air repair obdii review

February 2007 AirRepairOBDIIReview �

OBDII ReviewFrom the Editor’s Desk:This publication has been assembled for the benefit of repair shop personnel who specialize in vehicle emission repairs. It is a compilation of articles that have appeared in Air Repair to help technicians better understand particular aspects of the vehicle emission program and the repair process. The editors of Air Repair hope technicians find this publication a useful and ready resource to add to their technical libraries.

Contents

OBDII

What Do We Know About OBDII Now? .....................2Sample VIR for Vehicle Failing OBD Test

for a Cat Code ............................................................3Ensure Success of OBDII Repairs ................................3RDRs (Repair Diagnostic Reports) for OBD

Tests Changed ............................................................4Setting Readiness to Pass the OBD Test ......................5Don’t Turn That Light Off ...........................................6Difficult-to-Set Readiness Monitors .............................8How Long Do Motorists Have to Get Their

Vehicles Tested? .........................................................8Catalytic Converters and OBDII ..................................9Technical Tip ............................................................10Transmission Codes ..................................................10Setting Monitors that Defy Standard Methods ...........10Mode 6 Information ....................................................11

Case Studies Readiness Monitors

Stubborn Monitors ......................................................11OBDII Readiness Case Study .....................................12The Unexpected is Just a Little Tougher to Fix ..........14Five Time Reject – A Case Study ...............................15ALL Enabling Criteria Must Be Present to

Run Monitors ...........................................................15Meeting the Enabling Criteria is Crucial ....................16Driving Isn’t Always the Fix after Eight Rejects ........17How Fast Am I Going? ...............................................18

Communication Issues

How to Check a Vehicle That Won’t Communicate ...18How Important is Wiring ............................................19Clean Cables Could Mean a Clean Pass .....................20

Keep Alive Memory (KAM)

Any Vehicle Can Pass the Test ...................................20A Lucky Solution to a Stubborn Problem ...................20

Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC)

Three Strikes and It’s Out ...........................................21If the Light is On, the Vehicle is Broken.....................23Mystery Solved–Vacuum vs. Pressure ........................23

Air Repair Review is published by Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Ron Wohrle, Editor Ken Beauvais, Editor

Send all address changes, mailing requests and letters to the editor to:

Illinois Environmental Protection AgencyVehicle Emissions Test ProgramPO Box 767Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0767

phone: (847) 758-3434fax: (847) 758-3420E-mail: [email protected]

Volume 3 Number 1 February 2007

Shop Management

Communication and Thorough Research Make for Good Customer Relations .....................................24National Automotive Service Task Force ...................25How My Shop Benefits from Emissions Testing ........27Service Writer Praises Shop Management Seminar ...28

The Repair Facility Performance Report (RFPR) and REI Emissions Test Vehicle Owners Using the RFPR .......29Sample of Repair Data Report with Current REI for

an Individual Repair Shop .......................................29Back of VIR Simplified for Quicker Completion .......30

Quick Reference InformationOutreach Information ................................................. 31Federal Emissions Warranties ................................... 31Aftermarket Catalytic Converters ............................. 31Common OBDII Known Manufacturer Issues

and The Fixes ......................................................... 32OEM Service Web sites ............................................. 34How to Deal with OBDII Canadian Vehicles ............ 35Vehicle Emission Testing in Illinois

General Information ................................................ 35Difficult to Set Readiness Monitors ........................... 36OBDII Chart ............................................................... 36

2 AirRepairOBDIIReview Volume 3 Number �

What Do We Know About OBDII Now?From the January 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Al SantiniIllinois has been testing OBDII systems with pass fail cri-teria for about a year now, and we know much more about how the system works or does not work than we knew in January 2004. But first a quick review...

A vehicle that is presented for an OBDII test will first receive a gas cap test and then be scanned through the DLC. The vast majority of the vehicles will in fact com-municate via the DLC and most that will not are either missing B+ on pin 16 and/or ground on pin 5. If the ve-hicle will communicate via the DLC, a check of applicable readiness monitors will occur. If the correct number of monitors have been run, MIL function is analyzed and the vehicle passes or fails. This abbreviated explanation gives an overview of the test. More information is available in the Outreach OBDII seminars.

So what do we know about the test after months of testing thousands of vehicles? The first item of interest is the system is doing exactly what it was designed to do. Remember that OBDII is an emission testing strategy that includes most of the engine management functions that were present in OBDI. The design of OBDII is supposed to allow independent testing of emission functions with the ability to identify failures that might allow the vehicle to produce in excess of 150 percent of the Federal Test Procedure. Without a doubt it is doing exactly this. Techni-cians that attend the OBDII seminars indicate that vehicles that have the MIL illuminated or commanded on do have something wrong and can be fixed to a level that will allow the MIL to be commanded off by the PCM. There has been virtually no false MILs on vehicles. If the MIL is on - there are fixable problems. Once they are fixed the MIL will be commanded off. The system is doing exactly what it was supposed to do.

However, readiness or lack of monitors run remains an issue. Currently 16 percent of the vehicles are rejected because of insufficient monitors run. These vehicles fall into one of three different categories:

Category One - A couple of monitors remain unset. Frequently these vehicles require some specific driving conditions to get the monitors to run. The customer just does not drive the vehicle in the “correct” manner. An example of this is a person who does not drive the vehicle at highway speeds. It is likely that the Catalytic Converter monitor might not run. The technician will be required to drive in a very specific manner paying attention to speeds and loads that will allow the monitor to run. Note: Don’t

forget running a monitor is what allows the system to generate a DTC. No monitor = no diagnostic trouble code generated. The CD that is given out at the OBD seminars helps greatly by identifying the driving conditions required for monitor completion.

Category Two - A specific monitor or group of monitors will not run. Many times this situation occurs because the system has determined that there is a problem in something that is used in the diagnostic procedure. For example, a bad O2S heater will prevent the O2S monitor

from running. If the O2S monitor does not run, then the CAT monitor will not run. If one of the moni-tored systems relies on another monitored system to function, then a diffi-culty (DTC) interrupts the

sequence. You might see in this case a DTC and insuffi-cient monitors run. Repair the vehicle and after the DTC is removed the sequenced monitors now run. The illustration shows a vehicle with a bad O2S heater. The heater monitor has run, generated a DTC and shut down everything that uses the O2S as an input.

Category Three - No monitors run. This may sound bizarre but does happen every so often. It appears that if certain components are slightly beyond normal criteria, the PCM might prevent the monitors from running until the component is replaced. We have seen examples of O2S’s preventing all monitors from running and yet the vehicle has no O2S DTC’s. Should this happen? Probably not, but oh well....

If everything worked exactly as it should 100 percent of the time, probably none of us would be needed. Many times these vehicles need to be approached as if they were an OBDI system. Scan them and use your DSO to identify suspect sensors. It is also a possibility that they will need

to be reflashed.Don’t let the monitor

issue cloud your thinking. Something is preventing them from running. Try to drive the required trace. If that does not work, start looking for something that

is preventing the system from running the monitors. The system will work as designed and identify problems once the monitors have run.

CODES DESCRIPTION STATUSCAT Catalyst Efficiency Status: NOT READY

CATHEAT Catalyst Heating System Status: Not Supported

EVAP Evaporative System Status: Not Supported

AIR Secondary Air System Status: Not Supported

AC Air Conditioning Refrigerant Status: Not Supported

O2S Oxygen Sensor System Status: NOT READY

O2SHEAT Heated Oxygen Sensor System Status: Ready

EGR Exhaust Gas Recirculation System Status: NOT READY

February 2007 AirRepairOBDIIReview 3

Sample VIR for Vehicle Failing OBD Test for Cat Code

From the January 2003 issue of Air Repair.OBDII testing will increase repair technician accountabil-ity. What can repair technicians do to get themselves and their customers ready for this change in emissions testing procedures?1. Have the Right Tools and Skills

Make sure you have the OBDII scan tools necessary to work on your customers’ vehicles. Unless you work exclusively on one manufacturer’s vehicles, one scan tool will not be sufficient to service every OBDII vehicle.

Become familiar with the function of readiness

Ensure Success of OBDII Repairsmonitors and learn how to set them.

If you are repairing a vehicle with a Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on, make sure you address both the generic and manufacturer-specific diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) stored in the OBDII system.

Make sure to access the OBDII system’s Freeze Frame data before you clear the DTCs so that you can accurately investigate the vehicle’s operating conditions that led to the MIL being turned on.

Review the vehicle’s service history; especially if this is the first time you are repairing the vehicle. Sometimes, previous repairs will point you in the right

Continued on page 4.

From the April 2004 issue of Air Repair.

The catalyst monitor must be set to ready on a retest if the MIL was commanded on for any catalyst codes:

N = No Cat CodeC = Cat Code

Check out the Repair Facility Performance Report for more information on OBD.

REJECT

OBDII

N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/A

N/A N/A N/A N/A

PASS REJECT - NOT READY C

626 DX 4XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 1996 2.0XXXXXX N/A AUTOMATICMAZD LDV, S 3049

XXXXXX XXXXXX01/22/2004 00:14:36 N13:28:34 OBDII N11 961464 53.13 A 02/2004

YOUR VEHICLE COULD NOT BE TESTED BECAUSE IT HAD NOT COMPLETED ALL REQUIRED OBD SYSTEM EVALUATIONS. THE FOLLOWING SYSTEMS COMPONENTS WERE REPORTED AS NOT READY CAT, EGRSEE REVERSE SIDE AND THE REPAIR DIAGNOSTIC REPORT (RDR) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

VOID

VOID

VOID

REPRINT N/A

Retest Code

C

� AirRepairOBDIIReview Volume 3 Number �

direction. If you understand what repairs have been attempted in the past, you will have a better chance of repairing problems that either exist as a result of a previous repair or are recurring in nature.

Do not clear the DTCs without fixing the problem. Verify that the repairs you have performed have legitimately turned off the MIL.

Seek out OBDII-related repair training. Area seminars and courses are available from several sources and are listed elsewhere in this publication.

2. Have Easy Access to Critical Information

Be sure to check Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) and Recall information sources, especially with DTCs that are difficult to diagnose.

Have dedicated access to the Internet. By federal rule, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are being required to provide all independent repair technicians with access to manufacturer-specific information via the Internet. These Web sites will be online within the next year.

3. Communicate With Your Customers

Take the time to teach your customers not to ignore illuminated MILs. If the light is on, the vehicle requires repair. Inform customers that the longer they ignore the MIL, the higher the repair is likely to cost,

Ensure Success of OBDII RepairsContinued from page 3.

especially if the vehicle is past its warranty period. Take the time to teach your customers to address

illuminated MILs prior to their vehicle’s emissions test. If the OBDII system is functioning properly and the MIL is not illuminated, the vehicle will pass its emissions test.

If you are repairing vehicles that have failed the emissions test and have reset the OBDII system after completing repairs, remind your customers not to drive directly from your shop to the emissions test station, especially if you did not reset the readiness monitors. Most vehicles will need to be driven for a few days to encounter all of the operating conditions necessary to reset the readiness monitors.

OBDII is about pollution prevention. OBDII systems de-tect minor problems that can raise either tailpipe or evapo-rative emissions before they become major problems. If you teach your customers to bring their vehicle to you as soon as the MIL turns on, and you correctly repair their vehicle each time they bring their vehicle to you with the MIL on, you will be protecting both the value and perfor-mance of their vehicle and the air that we breathe.

