Which tool to check readiness codes

Tidybuoy · 08:42 AM

I have a new-to-me 2006 Cayman S (23k miles) that won't pass smog because of the SAI (supplemental air injection) readiness flag. No other codes or issues.

I took to my local mechanic who is very familiar with Porsches but after a week, he could not fix. He told me that there are no issues with the system and he checked all components. He ran the air injection pump and it was working correctly.

I called the Porsche Dealership this morning to make an appointment and the service manager told me that I don't have enough miles on the car and need at least 500 miles since the battery was changed (I currently have 250). This is somewhat good news to me since I will no longer worry that something is wrong with the car. And I will attempt to perform the goofy drive procedure to help reset this flag.

My Question:
I just purchased from Pelican the Durametric Tool. I'm wondering if this will read the readiness flags or do I need an additional tool for this? If I can test for this myself, I won't have to bring to the dealer.

Any advice would be great. Thanks!

Dmitry at Pelican Parts · 05-16-2018, 10:53 AM

From my understanding, the tool should be able to do this. Other members will likely chime in as well.

JFP in PA · 05-16-2018, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

I have a new-to-me 2006 Cayman S (23k miles) that won't pass smog because of the SAI (supplemental air injection) readiness flag. No other codes or issues.

I took to my local mechanic who is very familiar with Porsches but after a week, he could not fix. He told me that there are no issues with the system and he checked all components. He ran the air injection pump and it was working correctly.

I called the Porsche Dealership this morning to make an appointment and the service manager told me that I don't have enough miles on the car and need at least 500 miles since the battery was changed (I currently have 250). This is somewhat good news to me since I will no longer worry that something is wrong with the car. And I will attempt to perform the goofy drive procedure to help reset this flag.

My Question:
I just purchased from Pelican the Durametric Tool. I'm wondering if this will read the readiness flags or do I need an additional tool for this? If I can test for this myself, I won't have to bring to the dealer.

Any advice would be great. Thanks!

The Durametric system will read the I/M Readiness related systems. Unfortunately, Porsche's are well known for taking a lot of miles to rest the readiness flags, requiring multiple "full cycle" (read cold start, full warm up, drive at highway speed, full cool down to cold) runs to get it to clear.

Brian in Tucson · 05-17-2018, 04:46 AM

Take it to the Bay or LA for the weekend. I've had this problem on other cars in the past few years and there really is no substitute for driving it. If you have a problem with the registration (expired) go to the DMV and get a transport permit.

Tidybuoy · 05-17-2018, 09:16 AM

Actually, I just bought the car and the seller (small dealership) informed me of the issue a few days before picking up. He was going to take care of the problem (and still is). We agreed that I could take the car and get the issue resolved here and he will pay the bill as well as the smog check.

I took it to my regular Porsche mechanic who told me this is a common issue and that he had a method to fix. Unfortunately, after having the car for 6 days, he could not resolve the problem. After I picked up the car, I called Fresno Porsche to make an appointment for them to fix and the service manager told me that I needed at least 500 miles to correct the issue. It's only been 275 and he stated that that is not enough and could take even more than the 500 stated.

I'm going to try several times this week to do the goofey drive test as stated on other forums. We also have a PCA drive this weekend and in addition to that, I will drive the hell out of this car all week (I can't help that, it's just too fun).

Anyway, I finally downloaded the user's manual for the durametric and it does indeed read the readiness flags. The actual Durametric just arrived yesterday so I haven't used it yet but I'm looking forward to trying it out. I may not have to take to the dealer afterall if I can fix the problem.

Thanks!

picinkoff · 05-21-2018, 07:57 PM

I went through the same thing recently. I had to drive it quite a bit to get it ready to smog. As I recall it needed to be driven at or below 55 mph for extended periods of time with no extreme accelerations. Then allowed to rest and run again through the same process. It took several days of doing this process. My car had been sitting for quite a while without the battery tender connected.

Tidybuoy · 05-22-2018, 12:28 PM

It's all fixed!

I had an appointment with Porsche Fresno but did not have to go afterall because I solved the problem myself. I followed the drive routine: Start cold and idle 3.5 minutes, Drive 20-30 mph for 3.5 minutes, Drive 40-60 for 20 minutes, come to a stop and idle in gear for 5 min. Repeat the drive cycle.

I had done this several times during the week without success. It's difficult to maintain speeds in the city and freeway. I tried again last night after work. Car was not stone cold but was sitting for at least 8 hours. My work is near country roads so I was able to complete the drive cycle twice without any problems. I used cruise control at 45mph for a full 22 minutes. and repeated the entire cycle. I did have two stop signs during the trip.

When I got home, I plugged into the Durametric and the SAI (Secondairy Air Injsction) code now said "PASS". I took it to the smog shop this morning and it passed without any issues.

Brian in Tucson · 05-23-2018, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tidybuoy

It's all fixed!

I had an appointment with Porsche Fresno but did not have to go afterall because I solved the problem myself. I followed the drive routine: Start cold and idle 3.5 minutes, Drive 20-30 mph for 3.5 minutes, Drive 40-60 for 20 minutes, come to a stop and idle in gear for 5 min. Repeat the drive cycle.

I had done this several times during the week without success. It's difficult to maintain speeds in the city and freeway. I tried again last night after work. Car was not stone cold but was sitting for at least 8 hours. My work is near country roads so I was able to complete the drive cycle twice without any problems. I used cruise control at 45mph for a full 22 minutes. and repeated the entire cycle. I did have two stop signs during the trip.

When I got home, I plugged into the Durametric and the SAI (Secondairy Air Injsction) code now said "PASS". I took it to the smog shop this morning and it passed without any issues.

Yaay!