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Thread: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

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    Featured Member rusdancer's Avatar
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    Default Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    Hi!I was hoping maybe some of you car expert people would help me out in a dilemma.
    About 2-3 weeks ago I had an oxygen sensor replaced at the dealership,after having the check engine light on.When I told them that I have to get inspection done,they said you should drive about 300 miles before taking it in,so the computer will reset.So I did,and then at the inspection they told me that there were 3 codes that showed that certain things weren't reset and failed the emissions inspection.
    Now I have to take the car back to NYC for another inspection,but this time I want to make sure it will pass.
    So the question is...how do I make sure everything's reset?(There are no more check engine lights).

    Just wanted to add that they told me to do this rather strange ritual at the inspection place,like let the car warm up by itself in the moning,then turn on the rear defroster ana the a/c at the same time for 20 min,then drive the car 30 miles,stop for 20 min,then drive at 60 mph for 5 min,then stop,put in drive and push break for 2 min.Does that sound right to you?

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    BrunetteGoddess
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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    That sounds normal, it's a rather tedious, but usually effective ritual to reset things.

    How do you make sure everything's reset? Well, Emissions will not allow any codes to pop up, lights displaying or not (my car spit out 2 codes without any lights). SO you need to go to a shop and have them do Diagnostics on your car where they hook it up to a computer that reads any codes that pop up. It's usually about $30-$40. It might be cheaper for newer cars. I do know that if your car is 1996 or newer Auto Zone will scan for free.

    HTH!

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    Featured Member rusdancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    OMG,Really??Autozone will do it free?I'l call them and make an appointment today!Thanks for the tip!
    So but if it still shows some codes not reset,what should I do then?The car is a 2002,had it since brand new.

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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    Leaving the car's battery disconnected for a while (like over an hour) might reset the computer as well, though that would also reset your clock and everything else. With some cars you can check for codes without special tools but it's sorta reminiscent of a MacGyver episode. As was suggested the easiest way to check the computer is to take it somewhere that has diagnostic tools. An actual mechanic's shop would be preferable to someplace like an Autozone because you don't really want to mess with some zitfaced high school dropout, often times you get what you pay for.

    The inspection guys apparently thought they were being funny with that ritual, that's rediculous. I would make sure the car was completely warmed up before emissions testing because a cold engine always puts out higher emissions than a warm one. Drive it several miles at freeway speed to get everything warmed up thoroughly, especially this time of year.

    my 0.02

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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    Two different problems: 1. diagnostic error codes (light on) and 2. the on-board diagnostic (OBD) system not ready after error codes are erased (or the battery was disconnected). You now have problem #2.

    If you know the manufacturer's required driving cycle, you can have the OBD ready in 20 miles. However, if a sensor is sending the OBD wrong information, the OBD will never be ready. If coolant temp must be within 15 degrees of ambient air temp, and the coolant sensor is low by 20 degrees, the OBD never registers a cold start. A cold start is always part of the required driving cycle.

    To address a related comment, diagnostic error codes don't turn on the "service engine" light until they consistently reoccur. But you can still see these codes as "pending" on an OBDII reader device ($90 new).

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    Featured Member rusdancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    Thank you so much,guys!I took the car to the dealership and they hooked it up to the computer,and they told me that the codes cleared and it's ready to go.If weather permits,I'll get the car inspected again this coming monday.If there's more trouble,I'll ask you for help again,if that's OK of course!

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    Featured Member rusdancer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    Update....
    They failed me again for emissions in NYC,at that same place.Not only it showed 3 same codes from last time,but a new one.I took the car back to DC,had it checked out two more times at two different legit spots,and both of those diagnostics came back clear of codes.Nothing showed up,no codes,no pending codes,the car's ready to go.They both told me that that place in NYC most likely has something wrong with their computer,and that they use the same diagnostics computer that they use in NY.They also said that even if one of those codes was really present in the system,then the check engine light would be on,and it's surely not.
    *sigh*
    So I'm going to go back this weekend and try it for the third time.Wish me luck.

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    Veteran Member BmiWMT14's Avatar
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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    I would bring the Reciepts with you to the inspection station from the other garages to prove that there is a discrepancy. I would also go to another station and see if the car passes.

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    Featured Member WiseGuy_TX's Avatar
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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    ...corsicafire and sporswriter2 are right. The computer has to reset 6 or more emission sensor checks with a "drive cycle". Meaning you have to drive the car around for awhile for them to reset. Your DC guys are right. If you had even one 'mature" code, the light would be on. Take it to a different shop in NYC.
    "Peter, did you take Stewie to a strip-club? He smells like sweat and fear." - Lois and Stewie (Family Guy) ... "Through early morning fog I see, Visions of the things to be, The pains that are withheld for me, I realize and I can see..."

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    Default Re: Car help,please!Failed emissions inspection.

    You can try disconnecting the negative battery terminal and turning the key on for 60 seconds,it should reset the codes.

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