RDRs for OBD Tests ChangedFrom the April 2004 issue of Air Repair.Repair Diagnostic Reports (RDR) are printed for each vehicle that fails an emissions test or is rejected. Since vehicles that fail the OBD test do not receive an exhaust test, exhaust readings and graphs are not printed. Up to 12 DTCs in the datastream will be printed. However, a vehi-

cle will fail the OBD test for DTCs that only commanded the MIL to illuminate. The code that commanded the MIL to illuminate may not be one of the 12 DTCs listed.

If a vehicle is rejected, the RDR will list readiness status.

Sample RDR for vehicle failing OBD test. Sample RDR for vehicle rejected from OBD test.


Setting Readiness to PASS the OBD TestFrom the April 2003 issue of Air Repair.By Dave Skinner, Training Manager, National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety (NCVECS) at Colorado State University

What is Readiness?From model year 1996 on, U.S. vehicles include software designed to indicate when emissions control systems have a defect that may lead to elevated tailpipe emissions. Because of this, overall vehicle condition can be assessed electronically at an emissions test station using a data link between a computer and the OBDII equipped vehicle. To ensure that the data provided to the test station reflects actual vehicle condition, the vehicle computer will report whether or not data in the computer is current and valid. This check is referred to as “readiness.” If the vehicle fails a readiness check, it will be denied an emissions test.

Readiness Monitors

The checks the computer performs on the vehicle system are referred to as readiness “monitors.” While a vehicle could have up to twelve monitors designed into the com-puter, these are the most common monitors:

Misfire Fuel Comprehensive Component (a circuit and

computer check) Oxygen Sensor (and oxygen sensor heater) Catalyst Evaporative Emissions System EGR Secondary Air

Before readiness is set for any of these monitors, the components must be observed as operating properly by the computer. If the computer cannot observe this through normal system operation, it will operate the components in a manner that checks that system’s performance. This is called an intrusive test since the computer check is per-formed outside of normal system operating parameters.

A monitor setting to ready does not assure that the vehicle is defect free; completed readiness monitors only indicate that the applicable component has been checked, and passed muster.

Continuous Monitors

The top three monitors listed above are designed to con-tinuously check for system defects on all OBDII equipped vehicles. These monitors report as complete at all times, and will not cause a vehicle to be rejected during a vehicle

emissions inspection. Therefore, we will not cover con-

tinuous monitors.

Non-Continuous Monitors

For other monitors, the vehicle must be prepared and driven in a specific manner designed to test the systems being monitored. OBDII systems refer to these as “non-continuous monitors. These non-continuous monitors cannot be set using a scan tool and must see the driving conditions required to run the monitor in order for it to set to complete.

These required driving conditions are referred to as “drive traces” and define the preconditions and driving conditions necessary to set the readiness monitors. There is a universal drive trace, but it may not set readiness on all OBDII equipped vehicles. In addition, the universal drive trace may require significantly more driving than is neces-sary to set any one monitor.

Drive Trace Types

Since many different readiness monitors may be present on a vehicle, drive traces can be designed to set all moni-tors present with one trace or designed for specific moni-tors on the vehicle. It should be noted that both catalyst and evaporative monitors require more driving than other monitor drive traces. These drive traces may be available in manufacturers’ service information or from service information sources in the aftermarket.

Readiness and Verifying Repairs

While setting readiness may verify a vehicle repair, the National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety (NCVECS) does not recommend using readiness to verify a repair. If proper diagnosis and repair proce-dures have been followed, no additional verification should be necessary.

Readiness and Blocked Codes

Due to the complex interrelations between OBDII system components and monitors, it is possible for one defect to mask or block an additional defect. Because of this, it is possible to perform a valid repair on a vehicle only to have an additional defect identified by the readiness monitors.

In order to avoid this outcome, for most repairs NCVECS recommends setting the following six readi-ness monitors in order to identify blocked codes:

Misfire Fuel

Continuous Oxygen Sensor

EGR (if present) Secondary Air (if present)



Setting Readiness to PASS the OBD TestContinued from page 5.

In addition, NCVECS recommends setting the catalyst or evaporative monitor when the defect repaired involved those systems. If those systems did not have a defect prior to repair, the time involved to set the monitors may exceed the benefit gained through monitor setting.

Drive Trace TipsSafety

Extreme care must be exercised in order to operate the vehicles safely while setting readiness. NCVECS recom-mends that two technicians set readiness, with the second person monitoring drive trace and scan tool information and the driver devoting maximum attention to operating the vehicle safely.

Preconditions

The most critical issue surrounding drive traces is that preconditions must be in place for the readiness monitors to set. For example, if an evaporative readiness monitor requires an eight-hour cold soak, a timer in the computer is counting the minutes. This requirement will prevent the monitor from running during the first seven hours, fifty-nine minutes of cold-soak.

Existing Problems

If readiness will not set quickly, there may be a defect present which will set a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). Readiness sets fairly quickly on vehicles without defects. However, a computer trying to confirm a system defect au-tomatically lengthens the monitoring process. This proce-dure may keep readiness for certain monitors from setting until the defect is confirmed.

Driving Style and Terrain

Since readiness monitors require specific speed and load conditions in order to run the monitor, drive traces work best with smooth, steady throttle and brake inputs. In addition, flat roads provide the most effective surface for setting readiness monitors. Constantly changing loads or throttle inputs may prevent monitors from running and readiness from completing.Using a Dynamometer

When using a dynamometer to set monitors, pay close attention to intake air temperature on the vehicle data stream. Readings in excess of 100° F at road speed may cause monitors to shut down and keep readiness from set-ting.Drive Trace Options

If the drive trace you have does not set readiness, consult the factory service information.

As more and more states perform OBDII type emis-sions inspections, factories will receive greater pressure to provide readiness information specific to vehicles that require specialized drive traces in order to set certain readiness. Use drive traces from other models from the same manufacturer, or use a drive trace from a company that shares engineering information with the company that built the car.

Selecting a different gear could also make a readiness monitor run. Since monitors are load sensitive, selecting “D” over “OD” on an automatic transmission, or 4th gear rather than 5th gear on a manual may change engine load-ing enough to run the monitor.

Don’t Turn That Light Off!From the October 2003 issue of Air Repair.By Al Santini, Outreach Seminar PresenterSometimes the way we have done things in the past is not necessarily the “best” method for the present. Hopefully, by the end of this short article you will have a differ-ent perception regarding the use of a repair baseline. A baseline is the indicator that will tell us when a repair is complete and successful. For years we have used many different baselines such as the infrared, a test drive, the O2S pattern, etc. Some shops have even relied on the emission retest as their baseline. If the vehicle passes, those shops consider the job complete. If it fails, it is back to the drawing board. Personally, I really don’t believe

that we technicians should use the EPA and Envirotest to tell us when the vehicle is fixed.... Always remember that your REI is at stake. To have a vehicle that you worked on fail the retest causes your REI to drop. If your REI drops below 75 percent, your shop will no longer be in the book.

In 1996, OBDII hit the road with its drive cycles, monitors, and specific test sequences that were substantial-ly different from the IM240 test that we had become used to. Here is the basic question: Should we use the same test, repair and baseline verification sequence for an OBDII failure that we use for an IM240 failure? The answer depends on your understanding of both the Illinois OBDII test and system monitors.



A quick review of the Illinois OBDII test is necessary here. The key to understanding pass and fail status lies in the check engine light or MIL (malfunction indicator light). If the light is commanded off, the vehicle passes; if it is commanded on, the vehicle fails. Simple... So the first and very important baseline for your repair should be the MIL. The MIL needs to be commanded off, prior to send-ing the vehicle back for a retest. A common misconception is that trouble codes (DTC’s) in memory cause the vehicle to fail. Not so... A vehicle could have 10 DTC’s in memory and as long as the MIL is off, it would still pass the OBDII test.

There is a relationship to monitors that fits in here. DTC’s are generated by the PCM diagnostic strategies and the running of system monitors. Specific driving condi-tions are necessary for specific monitors to run and are vehicle VIN specific. Some vehicle monitors are easily run during normal driving, while other monitors may never run on certain vehicles. Vehicles that are currently being tested need to have most of the monitors run or they will not be tested at the emission station. The test currently allows a maximum of two monitors not run (one monitor on 2001 and newer vehicles.) Any more and the vehicle is rejected. One other wrinkle to the monitor issue concerns the cata-lyst monitor. If the original vehicle failure was because the MIL was on and the DTC generated was for catalytic converter efficiency, then the CAT monitor MUST be run prior to a retest. If the original failure was for something other than the CAT, the test falls back to the maximum of two monitors not run without any concern as to which monitors they are. If you are confused at this point, please reread this paragraph. Its understanding is important for the rest of this article.

Think about how we have repaired IM240 failures with the MIL on. For years we have practiced the “clear the code and see if it comes back” procedure. This still works very effectively for an IM240 repair but results in a problem for an OBDII repair. As soon as you clear the codes and turn the MIL off on an OBDII vehicle, you will reset ALL monitors to a not run status. It may take days or maybe even weeks of normal customer driving for enough monitors to run to allow the retest. Remember that only two monitors are allowed to be not run for a test. Any more and the vehicle is rejected. In addition, your custom-er is driving the vehicle wondering if it will pass the test. We frequently find that customers do not listen to techni-cians and drive the vehicle over too soon, only to have it be rejected because of insufficient monitors. In August 2003, approximately 2160 vehicles were rejected during

the month of August for insufficient monitors.The next time you get an OBDII failure in the door

with the MIL on, try this. Don’t clear the codes! Figure out which monitor was responsible for the generation of the code. Do not clear the code, especially if it was a con-tinuous monitor. Instead, after the repair, drive the freeze frame. That is, drive the vehicle in a normal manner spend-ing some time at low speed and some time at high speed, while paying attention to the conditions that were present when the monitor turned on the MIL. Use the informa-tion from the freeze frame for the DTC, and try to drive the vehicle under similar conditions. If you have repaired the vehicle successfully, the MIL will go out as soon as the monitor is run. At this point take the vehicle back for the retest. Once it passes, you can clear the codes, (if you want) prior to giving the vehicle back to the customer.

This procedure works well for the continuous moni-tored systems (misfire, fuel, and the comprehensive com-ponent monitor). A DTC that results from a continuous monitor will usually only require a short test drive (drive the freeze-frame) to indicate whether your repair has been effective or not. When the MIL goes out during the test drive, the vehicle is repaired to emission retest standards. The MIL was your baseline, and the fact that it went out verifies your repair.

A CAT repair needs to be addressed separately. Remember that CAT failures resulting in DTC’s require the running of the CAT monitor prior to a retest. The CAT monitor is one of the most difficult monitors to run. It normally takes a longer time and distance, usually at high speeds before it will run. In addition, it depends on other systems (like O2S) being good. Your shop needs to deter-mine how you will handle CAT repairs and retests. Will you give the vehicle back to the customer with the MIL on and instruct them to get it tested once the MIL goes out? Or, will you clear the codes, and drive the vehicle until the CAT monitor runs. Only your shop can determine what your procedure will be. Personally, I like to maintain control of the vehicle. This means that either I will drive it until the MIL goes out, or clear the codes and drive it until the monitors have run, and get the retest done. Knowing what driving conditions need to be present to get the moni-tor to run is the key here.

