OBD II - Monitors still not ready

[fooguy]

My 2004 WRX was rear-ended back in November, and just got out of the
shop on Saturday (over 40 days). While it was in there, the inspection
and emissions expired. I took the car in yesterday and they weren't
able to perform the emissions test because the Catalyst and Evaporative
System were still "Not Ready".

I read up on the Virginia DEQ Website
(http://www.deq.virginia.gov/mobile/mobobdm.html) about monitor status
and the various monitors, and I understand the monitors were all reset
when the car was in the body shop and the battery was disconnected, but
I had driven the car for three days, over 60 miles, and as fast as
80MPH and those monitors still hadn't come on yet. Does any one have
any idea what conditions will get those monitors to tag "Ready"? Do I
need to have driven 100 miles? Driving continuously over an hour? I
have to qualify for my emissions in the next five days in order to get
my registration renewed by the end of the month and I'm starting to
worry.

Thanks

 

[Mike Bender]

My 2004 WRX was rear-ended back in November, and just got out of the
shop on Saturday (over 40 days). While it was in there, the inspection
and emissions expired. I took the car in yesterday and they weren't
able to perform the emissions test because the Catalyst and Evaporative
System were still "Not Ready".

I read up on the Virginia DEQ Website
(http://www.deq.virginia.gov/mobile/mobobdm.html) about monitor status
and the various monitors, and I understand the monitors were all reset
when the car was in the body shop and the battery was disconnected, but
I had driven the car for three days, over 60 miles, and as fast as
80MPH and those monitors still hadn't come on yet. Does any one have
any idea what conditions will get those monitors to tag "Ready"? Do I
need to have driven 100 miles? Driving continuously over an hour? I
have to qualify for my emissions in the next five days in order to get
my registration renewed by the end of the month and I'm starting to
worry.

Thanks

The best I've been able to get out of mechanics on this is that there are
certain speeds that need to be driven for a fixed amount of time without
touching the brake pedal. For example, 10 minutes at 35 mph, 10 minutes
at 45 mph etc. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a formula that would
guarantee success. All I can suggest is to head out onto a highway near
you with no traffic lights, stop signs or cross traffic and drive in a
normal manner at varying speeds for about an hour using minimal braking
and see if that does it.

Good luck.

- Snuffy -

 

[Dino]

The problem is that the conditions for these tests (or Monitors) is unique
to vehicles. You might be able to find out in a factory service monitor
what kind of condition (or Trip in OBDII) is required for a Monitor to run.
Once you found out what the conditions where, you could attempt to simulate
them on the road. If you hooked up an OBDII tool, many can tell you the
status of the Monitors so that you were sure you had triggered them and that
they completed.