lights, stop signs, and freeway traffic.
I'll drive a couple more days a bit, and then go back before my registration expires and ask them to check readiness first before testing. But not holding my breath that they will be willing to do that.

This reader I have is made by Launch. It's the simplest type. Inexpensive chinese stuff. 2 or 3 years old now IIRC. No monitor readiness features. Didn't know better at the time.

These trucks are getting too much of a mind of their own, I'm afraid.
 
e9999 said:
This reader I have is made by Launch. It's the simplest type. Inexpensive chinese stuff. 2 or 3 years old now IIRC. No monitor readiness features. Didn't know better at the time.
Click to expand...

Can it send commands? If so, might be able to do like on the SCII page, that I linked.
 
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