So, next time an OBDII emission failure is sitting in the driveway with the MIL on, don’t be as quick to use your scanner and clear the codes. It makes sense to use the MIL at least some of the time as your baseline, because, after all, that’s what the EPA will use.

Don’t Turn That Light Off!Continued from page 6.


Difficult–to–Set Readiness MonitorsFrom the July 2004 issue of Air Repair.We’ve heard from a number of technicians who became frustrated when trying to set readiness monitors. The readiness monitors on some vehicles are harder to set than others, and in general, the monitors on 1996 and 1997 vehicles take longer to set than newer vehicles. Here are some key points technicians should be aware of.Some early OBDII systems are known to have intermittent readiness status, and thus, the Illinois vehicle emissions test stations do not reject these vehicles when the required number of monitors are “not ready”. As a result, it is not necessary (and in some cases, impossible) to set some or all of the noncontinuous readiness monitors in these ve-hicles. See the table on page 27 for more information.

There are a number of resources technicians can use to help set readiness monitors. These resources include publications, technical service bulletins, the Colorado State drive trace CD, and subscription services (such as All Data, Mitchell-On-Demand, etc.)

Motor Information Systems sells a 600 page OBDII Drive Cycle Guide. (www.motor.com)

How Long Do Motorists Have to Get Their Vehicles Tested?

The 2004 edition of the Mitchell Emission Control Application Guide has a helpful section on the vehicles with monitors that are difficult to set. (www.mitchell1.com)

The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Web site includes a wealth of information and links to OEM service Web sites.

The drive trace CD developed by the National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety (NCVECS) at Colorado State University is available for sale on their Web site (www.ncvecs.colostate.edu). HOWEVER, technicians can receive one free by attending both nights of the “How to Fix an OBDII Failure” seminar sponsored by the Illinois EPA and Envirotest Illinois. See the current issue of Air Repair for more information about these FREE seminars.

Manufacturers continually issue and revise technical service bulletins (TSB). Checking for TSBs is usually an important step in the repair of any OBDII problem.

Technicians should make use of all of the available re-sources to help find drive trace information that works for them.

If the motorist has not complied after four months (certification expiration) the IEPA notifies the Secretary of State to initiate enforcement action, which will result in suspension of driving privileges two months and twenty days from certificate expiration. The Secretary of State sends a notice of suspension approximately 30 days prior to the suspension date. Continued failure to comply will also result in the Secretary of State sending a notice to suspend the vehicle registration, which will occur approximately 30 to 45 days after the driver’s license suspension. In either case, the suspension date will be printed on the applicable notice from the Secretary of State.

From the October 2003 issue of Air Repair.In Illinois, vehicles from model year 1968 are subject to vehicle emissions tests. Vehicles receive their first test in their fourth model year and are inspected every two years thereafter.

Prior to the assigned test month, an initial notice containing instructions, station locations, hours of operation and vehicle data is mailed to the owners of the vehicles to be tested. The vehicle owner has four months from the assigned test month to have the vehicle inspected or to notify the Illinois EPA of incorrect information or a change in the status of the vehicle (a postcard is included in each test notice for this purpose.) A reminder notice is sent midway through this four-month period if the vehicle has not been tested.


Catalytic Converters and OBDIIFrom the September 2005 issue of Air Repair.By George Geenerke, Automotive Instructor, College of Du PageIn Illinois a vehicle that has failed an OBDII Emission Test with any catalyst DTC (P0420-P0439) will not pass on a retest until the Catalyst Efficiency Monitor has run to completion and passed without setting another catalyst DTC. Some technicians simply replace the CAT because of a DTC and then suffer the consequences of an unhappy customer returning with an MIL illuminated as a result of a recurring DTC, and worse yet a repeat emission failure after they just “fixed it”. The technician today needs to reference warm up cycles, drive cycles, trips, monitors, and enable criteria in order to understand why the DTC would set.

The two common methods used for determining cata-lyst efficiency for an IM240 emission failure are oxygen storage capacity and HC conversion to CO2, and both of these tests use a pass/fail threshold of 80 percent. These tests are inadequate for an OBDII vehicle! The OBDII catalyst must work at much higher efficiencies, often above 95 percent. The method we use to test the catalyst really isn’t as important as getting the CAT to pass the catalyst monitor built into the PCM diagnostic program-ming. There are many pitfalls to this, and one is taking it on blind faith that the PCM can accurately determine CAT efficiency every time.

Catalyst monitoring is normally done under either idle or light-load, steady-cruise conditions. The catalytic con-verter conversion efficiency for HC and CO can be greatly reduced by an AFR running as little as three to five percent rich. A lazy O2 sensor that is marginal at best when tested, yet is still within the pass criteria for OBDII, can cause the actual AFR to be a little richer than 14.7:1, or stoichiom-etry (Lambda for short). There have been numerous case studies done where a P0420/P0430 DTC was “fixed” by replacing one or more O2 sensors, or “caused” by replac-ing a post-CAT O2 sensor only. The MAF sensor will usually underestimate the air coming into the engine when it becomes contaminated, resulting in positive fuel trim values. In addition to the MAF, the TPS will read a value that the PCM may compare to the incorrect MAF value and “think” the engine is under a heavier load, putting the

fuel delivery calculation into a different fuel trim cell. If the CAT monitor will run in this fuel trim cell, the monitor will likely fail the CAT due to the additional fuel loading (running rich). Or the CAT monitor may not even run at all due to this condition.

Catalytic converter contamination is another issue facing the P0420/P0430 DTC. The current CAT killer is sulfur, and poor fuel grades (or maybe I should say fuel brands) will often have higher amounts of sulfur than oth-ers. It may be possible to reverse the condition of sulfur contamination with a change in fuel to a low sulfur grade, and then a variety of engine load and run time conditions. How long and how hard do you drive it? That’s really dependent upon how bad the contamination is. Extreme engine loading conditions such as pulling heavy trailers for prolonged periods can raise catalyst temperatures to damaging levels. Don’t forget, you already know engine misfires are a serious threat to catalysts. Mode $06 can give you solid data on the success of your repairs after running a monitor under the enable criteria conditions, but Mode $06 is not available for all vehicles, and interpreting Mode $06 can be a frustrating experience at first.

Do not overlook the possibility that someone has been there before you and did the unthinkable, such as installing a “used” PCM from a salvage yard or some other source of used parts. The emission calibration codes are very vehicle specific, and customers have replaced PCMs on their own to save money on repairs, not understanding that they may have actually caused the problem you are faced with now.

The problem with not using an OEM catalyst is the CAT is most likely not certified to meet the EPA require-ments for OBDII, and it is less likely to meet the specific requirements to pass the CAT monitor on the particular ve-hicle it will be installed on. There are very few suppliers of aftermarket CATs that offer OBDII applications and even those that do only offer a very small selection at this time. Make sure the catalytic converter you install on an OBDII vehicle is “specific” by catalog application to the vehicle it is going on.

�0 AirRepairOBDIIReview Volume 3 Number �

Technical TipFrom the October 2004 issue of Air Repair.In the future if you get a call from a motorist stating that he/she is being rejected for monitors, be sure to ask a few questions such those listed below. You may be speaking with a potential customer whose vehicle needs a repair to achieve readiness.

• What are the vehicle’s year, make, and model?• When was the vehicle last serviced?• Has the battery recently been disconnected or

changed?• When was the vehicle rejected at the test station?• How many times has the vehicle been rejected at the

test station?

Transmission CodesFrom the October 2004 issue of Air Repair.By Michael Hills, Engineer, Technical Services; Division of Mobile Source Programs, Illinois EPAIf the MIL is commanded on for a transmission code, it is emissions related. OBDII is required to monitor all powertrain components that effect emissions, or provide diagnostic input, or receive commands from the PCM. The transmission controls the amount of power going from the engine to the wheels. If the transmission is not working properly, the efficiency of the power transfer will be degraded. Simply stated, the engine of a vehicle with a malfunctioning transmission will have to work harder to provide the same amount of vehicle speed. A harder working engine will require more fuel which will result in higher emissions. If the sensors that monitor the transmis-

sion are not functioning properly, the PCM cannot deter-mine if the transmission is working properly, resulting in a “Command On” status, illuminating the MIL. The decision to include these sensors is made by the manufacturers.

Transmission codes can also indicate problems with engine misfire. Most vehicles detect misfire using a crank-shaft position sensor to detect even a minute fluctuation in crankshaft acceleration and rotation. Shifting on rough roads can cause false readings. Therefore, some manufac-turers unlock the torque-converter clutch when strong road vibration is detected. If the transmission is not functioning properly, the unlocking of the torque-converter might be triggered prematurely, resulting in an engine misfire that could go undetected.

Setting Monitors That Defy Standard MethodsFrom the April 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Jim Wellman, Envirotest Repair Industry LiaisonWhen it comes to setting some of the more difficult to set monitors, learn to think outside the box.

One example: The vehicle calls for an eight-hour cold soak and an ambient temperature of 32 degrees. What do you do when its 20 degrees outside? One solution might be parking the vehicle inside overnight before driving the trace requirements. Another way might be to figure out where the computer is getting the temperature reading from, (i.e. coolant temperature sensor, battery temperature sensor, intake air temperature sensor, etc.) and use a sensor substitution device to fool the computer into thinking that it is warmer than it really is.

Another example: If the condition necessary to run a monitor calls for an ambient temperature above a certain temperature and the computer is looking at the intake air temperature, take the sensor out and lay it on the cylinder head so it will get warm enough to meet the temperature requirements. Plug the hole in the manifold and run the trace necessary to set the monitor (a trick from Ralph Koos, Mercedes-Benz Technical Specialist).

These are just a couple of examples of doing what it takes to get a monitor to set. Take the time to learn what is necessary to run the monitor and what input the computer needs. It won’t always be easy, but thinking outside the box could help you set monitors that present unusual chal-lenges.

• How many miles have been put on the vehicle since it was rejected?

• Has the vehicle experienced both city and highway driving conditions?

• What driving conditions has the vehicle experienced?

You may also want to check Technical Service Bulletins to see if issues exist on achieving readiness for a particular model.

February 2007 AirRepairOBDIIReview ��

Mode 6 InformationMode 06 is generating interest among techs that are striv-ing for better and faster ways to make effective emis-sion-related repairs or getting monitors to run. Anyone that has attended one of Al Santini’s Mode 06 classes was shown that Mode 06 is not a cure-all and must be used with discretion. It is not always 100 percent reliable. Mode 06 information seems to be better and more extensive on vehicle models later than 1996 and1997. It appears to be most useful when trying to diagnose problems with Oxygen Sensors, Catalytic Converters, and Misfires and to figure out why a monitor will not run. Like most informa-tion, it is not very useful without specifications or in this case, the identification information in Test Identification (TID) and Component Identification (CID) charts.

The list below consists of places where you can get information on TIDs and CIDs. There may be conver-sion factors available as well. Many of these sources have

in-depth explanations about how and when information is generated or when a monitor is run.

For Ford and Toyota, go to iATN under Technical Resources in either the Ford or Toyota section of the drop down menu.

Acura and Honda information is located at https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/logon.asp

GM information can be found at service.gm.com (do not use the http:// or www when entering the GM site).

ALLDATA & Mitchell information on the vehicles that support Mode 06 can be faxed to you. Keep in mind that not all manufactures supply this information.

