Check Engine Light - Tester No longer available at Auto Zone

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

WTF would stop someone from simply unplugging the bulb to it in order to not draw the attention of the inspection guy? Cripes, are the bureaucrats in Sacramento really this stupid?

Oh wait, never mind. I answered my own question.

Clearing the CEL and/or pulling the bulb will not do anything if they test by plugging into the OBDII port. Plenty of states just started doing this recently and before that just did the old sniff test. In that case, clearing the CEL or pulling the bulb would work. You can't fool the OBDII tester now though. It checks for readiness codes, which you can only see with an OBDII scanner. Believe me, I have been through this the hard way a few times. I know all the tricks.

[Rick Lee]

BTW, in my last two runs through emissions in VA and AZ they only use the OBDII tester, no sniff test. The OBDII tester does not check your actualy emissions. It only checks that your readiness codes are not unreset. When you get the printout, it will not have any readings for CO, NO or HC. It's such a government BS joke. You could be blowing black and blue smoke with oil coughing out the tailpipe. But if your computer says everything's ok, that's what the OBDII tester sees. Of course, a lot of states have a provision for visual smoke. But it's all computerized now. I'm sure someone will eventually come up with a chip that can fool the OBDII testers.

[notfarnow]

So it's not an emission test anymore, it's an "OBDII" test?

How long before someone starts selling "dummy" obdII computers that give the right values but aren't even hooked up to the engine? Sounds like a good ebay item.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by notfarnow

So it's not an emission test anymore, it's an "OBDII" test?

How long before someone starts selling "dummy" obdII computers that give the right values but aren't even hooked up to the engine? Sounds like a good ebay item.

Exactly and exactly.

[daepp]

I don't want it to reset the light - I wanted to borrow the tester so I could fix what ails it. Seems idiotic that the state would not want me to eliminate the problem. Why limit the use of the scanners when you can reset the light without them? I think they just want to eliminate the DIY'r.

[mattdavis11]

Very well could be, daepp.

In Texas everything changes when the car hits 25 years old, safety only! Just got mine done today, $14.50!

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by daepp

Why limit the use of the scanners when you can reset the light with them? I think they just want to eliminate the DIY'r.

Again, resetting the light will not get you through emissions. I didn't have a CEL when I failed twice either. The scanner will show you which readiness monitors are not reset. That's the only way you'll see them. Even if you pull a fault code and fix the issue, you could and will likely still have the readiness monitors to deal with. You can't reset them with the scanner and you can't sneak past the states OBDII tester.

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by daepp

I don't want it to reset the light - I wanted to borrow the tester so I could fix what ails it. Seems idiotic that the state would not want me to eliminate the problem. Why limit the use of the scanners when you can reset the light with them? I think they just want to eliminate the DIY'r.

Are you near Burbank? If so you can borrow mine. I had an Audi S4 and used it a lot!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by fxeditor

I think it's because people were running down to Autozone, clearing their CELs and then quickly getting the car smogged before the light turns on again. Usually if yu have a bad O2 sensor it will take a few miles for the computer to trigger the error.

Hope this helps,
Michael

That won't work. When you clear a code, the ECU goes into a mode where the car has to see a certain number and certain types of running/loads before the ECU sends the "ready" signal. If you reset the light and then drive to get it fixed, their computer will say that the car is not ready to be checked yet. Here in Houston, any car newer than '97 (OBDII) gets checked by having the shop computer plugged into the cars diagnostic port. Basically, if you don't have a CEL, then you're good to go. Obviously, whether the light in the dash is lit or not, the ECU knows whether there are codes.

Yeah, it's not that easy to fool them with OBDII.

BTW, the Scangauge will tell you when your car is "ready" after the CEL has been reset.


Rick beat me to it...

[GothingNC]

NC stopped the tailpipe emission tests a few years go.

All vehicles pre-96 are exempt from emissions testing (nice to have SSI's )

All diesel vehicles are exempt form emissions testing

96 and newer go through the OBD II test

[David]

I can see it now, run two ECU's one for testing and one for running.

Reminds me of a spec miata class story I heard: After a race an official told a competitor they were impounding ECU's. The driver said 'no problem' and proceeded to remove the ECU from his car and hand it to the official. His miata never missed a beat and he drove off without the ECU!!!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

All the more reason to buy a pre-'74 car without all that electronics crap anyway. I'm all for cleaner air but I'm so sick and tired of this NannyState B.S. Ultimately one thing matters and one thing only - that's what comes out the tailpipe. If you can make those numbers, by whatever means - you should be allowed to register the car. Period. End of discussion. I don't need my computer data being downloaded to the Imperial Nazi Database of Kalifornia or anywhere else.

It's doubly hypocritical when one considers that large trucking companies are allowed to buy themselves exemption from testing by virtue of the fact that they've got money to spend. Total, typical revenue-motivated nonsense by this state. Utter hogwash. Take a ride sometime behind a GOVERNMENT-OWNED municipal or school bus. Yep. No emissions there either. But that doesn't matter evidently. Only oppressing the populace-at-large.

I truly hate the government of this state and will eagerly celebrate the day it collapses under the weight of its own fiscal stupidity.

[masraum]

But Jeff, how do you really feel???

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Sorry, I shouldn't post until the espresso machine is done. A shot of that and a few deep breaths into a brown paper bag and I'm feeling better...

[widebody911]

I know of someone who rigged the CEL to the oil pressure light after a 'gray market' engine conversion - the smog guys never caught it.

[Rick Lee]

VA and AZ will also give you an exemption if you spend $XX trying to fix the problem in a state-approved shop. It's between $400-$600, which isn't hard to do on a 993. I think I was out about $1900 by the time I had pinpointed and fixed the problem (leaky injectors). Trouble is all the state-approved shops are gas stations that I'd never let near my car.

What's really lame is that I know, from the days before VA did OBDII testing, my 993 is one of the cleanest burning cars on the road. First time I took her through then-sniff test emissions, the guy thought his tester was wrong. These are very clean cars. But because of my readiness monitors the last two times, they could not get their OBDII testers to read my ECU. In that case, it would make sense for them to just do a sniff test, since you're already there and they do it for bikes and older cars. But noooooo. '96 and later cars can have nothing but the OBDII test. Such bull$hit.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Keep in mind that CA only cares about you spending the $$$ to smog places (which in turn have to pay an exorbitant fee to the state for their "approved test only station" status) and doesn't give a flying fig about safety equipment. I think they tried to implement this some years ago and some bleeding heart went bezerk claiming it was discriminatory against certain minority groups or something (and won). Today we have no tests whatsoever of safety equipment and this is painfully obvious on the roads. The state only cares about whether or not you've paid their (test-only station laundered) extortion money.

[Porsche_monkey]

All hybrids are exempt here. They can't sit and idle, so they aren't checked.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

I think they tried to implement this some years ago and some bleeding heart went bezerk claiming it was discriminatory against certain minority groups or something (and won).

That's the same in a lot of places. The irony is that fixing your brakes or headlights would likely never cost close to as much as they require to you spend to get an emissions waiver.

[daepp]

Bump

Does anyone know why the BAR/State of CA did this?