john m noll

Much has been posted about getting PC re-flashed ECMs to pass smog in Cali, here is my story. Had PC do the flash about 4years ago and loved it. Car a 2001 passed smog 2 1/2 years ago no problem with PC flash installed for almost 2years prior. About a year ago Battery dies while in short term storage and I was a total DS for not installing a Battery tender years ago, but live and learn. I felt I had lots of time to complete readiness and at the time I did not own a real code reader either. So after a couple thousand miles she should be ready to smog, right? Got totally blindsided by the way the PC tune puts secondary air injection into permanent state of non-readiness to avoid the Cel light due to Carbon Build-up issue. Right now I got another function not happy either. My cat converter efficiency readiness will not trigger either. So in Cali two non-readiness means it will not pass inspection. Two smog techs both told me that if Secondary air system can not do it's readiness thing then the Cat converter efficiency can't do its readiness thing either! Two strikes and your out in Cali. Two painful mistakes made my me. Never allow battery to die, install a tender. Second never take a OBD2 car to get smog test without checking for readiness first. My car had no cel, no codes, no pending codes, nada. The Peake is a great tool, but you gotta get the big picture, so a code reader is required. No it's Catch 22 time. Remove the flash and pray the Secondary air system is not going to trigger a cel, or . By the way car has about 100k miles, but tail pipe passes no problem. It's the readiness problem that's driving me crazy. Any advise, cause I think I need some serious OBD2 couch time just to clear my head. Any other members in Cali have similar stories? Love to share your pain. Cheers John

Sailor24

What an utter bunch of crap you were fed. Go back and smack those techs, they have no business being techs. Secondary air has nothing to do with cat efficiency. How old are your post cat O2 sensors? Have you checked for codes or are you assuming because you have no light? How old are your pre cat sensors?

john m noll

Thanks for the reply Sailor. Let's assume the techs are full of crap. I am no expert with OBD2 so please bare with me. Post cat sensors are new. Per cats sensors have 20-25K. What the techs told me that the PC flash to block Cel light for Secondary air failure could impact cats as the blast of cold air on start up to light off cats from cold start might be part of the overall cat cycling that is needed to set readiness . I guess my real question for my fellow M5 Cali brothers with the PC tune to eliminate the CEL for secondary air if they ever had readiness issues with the Cats? If so how did situation get resolved. Cheers John

VacMan

No issues here. Confirmed that I only had one readiness not set although 2000 and older are allowed two. Try reaching out to pedm5 (matt) on this forum. There's no one more knowledgeable about pc tunes from a year ago...

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Sailor24

Couple things the battery failing did not reset your readiness. How new are the posts because a recent change to them would knock any part of testing that uses post O2 to not ready. A least until the tests were repeated. Tunes can mess with readiness but I am assuming you have a maf tune from PC which was pretty bullet proof and had no issues like that.

john m noll

still use the maps not sure that the map tune from PC exactly is? Need to change out pre cat sensors next. When battery died and was replaced all readiness functions go to a non readiness status just like when using a Peake to erase codes and Cels. Either a dead battery or turning off a CEL effects Readiness the same. Any other Cali brothers have more than one non readiness issue raise up it's ugly head?

Sailor24

No readiness is stored in the same memory as codes. Disconnecting power does not disturb this. It is not a Honda or GM.

68FB

Maybe you didn't do enough driving before the test to set the converter readiness? Or a bad pre- or post- O2 sensor?
Some good info here:
OBD2 Diagnostic Tips

"READINESS ISSUES
One of the EPA's requirements for using a plug-in OBD II check in lieu of a tailpipe test is to make sure the OBD II system has run all of its monitors and that the monitors have all passed. But there's a catch. Some import vehicles have readiness issues when it comes to setting all the OBD II monitors. Consequently, the EPA currently allows up to two readiness monitors not to be set prior to testing 1996 to 2000 model-year vehicles, and one readiness monitor for 2001 to 2003 vehicles.
When OBD II runs a self-check on a particular component or system, it lets you know by setting a readiness "flag" or indicator, which can be displayed on your code reader or scan tool. If OBD II has run all the available monitors and all the monitors have passed (and no faults have been found) the vehicle should pass the OBD II plug-in test. But if all the required monitors have not run, the vehicle canno be given an OBD II test. The motorist must drive the vehicle and come back again, or take a tailpipe test if that is an option.
If OBD II detects a fault when running a monitor, the setting of a code may prevent the remaining monitors from running. A bad oxygen sensor, for example, will prevent the catalyst monitor from running. Getting all the monitors to run can be tricky on some vehicles. Each monitor has certain operating requirements that must take place before the self-check will run.
To set the converter monitor, for example, the vehicle may have to be driven a certain distance at a variety of different speeds. The requirements for the various monitors can vary considerably from one vehicle manufacturer to another, so there is no "universal" drive cycle that will guarantee all the monitors will be set and ready.
Mike Cole of the National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety (NCVECS) at Colorado State University says some vehicles require very specific drive cycles (called "drive traces" if you perform them on a road simulator or dyno) to activate certain self-checks like the catalyst and EVAP monitors. NCVECS has compiled all the known drive traces for various vehicles on a CD and offers the package to technicians for about $40. For more information, you can visit www.ncvecs.colostate.edu.
As a general rule, doing some stop-and-go driving around town at speeds up to about 30 mph, followed by five to seven minutes of steady 55 mph highway speed driving, will usually set most or all of the monitors. Consequently, if you are checking an OBD II system and discover that one or more of the monitors have not run, it may be necessary to drive the vehicle more to set the remaining monitors."

I agree that the flat battery is not a factor. Readiness is established by the DME EVERY drive cycle or every few drive cycles, not just once and then locked in until power is lost.

Sailor, enlighten me - can a system be "ready" and have a trouble code? Or does an active trouble code automatically make the system "unready"?

Sailor24

Once it completes the tests it goes ready, code or no code. My AA code, system is not ready and I have no code. As soon as it has two valid tests it goes ready but also has two valid tests for the code so sets the code also. The two things happen in different OBD modes to keep them isolated. Off the top of my head think readiness is mode one and compliance codes are mode 3. Could be wrong with those numbers but there are 7 modes that act independent of each other. I don't know if it is valid for this car but some cars can't set certain codes until the required system sets as ready.

68FB

So if OP has a "not ready" status for cat efficiency, and NO CODES, does not not indicate he just did not drive the car enough to satisfy the cycle? Why else would it indicate not ready?