Another source that supplies this information is IDENTIFIX. www.idnetifix.com.

Manufactures’ Web sites are other sources of TID and CID information.

Stubborn MonitorsFrom the October 2004 issue of Air Repair.By Scott Kendall, Co-Owner Tahoe Automotive, Certified Master Auto Tech, L1 CertifiedWith this article I will revisit a couple of issues that I cov-ered in previous articles. The first being the difficulty in getting OBDII monitors to set on 1996 and 1997 vehicles. The second, using Mode 6 data to spot a potential problem.

I got a call from the owner of a 1996 Ford Explorer, which was repaired at a nearby shop. After the repair, the Explorer was repeatedly rejected for the OBDII emissions test because of three monitors not being run. It had failed the initial test because the MIL was illuminated with a code P0153 for Bank Two, O2 sensor one circuit slow response. Replacing the upstream O2 sensor on Bank Two kept the MIL off, and there were no further codes or pend-ing codes.

I told the man on the phone with full confidence that I could definitely fix the Explorer, figuring that the previous shop had just failed to use the correct drive trace. The pre-vious shop as it turns out had gone so far as to replace the PCM not once but twice, in its month-long effort to get the monitors to run. The shop also, as I would find out later, burned up $36.00 worth of gas in the process of driving it in every possible manner.

When the owner dropped the Explorer off at our shop and I looked at the VIR, I realized that the only non-con-

tinuous monitor that had run in the month since the initial repair was for the Catalytic Converter! The O2 Heater and O2 monitors along with the EVAP had not set. It is not very common to see a Cat monitor run before the O2 monitors are set.

All attempts by us to run the monitors failed like the previous shop’s efforts. I even tried the little known trick on Ford products, where you activate the Key On, Engine Off, quick test and at the conclusion, instead of turning the key off, you start the engine and drive the vehicle. Doing this speeds up the self-test process and forces the Monitors to run more quickly. It didn’t work in this case.

While I was driving the Explorer with my scanner hooked up, I was looking at not only the monitors but also the engine data. When I would setup the screen to show only the four O2 Sensors, they all appeared to be switching at an acceptable rate. When I checked the Mode 6 data, all of the sensor as well other tests showed Pass.

On a hunch I highlighted and compared the data for the two upstream O2 sensors. The numeric value for the Bank Two sensor was lower than the one for the Bank One sensor: 1024 for Bank One sensor one verses 787 for Bank Two, sensor one. This was important because the Bank Two sensor was new and the Bank One sensor was original to the vehicle.


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On a hunch I highlighted and compared the data for the two upstream O2 sensors. The numeric value for the Bank Two sensor was lower than the one for the Bank One sensor: 1024 for Bank One sensor one verses 787 for Bank Two, sensor one. This was important because the Bank Two sensor was new and the Bank One sensor was original to the vehicle.

So at this point I had a perfectly running sport utility vehicle with no codes or pending codes. All of the data viewed through my scanner appeared normal except the differential in the Mode 6 numbers for the two upstream O2 sensors, but the PCM gave both of them a Pass. I had to fix this thing after shooting my mouth off on the phone to the Explorer’s owner. With the confidence of Ralph Kramden on the old Honeymooner’s TV show, I had told him, “I can fix any emissions failure sir, bring it in”.

I made some calls to some of the contacts I have found in the industry and none of them had seen this problem themselves. This is not surprising because if you think about it, the Explorer was actually fixed from the perspec-tive that the MIL light, which had illuminated because of a bad O2 sensor, was now off and there were no Codes in memory. Were it not for the retesting issue, no Tech would consider the Explorer to have a problem. The monitors needing to be set have only been an issue in Illinois since January 2, 2004, so it is unlikely that any Tech would have any significant experience at setting them.

It was time to break out my DSO and further test the only suspicious sensor I could find, the other upstream O2 sensor. The only reasonable way to do this on the Explorer is at the PCM, which is located at the center of the firewall.

Stubborn MonitorsContinued from page 11.

It was obvious on my scope that the Bank One sensor was slow and lazy (as determined by using propane enrichment tool “blipped” propane while pattern was still lean, voltage rise from lean to rich in less than 100 mS from 300 mV to 600 mV). If this were an IM240 failure I would recom-mend replacing the Bank One sensor. That is exactly what I did in this case and after doing so (not an easy task on this baby), the Explorer set both of the O2 monitors after driving it only two blocks from the shop. The Mode 6 numbers quickly evened out as well, 787 for B2S1 verses 804 for B1S1.

I don’t know why the PCM didn’t flag the Bank One upstream O2 sensor and turn on the MIL light. It obviously thought there was a problem so it didn’t run the monitors.

The two lessons that I will remember from this experi-ence are, first, if the monitors won’t run, there is a problem in the OBDII system and all of the fancy drive traces in the world probably won’t set those monitors. The second lesson is that despite what I suspect a lot of us learned in our OBDII training, the OBDII system will not recognize every problem by illuminating the MIL light. If the moni-tors will not set, after a reasonable amount of driving, even if there are no codes, I am going to diagnose the vehicle as if it is an IM240 failure and start scoping the individual sensors with my DSO.

If anyone has any input on this issue, please feel free to contact me, Scott Kendall, at (847) 394-3030.

OBDII Readiness Case StudyFrom the April 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Angelo Vitullo, Emissions Program Instructor, Automotive Technology Department; St. Louis Community College, Forest Park CampusThe owner of a 1998 Chrysler Cirrus, with a 2.5L engine and A/T, SMPFI, and odometer at 91,000 miles informed a service manager of an OBDII emissions test reject because of monitors. The inspection reports showed the service manager that the vehicle had been rejected at the test station seven times over a five-month period. Setting monitors during normal driving wasn’t an issue since a cross-country trip was taken during that five-month period.


The repair facility scan tools also confirmed the test sta-tion monitor status report. Many unsuccessful things were tried, including the installation of a remanufactured PCM, and the technician driving the vehicle according to drive trace procedures also accomplished nothing. Finally the vehicle was returned with instructions to “drive the car for a few days.” The customer departed more frustrated than ever.

Once I got involved at Outreach’s request, I contacted the repair facility and the customer directly to get the information I needed to repair the vehicle. Using my scan

February 2007 AirRepairOBDIIReview �3

tool to check the OBDII system, the only monitor that was complete was the HO2S monitor. This monitor is enabled at idle after a cold start with engine temperature below 127 degrees F and battery temperature within +/-27 degrees of engine temperature. I wondered why that monitor ran and

no others did?When eyeballing long lists of live sensor data, it is easy to overlook key pieces of infor-mation while trying to rationalize every value displayed.

But I did notice the Ambient/Battery Temperature Sensor was sending an erroneous very cold signal of -7.6 degrees F. On a 70 degree F day, this was a red flag.

By researching the “enabling criteria” necessary to run monitors for the EGR, HOS2 and CAT monitors, I found they all require a minimum ambient temperature of 19 degrees F.

Also, the OBDII Misfire Counter was not function-ing. This vehicle, as with most others, must “learn” the specific electrical characteristics of the crank sensor, the crank sensor air gap, the machining characteristics of the

crankshaft tone wheel, and so on. Chrysler calls this learning process the Adaptive Numera-tor. There is a drive cycle consisting of a series of vehicle

decelerations required to perform this learning process for this particular vehicle. Some brands of vehicles can perform this learn function in the shop bay. Only research will reveal the proper procedure for the subject vehicle in your shop. Without guidance, we are lost. The scan tool readout stated the vehicle did not complete the Adaptive Learn procedure, hence the misfire counter, a continuous

component monitor (CCM) was disabled. In researching the enabling criteria for the Misfire Monitor, I learned it also would be disabled due to the ambient temperature requirement of 19 degrees.

While researching the wiring diagrams and component locations guide, I saw there was a temperature measure-ment thermistor located behind the left headlamp housing. It was a three- wire sensor called the Battery Temperature Sensor. The calibration error had suspended the running of all monitors except the

HO2S Heater Monitor. Why? Because that monitor will run as long as there is a cold start and battery tem-perature is within +/- 27 degrees of engine temperature. In other words if the engine coolant temperature is 18 degrees or less during a cold start the HO2S Heater Monitor will run. Knowing a prior repair shop replaced the PCM in vain, I double checked the part number to confirm it was correct.

I was confident the problem was the Ambient/Bat-tery Temperature Sensor. After a wiring check I replaced the sensor and, using the scan tool, recorded a realistic temperature value. The software engineers did not program this sensor for rationality code setting capability. The next goal was to run all the diagnostic monitors (OBDII Drive Cycle) to confirm there will be no system failures and resulting MIL Lamp Illumination. The vehicle ran all the monitors and passed. The customer was ecstatic that the problem was fixed. Lessons Learned

OBDII is very reliable and things happen for a reason. Diagnostics must be performed, prioritized and carried out with precision. Access to vehicle data is an absolute requirement. Without guidance, we are lost. Although the purpose of OBDII system designs are to standardize con-nectors, component names, DTCs, etc., actual monitor rou-tines, enabling criteria and software-based calibrations are constantly changing, and nothing can be taken for granted. One must approach OBDII challenges with an open mind and be willing to do research.

OBDII MON DISABLED STATUSOBDII MON DISABLED LoTemp: YES

OBDII MON DISABLED LoBatt: NO

OBDII MON DISABLED LoBaro: NO

SENSORSCURRENT ADAP CELL ID: OENG COOLANT TEMP DEG: 73.4FENG COOLANT TEMP VOLT: 2.59VINTAKE AIR TEMP DEG: 68.0F

OBDII Readiness Case StudyContinued from page 12.

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The Unexpected is Just a Little Tougher to FixFrom the April 2004 issue of Air Repair. By Scott Kendall, Co-Owner Tahoe Automotive, Certified Master Auto Tech, L1 CertifiedWith the implementation of the new phase of the OBD II emissions test on January 2, 2004, for 1996 and newer ve-hicles, I was surprised to deal with a somewhat unexpected issue. It was a situation involving a vehicle that had more than two readiness monitors not set to ready. In instances like this, several questions are asked. First of all, has the vehicle been serviced lately? Secondly, has the battery been disconnected recently? If either of these was the case, the customer might try driving the vehicle for a week or so to allow the monitors to reset themselves. If they reset, the vehicle can be tested. If that doesn’t work and the custom-er insists that we “just fix it,” I attempt to set the monitors by running the vehicle through the manufacturer’s recom-mended drive trace. That, as it turns out, is not an easy process. If the vehicle is used every day, and the battery has not been disconnected, and the PCM has not been reset with a scanner, the monitors really should set to ready. If a problem exists within the system, you would think that a trouble code would be set. Right? Wrong!!

For example, I attempted to get readiness monitors to run on a 1997 Nissan Sentra. The Sentra was driven twenty miles each day in the city and on the highway. It was rejected because four monitors were not running. The rules are that no more than two monitors can be incom-plete—unless of course if the vehicle originally failed for a catalytic converter code. In that case, the converter moni-tor must also be set to ready.

I scanned for codes, checked fuel pressure, and scoped the front O2 sensor. The only obvious thing that was out of spec was the engine temperature. It was only reaching 115 degrees after a half an hour of driving. The O2 signal could not have been more perfect. I replaced the ther-mostat which restored normal engine temperature, not to mention vent temperature from the heater. It was winter

season, and this customer had to be freezing to death driving a cold car! Once again, you would think that there would have been a trouble code set for a coolant tempera-ture sensor or for a cold motor. There was none!

