Went to the emissions station today for annual inspection 4 systems can back as NOT READY. The guy told me that I just need to drive some more. So I did, came back and still the same. Went to autozone to have codes pulled.. none. What do I do next outside of going to the dealer? Any suggestions.

1. Evaporative System
2. O2 Sensor...O2 sensor heater is ready.
3. Catalyst
4. EGR System

The only thing I can think of that I have done to the car since last year is I added the PR CAI (w/ hole for sensor at intake). The car is a '96 auto.

 

Did you reset the CEL recently? If you only drove it around on a short trip and then went back, you might just have to keep driving I believe it takes something like 250 miles to clear the not ready status. Hit up the highways or something

 

go to another station, might be his diagnostic

 

u reset the CELs and didn't drive enough

 

if you disconnected your battery recently, the monitors have to reset. the best way is to do some stop and go driving and then get on the highway and set the cruise control and cruise for 10-15 min and stop, turn off the car and do it again. Thats what i had to do for my car

 

Just an FYI... The 250 miles is a myth. Just a couple of weeks ago, I reset my CEL (P0400) and drove monitoring each day to and from work waiting for the system to go to READY state (my buddy's ODB II scanner has the feature to tell me what systems are online or not) and all systems were online in about only 50 miles. I prayed that the CEL doesn't turn on and ran to the inspection station and passed emissions. The next day the CEL turned on when I was a hair over 50 miles after the CEL reset.

I don't think there is any preset miles to flip the systems to an online state. I think you have to drive the car a few miles in town and a few miles on the freeway which I do to and fro from work to have the systems realize that all sensors are online.

 

Correct, per the FSM, it is a combination of varying driving conditions and not actual mileage that completes the system readiness.

 

Yeah from previous threads, i think you gotta drive for some good time before going there.

 

It just so happens that for most people, it takes that long for them to complete said driving cycle (hence the myth).

 

Those answers are correct but also... every vehicle has a very specific drive cycle that has to be completed to reset your computer. This drive cycle should be available from you local dealer (should be for free) or possibly on the net (google it). Nissan dealers, according to every customer of mine thats ever been to one, are a rip off. Well, all dealers are ripoffs but nissan is the worst.

 

yes, there is a specific drive cycle that u will have to go through to reset ur system. it involves highway and city driving within a certain mile per hour and rpm range. and it also involves having a/c on or off and ur overdrive on or off. its a pretty intensive cycle and takes about 30 to 40 min. to complete the whole thing. its fun believe me! i would try googling it....that worked for me!

 

FWIW:

 

dude 2 years ago i had this problem. took it to nissan, my computer was shot
cost me $1200

 

Dont really see how they figured that but Ithink it sould have been cheaper

 

tell me you went another route.

 

Thanks for all the info guys, but

1. No I have not reset my CEL in the past year, besides there are NO codes.

2. I have not disconected the battery since I installed my RedTop, also about a year ago.

3. I did go to a different station and got hte same results.

4. I have mixed driving conditions of about 20% local and 80% highway.

The driving conditions sounds promising. I'm going to give that a try. And I just pray its not the computer.

But if all else fails I'll just have the car registered in South Carolina, no emission over there.

 

disconnect the battery and then do the drive cycle, if you have time

 

Has anyone heard of this procedure found during search...

How to get car ready for emission testing (Owner manual chapter 10-18)
1. Start the engine when the engine coolant
temperature gauge needle points to C. Allow
the engine to idle until the gauge needle
points between the C and H (normal operating
temperature).
2. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88
km/h), then quickly release the accelerator
pedal completely and keep it released for at
least 6 seconds.
3. Quickly depress the accelerator pedal for a
moment, then drive the vehicle at a speed
of 53 to 60 MPH (86 to 96 km/h) for at least
5 minutes.
4. Stop the vehicle.
5. Accelerate the vehicle to 35 MPH (55 km/h)
and maintain the speed for 20 seconds.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 at least 3 times.
7. Accelerate the vehicle to 55 MPH (88 km/h)
and maintain the speed for at least 3 minutes.
8. Stop the vehicle and turn the engine off.
9. Repeat steps 1 through 8 at least one more
time.
If step 1 through 7 is interrupted, repeat the
preceding step. Any safe driving mode is acceptable
between steps. Do not stop the engine
until step 7 is completed.

 

I read that driving around town keeping revs below 3000 would help. I tried that and it did in fact set my purge flag but I can't get the last 2, catalyst & O2 sensors flags to set. Have been driving around for over a month now.

Maybe I should try some freeway miles now the purge flag is set. Anyone have any success here?

 

In other words drive a distance of 55 miles for the monitors to set

 

I had the same problem when I replaced my EGR valve. I reset the ECU to clear the code and went for inspections and get that same " not ready" was told to drive it around for 45 min.. I left a went back a few days later after regular driving and passed no problem.

 

all i know is i dread the emissions on my 95. i had a gasket replaced and a hole welded shut and replaced the cat new last year and still barely passed last year. all 3 were bad so i hope after passing last year that i can put some 93 octane in and run her for a good 35-45 minutes and she passes.