Monitor readiness...

[Sikon]

Okay, so January is my month for CA vehicle registration renewal. This year they hit me with a smog check. No problem right??

Wrong.. Around the end of November or the beginning of December my alternator went out. So I changed it out myself. No big deal. Except now, 2 months and a few hundred miles later.. Inspection time. Everything passed except ready monitors for my catalyst and o2 sensors. Prior to knowing this, I have driven quite a bit, including an out of town trip. Witch was 80 miles one way, so 160 miles round trip. 

2010 Dodge Charger 3.5L SXT

Any Ideas? Aside from finding the closes river or cliff.. lol I know it just needs to be driving. But is there a certain drive patterns to help it cycle?

[Merlin007]

I'm no mechanic but think you have driven enough miles for the monitors to reset.  Not aware of any drive pattern that I've heard of, just so many miles.  Can always try to clear those monitors and try again. Or maybe you just have a bad o2 censor.

[BUDMAN]

My question would be how long did have to wait b4  you were tested, if you shut  it off or let it idle for a long period time will cause the same issue.

[Sikon]

@BUDMAN Roughly 2 months sense I've changed the alternator. At witch time I disconnected the battery. 

As far as this morning. I took my kids to school, got some breakfast,  then to the smog shop I normally go to. 

I found something on a dodge forum stating drive for 5 miles at 70 mph. Decelerate with out pressing the brake to 55. With no hard braking pull over, let idle for one minute. I did that twice. Then took it to my old shop I used to work for, and had them connect the odb2 scanner. And it still wasnt ready.

They also stated if you turn the key to the on position without starting. Within 10 seconds if the mil light starts flashing, then it's not ready. And it did that. After I drove it.. it didnt. But the scanner still said other wise.

Edited January 28, 2019 by Sikon

[2_MANY_BEERS]

55 minutes ago, BUDMAN said:

My question would be how long did have to wait b4  you were tested, if you shut  it off or let it idle for a long period time will cause the same issue.

So your saying he should never shut it off?

[BUDMAN]

Not b4 the test, needs to HOT...

So there are no codes....if you had a bad 02 sensor you should have check engine light should be on.

@Sikon Are they running the i/m 240 ?

Edited January 29, 2019 by BUDMAN

[Sikon]

No, the mil light isn't on. Only when the car is in the on position without starting do I ever see it.

When they scanned it at my old job. They checked to see if it was actually working. Said nothing looks wrong according to the scanner. That they're just not ready yet. 

Tomorrow I will jump on the freeway again and see if I can get it to go.. pretty annoying when there's nothing you can do but waste gas..

[BUDMAN]

Disconect the batteery for about 10 mins 1st !!

[Sikon]

28 minutes ago, BUDMAN said:

Are they running the i/m 240 ?

@BUDMANThe dyno test, yes. Its required for California. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Sikon

[HotRod55]

From past experience (just recently) I had an issue with my O2 sensor heater. I was told to start the vehicle an let it Idle for 10 to 20 minutes with heater on. It did set my monitor for the heater issue. Might give that a try any good smog shop should be able to tell you what to do to set the monitor. BTW i live in Antelope CA. and my work and I use smog an tag on watt ave in north highlands. Good people there.

[BUDMAN]

A o2 heater sensor circuit shoud set a code...

[Sikon]

@HotRod55 I'll research that. I haven't read that any where yet. From antelope?! Right on. Were really close then. I'm in North Natomas. Witch shop on watt? I was towing for natomas tow before they went out of business. So I've been to most auto shops from davis to folsom.

I think after I take my kids to school tomorrow,  ill drive out to yuba city and back. See if I can get it working...

Edited January 29, 2019 by Sikon

[HotRod55]

I work for the fire department as a mechanic. An we take our staff cars to get smogged @ Smog N Tag.

[Sikon]

Right on. If I cannot get it going tomorrow.  Maybe I'll call or swing by there and see if they can lead me in the right direction. 

[KaptCrunch]

by chance  the car have a  power chip installed on computer  witch disables that function 

[KaptCrunch]

Quote

Unplug all your 02 and h02 sensors at the electrical plug connection then start engine and let it idle until the check engine light comes back on.  Then shut the engine off and plug all your 02 sensors back up.  Then disconnect ground on battery and wait 15 minutes then reconnect battery (even if you have a scanner to erase with still do this) Then start the car and drive it and the 02s will then been read by the ECM and make ready. 

 

[BUDMAN]

All you really need to do is a global power down, (disconnect battery and touch cables together) that resets the ECM and runs all necesary test...

[Slackernet]

engine temp and driving conditions are key to getting the monitors to run. changing a battery or alternator should not have reset them in the first place but it could happen as your case proves that

so here is a quick guide to get the monitors to run

https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/troubleshooting-catalyst-monitor-not-ready/

[Sikon]

@Slackernet When disconnecting the battery. It erases the computers memory. The only way to avoid it is connect a small battery to the cigarette lighter plug in. Your dead on about the engine temp and driving conditions though.

[Sikon]

@KaptCrunch No, no modifications done to the car. Everything is stock.

[Slackernet]

it depends on how long the disconnect is. computers do have  a battery backup but it don't last very long. Yes there are battery tenders but 99% of them are a joke and killed by simply opening the door to the  car

and today's cars the cigarette / power outlets shut off with the car anyways making those batteries even more useless

Edited January 29, 2019 by Slackernet

[Sikon]

Oh yeah, I had in disconnected for an little over an hour. I did the work in the driveway. And you have the remove the alternator from underneath the vehicle. 

[J3st3r]

You might literally need to blow the cobwebs out. Constantly Driving like a 80 year old grandma will carbon up O2 censors. They have to get hot and stay hot for a while just like the converters to work properly.  Other wise they will carbon up.  

 

If you unhook your battery before you take it in they will know. It shows that the stored codes were cleared because the battery was disconnected. Most shops around here will not even inspect a vehicle that has recently had the codes cleared. It could take up to a week or 2 to normalize depending on how much the vehicle is used and how many heat cycles. Some vehicles will normalize after only a couple thermostat heat cycles and some take much longer. 

 

You can use a scan tool to tell you when it's ready but do not use it to clear any of the stored codes if you need SMOG inspection. Once the entry that shows that the codes was cleared goes away you should be good to go.  

[Sikon]

Thank you everyone that replied. 

I was able to get it to pass smog today! Yay!

About a week and a half after my car failed. My battery died. So any driving I had done prior to this was lost. But, the battery was 4 years old prior to my alternator dying, then I didn't have the battery recharged after replacing the alternator. So, kind of expected. 

Then what I ended up doing to get it to pass was similar to the video KaptCrunch posted. One thing I did notice that I didn't prior to all this.. Is the MIL light flashing while not running. I guess it only does that when the car monitors are not stored in the ECM. And doesn't read anything until you get it into I guess you can say learning mode?  Witch was just letting the car sit for a moment with the key in on position prior to starting it. Letting it idle for a few minutes before driving, driving normal several miles on the freeway. then letting it idle before turning it off. Did this multiple times the past few weeks. Probably more then I needed to. But, aye! It passed!