The customer drove the car for another week through all kinds of driving conditions. The O2, CAT, EVAP, and EGR monitors still had not set to ready. I drove it on the highway and city streets, accelerating and decelerating according to Nissan’s drive trace instructions. Nothing worked. I tested the ECU and sensors and found that the ECU had gotten wet at some point, but again there were no codes.

I ran it through a more aggressive drive trace that I found on the Internet. This is where the ridiculous part of the process began. First the vehicle was idled until 174 degrees or greater. Then the engine was shut off, restarted, and idled for another 90 seconds. Next the vehicle was accelerated gradually up to 54 MPH. That speed was maintained for about a minute. I decelerated for a couple seconds and went back up to 54 MPH for 3 to 5 minutes. Then I decelerated to a stop without hitting the brakes, ac-celerated to 54 MPH for another 5 minutes, and then com-pleted a series of accelerations and decelerations from 5 to 35 MPH — five of these. Next, you guessed it; the drive trace called for the complete cycle to be repeated again!

After two of these drive cycles, only the CAT monitor was set to ready. After a visual inspection, I concluded that the Engine Control Unit needed to be replaced because wa-ter had gotten into the unit. After replacement, all monitors were set to ready after just stop and go city driving. The CAT monitor required only normal expressway driving to run. The point I would like to make is that most repairs on OBD vehicles won’t involve the in-depth situation I just described, but you do need to spend a little time research-ing a vehicle before working on it. Do your homework! Time is money!!


Five-Time Reject–A Case StudyFrom the September 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Noah Zafrir, Owner; Factory Muffler Complete AutoA five-time reject (year, make & model not important) for monitors came into my shop after originally failing for several codes including a CAT code (codes present: P0102, P0152, P0300 & P0420). The previous repair facility, which will remain nameless, replaced the PCM with a re-built, replaced the O2 sensor and replaced the catalyst. But the shop gave up after several attempts to set the monitors and in particular, the CAT monitor. Several months and a few thousand miles later, a frustrated consumer started experiencing other problems – would not start on humid or rainy days.

Finally, the wise consumer used the book and chose my shop. He made the 30-mile trip to my shop. I asked him to bring the receipts from the other shop to know what had been done to “try” to get this vehicle through the test. I also confirmed that the CAT monitor had not set to ready.

After reviewing the previous shop’s receipts and reviewing their work, I replaced the O2 sensor with the

correct one called for, but I also experienced the no start condition. I replaced the computer with a new one and the harness to the coils and the problem disappeared. So now I could finally find out what had to be done to set the CAT monitor. My concern was that after several months, more mileage and installation of the wrong parts, the CAT might have been contaminated. The only alternative was to re-place the four-month-old CAT under warranty with a new one. The CAT monitor set to ready within 20 minutes.

The moral of this story is: The consumer should have used a shop from the book on the initial failure. It is not to say that a shop that isn’t in the book can’t fix the OBDII failure/reject, but because of my volume of OBDII repairs, I have experienced a huge number of rejects for CAT monitors not setting. Experience has given me the abil-ity to quickly diagnose and repair OBDII failures/rejects efficiently saving money for my customers and making my shop profitable.

ALL Enabling Criteria Must Be Present to Run MonitorsFrom the July 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Jeff Katz, Owner, Katz Automotive, ElginMany techs are seeing monitors that can be very difficult to complete. With persistence and following enabling criteria exactly, we’ve found that enough monitors can be completed in order to take an OBDII emission test. Our shop recently encountered a 3.0 liter 1996 Caravan with some very stubborn monitors.

The van originally failed with a P0443 (evap purge solenoid circuit). It was tested and failed six months later with the same code. We always baseline any emission repair before doing anything, and the odd thing we noticed was that the CAT monitor was incomplete. All other moni-tors were completed and our code P0443 was in memory.

A P0443 code indicates a problem in the purge sole-noid circuit. This vehicle does not have a leak detection pump and purge is monitored similar to an OBD-I vehicle. Evap is not supported on this vehicle; it is monitored by the comprehensive monitor.

Our problem was that a transmission linkage rod rubbed through the wiring harness and power feed wire to the evap purge solenoid. We repositioned the harness and soldered the wire back together. We did have to disconnect the battery because the wiring repair was directly under-

neath it. This resets all monitor status and clears codes. No matter what we did, we could not get this van to complete enough monitors to take the test. The supported non-continuous monitors on this vehicle are the CAT, O2, O2 Heater, and EGR. The O2 Monitor would set to complete as soon as the van was started, leaving us needing one monitor to run to take the emission test.

We have a specific route that we drive to run moni-tors. It usually takes about fifteen to twenty minutes and includes both city and highway driving. We look up the drive traces in the NCVECS CD or Alldata, set the scanner to monitor status, and drive until we pass enough moni-tors to take the test. Eleven test drives later nothing else would complete. I got in touch with a Chrysler represen-tative who helped us out. His advice was to put the van on a lift, run it up to highway speeds, and let it coast all the way down to idle without touching the brake. He said sometimes the monitors would run during this long decel. We were a little apprehensive about doing it because it had 150,000 miles on it and one of the issues was a small cool-ing leak in the area of the water pump. You guessed it, at about 55 mph the timing belt let go. During the repair the tech noticed that the thermostat was also stuck open.



sometimes the monitors would run during this long decel. We were a little apprehensive about doing it because it had 150,000 miles on it and one of the issues was a small cool-ing leak in the area of the water pump. You guessed it, at about 55 mph the timing belt let go. During the repair the tech noticed that the thermostat was also stuck open.

I wondered why a van would run a monitor on the lift but not the highway. This van’s temperature gauge stayed in the middle throughout the test drive; but we never actu-ally checked engine temperature during the test drive. One of the enabling criteria for the EGR monitor was an engine temperature of above 170 degrees F. So our next test drive

Damage done by 1996 Caravan transmission linkage rod.

ALL Enabling Criteria Must Be Present to Run MonitorsContinued from page 15.

we set the scan tool to data list and recorded it. We only needed one monitor to run.

When we started the test drive we were at 178 degrees F; once on the road the engine quickly cooled off to 136 degrees F, preventing the monitors from running. Remem-ber, we have to maintain 170 degrees F coolant tempera-ture. After a new thermostat, the engine maintained a steady 194 degrees F on the road. The odd thing is that the CAT monitor completed on the first test drive. The van passed the OBDII emission test without completing the EGR or O2 Heater monitors.

Ten days later the van returned for some additional maintenance. We rechecked it, and all of the monitors were completed with no new codes. The customer did mention that the van heated up faster and the heater worked better.

Watching the enabling criteria closer would have saved a lot of time. We don’t know why the O2 Heater ini-tially wouldn’t complete since that monitor was supposed to run within ten minutes after the engine was shutdown. We also don’t know why the O2 Monitor set to complete without the O2 Sensor even getting hot. And finally, why did the monitors seem to run out of order? But engine tem-perature was a critical factor for this vehicle to run enough monitors to pass the test.

Remember ALL enabling criteria must be present in order to run the monitors.

Meeting the Enabling Criteria is CrucialFrom the March 2006 issue of Air Repair.By Ray Mazeika, ASE Master Teach, L-1 and President of Lang’s Auto Service in Downers Grove, Illinois We had a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII in our shop with 138,000 miles. It was rejected for the cat monitor five times. Another unnamed shop did $3,000 in repairs. Need-less to say the customer was very frustrated at this point and really didn’t trust anyone.

The car originally failed for Bank #2 catalyst below threshold. The previous shop replaced the Bank #2 con-verter. A universal type was welded in to keep costs down. After being rejected a few more times because the cat monitor didn’t set, they replaced the thermostat, tune up, sensors, etc.

This customer ended up at our shop because she found us in the Repair Facility Performance Report. I explained to the customer that I needed a couple hours of diagnos-tic time, which she approved. Since we have been at 100 percent for the past four years, I explained that we would guarantee the vehicle would pass.

The customer had driven over 1800 miles and was still being rejected. I live about 22 miles from the shop

and have developed a route to set monitors. This one was different. With Meeting the Enabling Criteria is Crucial the customer’s approval, I reset the Powertrain Control Moni-tor (PCM) and drove the car home and back. No codes were set. Fuel trims were +- 3-5 percent. Still the cat moni-tor would not set. A friend at Ford looked up the Catalyst drive cycle, and it says that the Intake Air Temperature (IAT) should be 50-100 degrees. It was only getting up to 15. So I fabricated a resistor in place of the IAT sensor, and I was able to get the Cat monitor to run. It set a pending code P0420 (Bank #1 catalytic efficiency below threshold). So at this point it was easy. We installed a new universal Cat on Bank #1, performed a drive cycle and passed the car.

The key to repairing this car was creating the condi-tions necessary for the PCM to run the cat monitor. In this case the customer could not wait because her license and plates were both suspended. We were able to get this car repaired and passed in less than 24 hours after the owner had made several unsuccessful visits to the other shop.

February 2007 AirRepairOBDIIReview �7

By John Getta, Manager, Firestone of Lisle, Lisle, IllinoisA new customer came in with a 5.4L, 1997 Expedition for a reject: three monitors – EVAP, O2S, and O2S heater – were not ready. I asked him if he could provide me with any repair history, but after numerous other shops and dealers told him to “just drive it” and eight rejects in three months, he was so confused he had no idea what had been done to the vehicle.

I started by doing a hard reset (disconnecting the battery for at least 20 minutes) and left the vehicle inside overnight. The next morning I plugged in my Vetronix Master Tech, and tried to follow the drive trace as closely as possible. The EGR and CAT monitors passed, but the same three monitors would not run. I noticed that the cool-ant temp never exceeded 104 degrees F. Could it be that simple? I assigned the job to L1 master technician, Alan May.

After the engine operating temp and temp sensor operation checked okay, he switched to the Snap-on Solus. My Mastertech was wrong on just that one PID and only in the Ford mode, not the generic mode. I guess you can’t always trust the scanners.

Alan continued the analysis and did some research of posted fixes on IATN, while I checked Identafix. I could not understand how the PCM could run the monitor for the CAT before it ran the O2S monitors. I made a call to Outreach. They put me in touch with a Ford tech who ran the VIN to see if there was a re-flash spe-cifically for this problem. He said there was not, but sometimes they will put a fix in a re-flash and not publish everything that it does, so you should always just check for the latest calibration. I felt it would be hard to sell something that can’t be seen, costs $100, and might fix the problem. Alan came back to me with an IATN posting for an Explorer with the same monitors not ready.

While the fix ended up being completely different, I saw the answer in one of the replies, which came from an OBDII Technical Leader at Ford Motor Co. It seems that fuel tank pressure must be 0” H

20 (2.6 +/-0.2V) at key-on

in order to run the EVAP and O2S monitors. Before my test drive I noticed the fuel tank pressure was around 12”

Gabino Rios, Manager, Davila Auto Repair, Chicago, Illinois gets ready to read the scan tool he connected to this vehicle on his in-shop dyne. Gabino is one of the authors contributing a case study account to this issue of Air Repair.

H20 and even took the fuel cap off to check for pressure,

but I forgot to mention it to Alan because of the coolant temp snafu.

We replaced the sensor and took it for a test drive. It ran the rest of the monitors right away even though at this point there was hardly any gas left in the tank. Why it did not set a code for a failed tank pressure sensor or why tank pressure is important to running the O2S monitor is beyond me, but with persistence, teamwork and the right information you can repair these vehicles when “just driv-ing” doesn’t work.

Driving Isn’t Always the Fix after Eight Rejects

John Getta


By Noah Zafrir, Owner, Factory Complete Auto, Skokie and Chicago, IllinoisMy shop, Factory Complete Auto, had a 1997 Ford Econoline come in for Monitor readiness issues. This vehicle had been unable to pass the test for almost a year. It originally had been to a few other shops for several codes. It is a service vehicle that is driven very hard with many miles and little maintenance over the years. The other shops were able to fix the codes but were unable to get the CAT Monitor to set. The vehicle had enough other monitors set, but because it failed for a CAT code, the CAT Monitor has to run.

We looked up the enabling criteria and took the ve-hicle out to drive. The drive cycle requires the usual low and high speed driving. But I was unable to determine how fast I was going due to the speedometer not working. I called the customer, and he stated that he knew it wasn’t working but didn’t want to incur that expense over the past few years.

Once we fixed the speedometer circuit problem, all monitors were set and passed the test. The owner was then

Noah Zafrir

How Fast Am I Going?

able to put the vehicle back into service once the suspen-sions were lifted.

It seems to be from my experience that I work harder on a rejected vehicle for monitors than one with DTCs that fail the test. It is easy to sell a repair for codes but harder for something that isn’t too tangible such as moni-tor readiness.

From the July 2004 issue of Air Repair.By Jim Wellman, Envirotest Repair Industry LiaisonEditor’s note: There are two sides to an OBDII system, the manufacturer’s or vehicle-specific side and the generic or global side. The OBDII test performed in the test lane only deals with the generic/global side, and this article looks at the generic/global side in case you encounter a vehicle that will not communicate with the test lane and/or your scan tool.Occasionally a vehicle may leave the test station with a failed test because there was a communication problem be-tween the vehicle and the test lane. This happens about 0.1 percent of the time. If your scanner is not self-powered with its own internal battery, you may not be able to read the data coming from the computer. The following information on testing the OBDII connector (Figure 1) will help you deal with this problem.

The first thing you want to verify is power and ground. To check the ground circuits, disable the vehicle so that it will not start.

Do a volt drop check on the system ground (which is Pin #4) to the battery negative with the engine cranking. This will give you a good dynamic test. The volt drop should be less than 0.2 volts. Then perform the same test on Pin #5.

How To Check A Vehicle That Won’t Communicate

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 11 12 13 14 15 1610

Figure 1. OBDII connector pinsFigure 2



How Important is WiringFrom the July 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Pat Weber, Owner, Weber Automotive, Glenview, ILA frustrated customer came into my shop with an OBDII fail because of no communication. Another shop had been unable to get it to communicate. Because I had little repair history on this vehicle, a 1996 Jeep, I asked the customer

for a history. He did inform me that the vehicle had been in an accident. He had very little problems with the vehicle and it was well-maintained. I’m glad I found out the vehicle had been in an accident as I wouldn’t have even suspected it. The body job was one of the best I have ever seen, and I probably wouldn’t have thought to look for oth-er damage that could have an effect on an emissions test.

Upon further investigation, I found that the body shop missed a few important items such as missing ground connections and wiring harness damage. So I spent a few hours fixing damaged and ungrounded wiring.

The result was we got the vehicle to pass the test after another repair facility was unable to find the problems. The lesson learned from this experience is that spending time with the customer to get a history of the vehicle can give clues as to how to go about approaching the problem. Knowing that the vehicle had been in an accident, we checked for ground and power, which are needed to es-tablish communication. As OBDII vehicles age, accidents and a vehicle’s wiring will be areas that will need to be checked more thoroughly. Damaged wiring affecting 1996 Jeep OBDII test.

Pin #5 is the sensor signal ground and may not be used on all vehicles. Check your wiring diagram for confirmation. The voltage reading you get (while cranking) on Pin #5 will depend on the amount of resistance across the computer and should be close to what you see on Pin #4. Pin #16 should have system (battery) voltage with the engine running.

The next step is to verify the data signal with a DSO. (The data transmission rate occurs so quickly that a mul-timeter will not see the signal. Even if it does recognize it in “peak detect” mode, the value is averaged). Connect the DSO between signal and ground or Bus+ and Bus-. The signal will resemble a square waveform pattern (Figure 2) and should be 5 to 7 volts high, and may require a time base less than 100 microseconds per division to recognize the signal as being present. This is done with the engine run-ning. The pins that are used for this will vary depending on the manufacturer and the protocol that is used. The protocol that is used can usually be determined by what pins are pres-ent in the OBD II connector. There are four protocols we are concerned with presently. The four protocols are:

J1850 VPW (variable pulse width) (10.4kbps) The VPW system is used on most GM vehicles and

sends data out on Pin #2 (SAE J1850 line (Bus+)) only.

This system is also used on some Fords and Chryslers and may use Pin #10.

J1850 PWM (pulse width modulation) (41.6kbps) The PWM system is used on most Ford vehicles and

sends data out on Pin #2 (SAE J1850 line (Bus+)) and Pin #10 (SAE J1850 line (Bus-)) This signal will be inverted on Pin #10 and is not used on all PWM systems.

ISO 9141-2 (International Standards Organization) (10.4kbps)

KWP2000 (Key Word Protocol) (Newer Version of ISO 9141)

The ISO and KWP systems are similar. The ISO system is used on most Chryslers and Imports. The KWP system is used on some Imports. These systems send data out on Pin #7 (K line of ISO 9141-2 & KWP 2000). Pin #15 may also be a part of this system (L line of ISO 9141-2 & KWP 2000). Pin #15 is not always used.

The following web sites may be helpful in making a deter-mination of the type of protocol that is being used on the vehicle you are working with:

http://www.scantool.net/scanned_list.htm http://www.obd-2.com/dlc.html this site also has

OBDII connector locations. http://www.obd-2.de/dl/probs.txt http://www.etools.org/files/public/generic-protocols-

04-1-04.htmThanks to George Generke, Al Santini and John Thorton for the help in verifying the information in this article.

How To Check A Vehicle That Won’t CommunicateContinued from page 18.


From the October 2006 issue of Air Repair.Tom Colbert, Tom’s Auto Repair, Granite City, ILWe recently had a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am come into our shop for a failed emis-sions test. It had failed at the test station because the bulb for the check engine light was not working. The Pontiac needed an instrument cluster to repair the light problem. Scanning the vehicle, we found that it had several codes and needed additional repairs.

After making the repairs and running the monitors our scanner told us that this vehicle should be ready to pass an emis-sions test. We were surprised when we took it to the test station and got a failure for an inop, (not being able to communicate).

After further evaluation, we found that if we started the vehicle and then plugged in the scanner, the vehicle would communicate, but if we plugged in the scanner first and then started the vehicle, battery voltage would drop too low, shut down the data stream, and there would be no communications.

We noticed that the battery cables were dirty, so we cleaned them and got a pass at the test station. The added power draw of the starter must have been just enough to cause the voltage to go below the required threshold during cranking.

Tom Colbert

From the October 2006 issue of Air Repair.By Scott Kendall, Owner, Tahoe AutomotivePossibly the most challenging of all emissions diagnoses you may encounter are not the ones that are failures but the ones rejected for monitors not being set.

My latest challenge came in the form of a 2001 Honda Accord which was rejected for monitors. I hooked up my scanner to confirm the problem, and sure enough none of the non-continuous monitors were set. I proceeded to an under hood check for anything obvious and thought I found the problem with a loose positive battery cable, so I thought…

I hooked up my Mastertech scanner and took a drive. Within 5 miles all except the Cat monitor were set. I shut the car off and then restarted the Honda. All Monitors had cleared, so I headed back to the shop thinking the fuse responsible for powering the Keep Alive Memory in the PCM had probably blown. Again no such luck.

The Honda has, in all, three fuses that either directly or indirectly power up the PCM. You really have to study the wiring diagram to realize where all of the power sourc-es come from. The only direct “hot at all times” power

Clean Cables Could Mean a Clean Pass

Any Vehicle Can Pass the TestFrom the September 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Rich Malinowski Sr, Owner; Spitfire AutomotiveFor three months a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria had been rejected for monitors not setting to ready. My first thought was I have taken on a vehicle that is going to be a night-mare. The vehicle was a taxicab with over 450,000 miles, and I figured it was the victim of years of neglect and that it probably had an unwilling owner to do needed repairs. That is what I thought at first, but I remembered that Al Santini at the Outreach Seminars taught me to think of the basics first and let OBDII lead me down the correct path.

After reviewing the diagnostic report, I noticed that

non-continuous monitors were not set and confirmed it with my scan tool. Many types of fixes came to mind and all of them were expensive based on the vehicle’s age and what it is used for. But when I let the vehicle idle in the shop while performing my diagnostic checks, monitors were setting. As soon as I shut the key off, all the monitors that had set were once again set to not ready status. I found a broken wire in the KEEP ALIVE MEMORY circuit, repaired it and fixed the problem.

The moral of this story: Don’t judge a book by its cover and let OBDII help you to diagnose the problem.

A Lucky Solution To A Stubborn Problem


February 2007 AirRepairOBDIIReview 2�

My conclusion is that when I disconnected the PCM to confirm the power input and then reconnected it, a margin-al poor connection between the PCM and the plug was corrected.

The point is not to ignore the sim-ple causes; some-times the problem is not “hi tech” involving Mode 6 data or a PCM re-flash, but simply a “low tech” loose or poor connection.

Scott Kendall

input on this Honda comes from fuse 13 in the passenger-side under-dash fuse box. The constant power comes by way of a yellow/white wire to terminal B21 of the PCM. Fuse 13 was not blown in this case and the needed 12 volts were reaching the PCM at terminal B21.

Could the Keep Alive Memory in the Honda’s PCM be bad? I called the local Honda dealer to run my theory past them and they pooh-poohed it saying Honda PCMs almost never go bad.

Ahhhh..., that familiar empty feeling caused by the reality that you are on your own in convincing a customer to gamble the cost of an expensive part. Out of despera-tion I decided to take the Honda for one more ride with my scanner hooked up to see if I had missed something the first time. To my amazement the monitors set and this time, remained set when the key was cycled off for five minutes and then back on.

A Lucky Solution To A Stubborn ProblemContinued from page 20.

Three Strikes and It’s OutFrom the July 2004 issue of Air Repair.By Scott Kendall, Co-Owner Tahoe Automotive,

Certified Master Auto Tech, L1 CertifiedIf you are like me, you are a little apprehensive about replacing an expensive catalytic converter based solely on an OBDII trouble code. The thought of incorrectly install-ing an expensive part of any kind on customer’s vehicle has always made me cautious. I suppose that if you work on only one brand of vehicle, you would become familiar with the tendencies of that brand, and it would not be an issue. But to those of us that can see emissions failures on many different makes and models on a daily basis, it is a little tougher.

When I get a vehicle in that has failed the OBDII test with a catalytic converter code, I try whenever possible to check the converter three different ways, and I am not talking about using a four-gas analyzer as one of the tests either.

I start by reading the codes with my scan tool. The next test also involves the scan tool. What I am referring to is reading the Mode 6 data. Mode 6 is engineering data that not all scan tools can access, and it is not available on every make and model of vehicle. I use a Vetronics Mastertech Scanner, which offers full access to any Mode 6 data. It is accessed through the generic OBD II Section. After I check to see if there is any relevant Mode 6 data, I scope the post O

2 sensor on the affected CAT with my

DSO as the third test. As an example, I will detail the test process, which

I used on a 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis that is owned by a longtime customer. The MIL (malfunction indicator lamp) was illuminated, and in the PCM’s memory there

was a code P0430 for Catalyst Efficiency Low Bank 2.

After reading the code P0430 and then checking the Freeze Frame Data from the generic section, I next selected the Systems Tests category and then Other Results to find any Mode 6 data that the Grand Marquis had to offer. When Other

Results is selected, the screen will show all of the Mode 6 tests that have been run on that particular vehicle. The tests are categorized by Test ID (TID) and then Compo-nent ID (CID). At the end of each TID and CID listing is either a Pass or Fail. On the Mastertech Scanner, if you highlight any of the tests that are listed, then press the star and help keys simultaneously, you will see the test results



for that particular test, either pass or fail, as a numeric value.

In the case of the Grand Marquis, there was relevant data available for a Cata-lyst failure on bank 2. It was TID 10 and CID 21. It shows a maximum value listed as 51 and a current value or test value of 53, so it is a borderline

failure. But it doesn’t end there. Since this Grand Marquis has in excess of 100,000 miles on it common sense would suggest that perhaps the catalytic converter on bank one could be on the verge of failure also. A check of the Mode 6 data for bank one, which is TID 10 and CID 11, showed a current value of 53 verses a maximum allowable value of 53. This showed a catalytic converter that was operating at the very top of its test threshold. For most Mode 6 tests there are high and low thresholds listed as numeric values and if it is numerically out of range either high or low it is considered a failure.

Test ID 10 for this particular vehicle is a Catalyst switch-ratio test. Meaning that the PCM divides the number of post CAT O

2 switches into the number of pre

CAT O2 switches and arrives at a test result with a numeric

value from 0.0 to 1.0. What it is essentially comparing is the pre and post CAT O

2 signals to see how much oxygen

the CAT can store. A figure of 0.0 being the best possible oxygen storage capability and 1.0 the least ability. The nu-meric value viewed on the scanner is multiplied by .0156 to get the exact switching-ratio. When you do the math us-ing the CID result of 53 times .0156 you get .8268, which is near the top of the acceptable threshold of 1.0.

At this point I moved on to the third test, scoping the post O

2 CAT sensors with my DSO. I captured both post

CAT sensors. Both CATs were fully lit off and the engine was maintaining 1500 RPM when the traces were cap-tured. Both traces looked the same and were channeling more than you would expect to see from a post CAT sensor if the CATS are storing oxygen the way that they should. The CATs were not storing much oxygen which was obvious looking at the trace. This test confirmed that both CATs should be replaced.

Three Strikes and It’s OutContinued from page 21.

Keep in mind that up until now the PCM has only identified the bank 2 CAT as having failed, but there are several questions that beg for an answer at this point. Based on the Mode 6 and DSO test results, how long do you think it will be before the MIL illuminates and a Code P0420 for a CAT failure on bank 1 is stored in memory? Why did the OBDII system only flag the CAT on bank two and not bank one?

If and when the MIL illuminates in the near future for the bank one catalytic converter, what will your customer’s reaction be? If you put yourself in his position, the MIL is on again and like before the car exhibits no drivability concerns and he has just spent a lot of money to have a catalytic converter replaced. You are now telling him that he needs to spend the same amount of money again for what to him sounds like the same problem! Do you think he will know or care what the difference is between codes P0430 and P0420? Is he likely to wave the repair invoice at you questioning your competence and honesty?

Because of the Mode 6 data that I extracted from the Grand Marquis, I was able to prevent this kind of fiasco and give my customer the “Big Picture.” He knew exactly what to expect and could make an educated decision based on his financial situation. Good customers are very hard to come by, so I make every effort to keep them informed and satisfied.

This is the real benefit of Mode 6 data, as a predictor of future failures. It is not intended or recommended that a part be condemned based solely on Mode 6 test results. It is, however, another test result to be used along with a DSO trace or a trouble code to confirm a failure. Mode 6 data is not available on all vehicles and those that do offer it don’t always offer test data for all emission components. It is sometimes available, however, for everything from EVAP to O

2 tests. In some cases the Mode 6 data is listed

in hexadecimal code and a conversion chart is needed to make sense of it.

A lot of techs reading this may have heard of Mode 6 but don’t know how to access or interpret the test results. There have been classes in the area put on by a fellow working tech named Rolland Trowbridge. Rolland com-piled a great deal of test data and information on what the results mean and put it all in a book that is given out as part of his class. Without this information, the data is meaningless. Ford Motor Company has released a lot of Mode 6 information that is available on IATN. And incidentally the Ford Mode 6 data also offers misfire tests allowing you to calculate the number of misfires before the MIL is illuminated. Anyone interested in taking a Mode 6 class should call Tim at Automotive Seminars. The phone number is 800-450-0402.


From the July 2006 issue of Air Repair.By Gabino Rios, Manager, Davila Auto Repair, Chicago, IllinoisOur shop had a 1997 Volvo 850 referred to us with a P0455 (Gross EVAP Leak) code. This vehicle already had been to a dealership and another independent shop. The motorist was facing vehicle license suspension and wasn’t convinced that our shop would be able to find the problem.

We had invested in a smoke machine and knew this would con-vince the consumer that this wasn’t a “phantom code.” Within minutes we found the leak in the EVAP line and in the canister. Gabino Rios

The next problem we had was being able to verify the repair because the vehicle is on the exception table of vehicles that do not have to have monitors set to ready to pass the test. We researched the reason why this vehicle is on the exception table. It is due to a Keep Alive Memory issue that can’t be corrected. All it means is that we had to run the drive cycle with the scanner plugged in for the EVAP monitor before losing memory by turning off the vehicle.

The last thing we wanted was to get this customer back for the same problem. Instead, since this repair, referrals from our new customer have resulted in several other jobs.

If The Light Is On, The Vehicle Is Broken

From the October 2006 issue of Air Repair.Art Castillo, Imperial AutomotiveWe recently had a 2002 Kia Sportage come in to our shop with the following codes: P0440 “Evap system malfunction” and P0442 “Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (small leak).” It had been to the dealer several times with a recurring MIL. After many parts and no fix, the customer had resigned himself to just driving the car with the light on. With his license suspension looming, he showed up at our door.

Initial inspection revealed some missing Evap hose clamps and other signs of prior “re-pairs.” During testing with our smoke machine, no leaks were observed, and the system was able to hold pressure for twenty minutes. Sensor volt-ages were normal as was solenoid operation. I re-placed the missing clamps and retested the system and everything looked good. The next step was to run the fairly arduous drive cycle. Disappointingly, the P0442 reset.

Changing strategy, I put the system into a vacuum and discovered it would not hold a vacuum. By isolat-ing parts of the system we were able to narrow it down to the fuel tank. As it turns out, the cap was able to hold pressure, but would not hold vacuum. Typical cap testers use pressure, so no fault was found with a conventional test. Looking at the list of changed parts from the dealer showed no new gas cap.

With a new gas cap installed, we ran the monitor and there were no codes. The vehicle passed the test, and we had one happy customer. We now have a new way of thinking about evap leaks. Pressure testing alone does not always find the problem. It is necessary to think about how the vehicle tests the system. Is it done with pressure or vacuum?

Art Castillo (left) is a member of the Imperial Automotive team, which also includes (continuing right): owner Dan Marchigiani, Jake Freshley, Ken Morris and Willis Wood.

Mystery Solved — Vacuum vs. Pressure

2� AirRepairOBDIIReview Volume 3 Number �

From the July 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Angelo Vitullo, Emissions Program Instructor, Automotive Technology Department; St. Louis Community College, Forest Park CampusWhen dealing with a customer, always be sure to follow this important tried and true formula:

1. Be sure to discuss the diagnostic fee structure for emissions related repairs with the customer. Some emis-sions diagnostic challenges can be conquered in minutes, others take hours and can be complicated with multiple issues, whether a vehicle failed for codes or was rejected for monitors.

2. Get a precise and concise definition of the problem or customer complaint. This begins with the face-to-face customer contact and may involve a service advisor, which can lead to communication breakdown. The customer’s explanation of the problem may be refined by asking questions such as: How long has the MIL been illu-minated, or has the vehicle been rejected in this case? Has anyone else been working on your vehicle? What did they do? Do you have all the fail/reject reports from the test station? How many miles have you driven and what type of driving have you done since your vehicle was rejected or failed the test?

3. Attempt to recreate the problem in the shop or out on the road. The customer interview will enhance this activity. Your scan tool should duplicate the same results at the test station and will confirm if anything has erased information recently.

4. Research the customer complaint and consider the probable causes. This takes discipline and should be considered early in the repair process. I’ve seen too many

wrench turning hours wasted due to lack of research which could have led to the discovery of known issues. Research includes TSBs, Wiring Diagrams, the VECI label under the vehicle hood which lists the OE emissions control compo-nents along with vacuum and evaporative system sche-matics, Mitchell or Alldata repair information, telephone hotline diagnostic services, personal contacts at dealer-ships and specialty shops, recalls, the availability of PCM reflashes, automotive Web sites such as IATN, and all the test result information.

At this point it is prudent to discuss the value of un-derstanding the OBDII system you are dealing with. Learn the vehicle’s I/M readiness status, the enabling criteria, freeze frame data and the conditions necessary to set any DTCs that may exist.

5. Review and prioritize the possible solutions to the problem. You may have one or more possible repairs to perform at this point; for example, a misfire code may be addressed by a spark plug, spark plug wire, decarbon-ization, fuel injector, valve job, TSB, reflash, etc. Cus-tomer narratives, test results, and scan tool data can help us arrive at the most probable cause.

6. Perform the repair.7. Verify the repair. With an OBDII equipped vehicle,

enabling the specific component monitor and reviewing the test results with the use of a scan tool accomplishes re-pair verification. If the vehicle passes at your shop, it will pass at the test station.

Communication and Thorough Research Make for Good Customer Relations


www.nastf.org

National Automotive Service Task Force Information Access for All Technicians

From the July 2004 issue of Air Repair.The staff at Air Repair recently interviewed John Cabaniss, chairman of the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) to find out more and report to you.AIR REPAIR: John, we have visited the NASTF Web site and there is a great deal of useful information there to assist service technicians. But what is NASTF and what’s the background?JOHN: The NASTF is a not-for-profit, no-dues task force established to facilitate the identification and correction of gaps in the availability and accessibility of auto service information, service training, diagnostic tools and equip-ment, and communications for the benefit of automotive service professionals. NASTF is a voluntary, cooperative effort among the automotive service industry, the equip-ment and tool industry, and automotive manufacturers. NASTF was started in November of 2000 with about 20 leaders of the automotive service industry in attendance, including representatives of the Service Technicians Society, Interna-tional Automotive Technicians Network, Alliance of Automotive Service Provid-ers, Automotive Service Association, Automotive Service Councils of Califor-nia, Equipment & Tool Institute, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and Association of International Automo-bile Manufacturers, to name a few. Participation has grown dramatically with over 100 organizations now involved including auto manufacturers, trade associations, dealers, independent shops, tool companies, trainers, technicians, and government agencies. NASTF meets twice each year in March and November.AIR REPAIR: What prompted the creation of NASTF?JOHN: After on-board diagnostics systems were intro-duced on vehicles in the mid 1990s, there was a great deal of controversy and concern in the aftermarket that auto manufacturers were withholding (or would be) service information from the independent aftermarket in favor of having repairs done at their franchised dealers. In fact, in 1998 and 1999, a group was established in Arizona, which was later called the Arizona Pilot Program, in which rep-resentatives of the aftermarket and the auto manufacturers got together to discuss these issues. During these discus-sions, it was realized that nearly all information was truly available but often technicians were not informed about how to access the information. So accessibility was the real issue. As part of the Arizona project, we initiated what

came to be known as the OEM service information matrix, which identified the OEM sources of service information, providing contacts and usually toll-free numbers. As this project was winding down in 1999, we started talking about continuing the useful dialogue and that led to the formation of NASTF the following year.AIR REPAIR: What types of activities is NASTF in-volved in?JOHN: At the initial meeting in 2000, we set up four standing committees to work on service information, tools, training, and communications. We identified volunteers to chair each committee with the charge to expand the membership and start having meetings via conference calls to identify problems or gaps in information, tools, and training.Our first activity was to expand the OEM service informa-

tion matrix to cover all manufacturers and post the matrix on the Internet at the iATN Web site. Along with it, we posted a complaint form, so that a technician could report any problems he/she was having in getting the information needed. We update this matrix quarterly.

The next activity was the launch of the NASTF Web site where users can find information about NASTF, meeting minutes, a link to the service information matrix, a link to the tool matrix, a training matrix, and other information. Probably one of the most useful items on the Web site for technicians is that we have links to all of the OEM service Web sites conveniently in one place. So all a technician needs to remember or to bookmark is www.nastf.org. From there he can easily navigate to GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda, and all other OEM’s service Web sites.AIR REPAIR: What about progress on tools and tool information?JOHN: In that effort, the Equipment & Tool Institute has led the charge. First, all manufacturers now offer for sale all dealer tools to independents. Second, through the NAS-TF committee OEMs have worked with ETI to make all emissions and non-emissions data-stream tool information available to tool companies, so they have the information they need to design and build more generic tools. We are quickly moving to the point where this activity has become



National Automotive Service Task Force Information Access for All TechniciansContinued from page 25.an automatic part of every auto manufacturer’s introduc-tion of new products.AIR REPAIR: What about training?JOHN: We are also making progress on training. Again the automakers are making available all of their train-ing manuals, videotapes, etc. This enables any trainer or technician to purchase them. However, the training area has some complicated twists and turns. Some areas of the country are lucky in having great training networks already in place. Other areas may not be as lucky. So part of the training issue is getting local assessments and getting those areas that need better training to make the necessary changes. There also have to be incentives for technicians to get training and for shop owners to provide the op-portunities to their employees. ASE or other technicians certification programs are also an important factor. These are the types of issues that the committee is just beginning to wrestle with.AIR REPAIR: Well, that just leaves the communications committee. What is that about?JOHN: When we started the NASTF, we realized im-mediately that the biggest challenge is to get recognition of what we were trying to do, to get others interested in helping us, and to keep the momentum going. The com-munications committee’s charge is to get information out in any way it can to technicians, shop owners, trainers, and anyone else who has an interest in the automotive service business. Because we are a volunteer group, we have no resources for advertising, so we depend primarily on the NASTF participants themselves to distribute information to their constituencies, members, friends, and colleagues. We have gotten great support from iATN, the ASC of Cali-fornia, the Automotive Service Association, the Equipment & Tool Institute, and many others. And we have had some great stories in Motor Age, Motor, and other trade publica-tions. Also, NASTF issues press releases on significant activities when appropriate. One of the biggest obstacles is that today we are all confronted with information overload, junk mail, and e-mail spam, so our first reaction is often to ignore new information. We need consistent, constant mes-sages coming from credible sources to combat this. Despite the progress, recognition and participation are still our biggest challenges. We need all the help we can to get the word out to technicians and others about NASTF, why

they should be interested, and what they can do to help us and to help themselves.AIR REPAIR: What can technicians do to help?JOHN: The biggest thing is to use the NASTF website and the automaker websites when they need factory service in-formation. If they have a problem getting the information, tools, or training they need, then use the complaint form on the website to let us about it.And spread the word. One of the best methods for getting information is to hear it from a friend or colleague. A trust-ed, credible source is invaluable. If they are members of a local trade group or association, have them get involved in NASTF, too, and spread the word to the other members.AIR REPAIR: John, you represent a number of the auto manufacturers, and a lot of people are surprised that you are chairing the NASTF. Why is that? What is in this for the automakers? JOHN: Sometimes I wonder about why I’m doing it, too. But the simple answer is that I care about it and making it work. It’s important work. When NASTF was formed, I agreed to be chairman, partly because no one else wanted the job.For the manufacturers themselves, it is a customer issue. The automakers need to have satisfied customers. They know that 75% or more of their customers choose to have repairs and service done at independent shops. So it is in their own best interests to make sure that these techni-cians have the information, training, and tools they need to properly diagnose and repair the vehicles and keep THEIR customers satisfied. Because they want them back in the same new car showroom the next time they are in the mar-ket for a vehicle.John Cabaniss is Director, Environment & Energy, at the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers. He has worked for AIAM since 1995. Before that, he worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 15 years in EPA’s motor vehicle program. Much of his time at EPA was dealing with vehicle I/M programs.


From the March 2006 issue of Air Repair.By Bob Haines Rather than write a technical article for Air Repair, I thought it would be interesting and perhaps more ben-eficial to shop owners to tell you about how I improved my Repair Effectiveness Index (REI) and increased my business.

At the end of September 2005, we were in the top five for overall REI scores coupled with total repairs, but we struggled in the beginning. The most important thing we did was to attend every meeting and class offered by the Illinois EPA’s Outreach Program. They provided some great insight on how I could expand my business into this relatively untapped market if I could fix emis-sions failures. I was skeptical at first, but after attending these FREE seminars I realized the seminar sponsors wanted to get these vehicles fixed as much as I did. I found out that not only did their techniques work, but that they would advertise for FREE that I could fix emission failures. I made my technicians attend classes along with me, and I explained to them that the more they knew, the more they could fix.

In the early days following the beginning of the enhanced testing program, most tests performed were IM240 tests along with the occasional idle test. We cut our teeth on some miserable repairs that came in the form of RX-7’s, Mustangs, and the Oldsmobile Y-engine. It was hard to sell people with an Oldsmobile Y-engine ev-erything they needed. Let’s face it; some of these old cars aren’t worth the cost to make the necessary emissions repairs. When OBDII testing started in 2004, we had to kind of start over. It was a whole new learning curve, but Outreach was ready to provide more FREE classes, and, of course, we all went.

How My Shop Benefits From Emissions TestingThe most important tool is knowledge. Emissions

repairs have become at least 25 percent of our shop income. Our customer base and production have ex-panded dramatically. Much of our business comes from other shops, whether the customer tells us or not. Some customers have been to several shops and have actually failed worse, and we found out that in some cases only a simple repair was needed.

When I first saw the Repair Facility Performance Report, I knew that the best shops would get the most attention from potential customers. I knew that I wanted to be in the book. We finally strung enough successful re-pairs together to be included in the book. The next thing I knew I started getting calls from people who failed the test. I let the state advertise for me. The public will use the book to find you. I think motorists are looking for a repair shop that can fix their vehicle quickly and with the least amount of expense to them. SO, I have found that my success is from having the correct equipment and taking advantage of the Outreach program that provides FREE training and advertising. Everyone benefits, which results in clean air for all of us.

Bob Haines is the Owner of Bob’s Garage in Wauke-gan, Illinois


From the October 2006 issue of Air Repair.By Bob Haines When Mary Geraghty, Service Writer for Neff Complete Auto-motive Service in Crestwood, Il-linois, left the Shop Management for Emissions Success seminar at Joliet Junior College recently, her only regret was that she had not attended the seminar sooner.

Neff Automotive operates with an airline philosophy where mechanics must make sure that every aspect of the plane is work-ing properly. “Every vehicle that comes into the shop gets a com-plete bumper to bumper inspec-tion,” she said.. “Dad’s motto is: ‘We don’t sell oil; we sell ser-vice.’ We do our best to educate cus-tomers about their vehicles and how to keep them in top condition,” said Mary. Bob Neff, Sr., started the business out of his garage when he was laid off after 9/11 at United Airlines, where he worked for 30 years as an airplane me-chanic. He moved into the current location two years later in March 2004 and formed a family business with his wife, Joanne, and son, Bob II.

Mary has been Neff’s service writer since November 2005, when she came to her family’s business after work-ing previously as a legal secretary. She orders parts, keeps inventory, and communicates with customers and techni-cians so they are on the same page. Prior to attending the seminar, she knew very little about emissions repairs. She now has a much better understanding of what to look for when conferring with the shop’s technicians about whether the work that was done would ensure that the customer’s vehicle would pass the emissions test. She now also feels more confident in explaining to customers how the work proposed or completed relates to what is needed for the vehicle to pass the test. “I can now explain things in a less technical way. The seminar helped bring the emissions test down to a level that I can better understand, making it easier for me to communicate with customers,” she said.

Mary liked the fact that the seminar presenter, Al Santini, used a lot of examples to illustrate his points. She learned about such things as second chance and fall back tests, and that repairs need to be done well so that the

vehicles could pass with numbers at least 25 percent below the standards, which allows for slight variations in ve-hicle performances from test to test. She said Santini also stressed how important it is to be in the Repair Facility Performance Report and explained how the Repair Effec-tiveness Index works and the importance of protecting it. “Being in the book can mean the difference between get-ting and not getting emissions repair work,” Mary said.

Before she took the seminar, she had some reserva-tions about how she would be received because she is a woman. Those reservations were quickly dispelled because the level of professionalism that she had hoped for was evident throughout the seminar. “Everyone, including seminar presenters and participants, was very respect-ful and helpful, and I really appreciated that.” She highly recommends the seminar to service writers, technicians who are planning to get more training, and especially shop owners and management.

Service Writer Mary Geraghty reviews a work order with Bob Neff, Sr.

Service Writer Praises Shop Management Seminar


Emission Test Vehicle Owners Using the RFPRFrom the January 2002 issue of Air Repair.The first year of the Repair Facility Performance Report (RFPR) with an Repair Effective Index (REI) included has proven to be beneficial to the repair industry and consum-ers. One of every four motorists whose vehicle fails the emission test is using the RFPR to locate a repair shop! This important consumer device has helped the motoring public to locate shops that have a proven ability to diag-nose and repair IM240 failures.

Shops that have appeared in the RFPR on a regular ba-sis have seen their REI and number of vehicles that come through their doors increase by as much as 100 percent each quarter the RFPR has been published.

Repair Industry Outreach can assist when you call (847) 758-3434 to:

Request a detailed report of your last 6 months of repair. Outreach will be able to show your IM240 repairs vehicle by vehicle, test by test. (See sample below).

If your repairs are not showing up in the report, help you determine if it is a administrative problem (not completing the VIR) or if it is a training issue

Sign your technicians, owner, and service manager up for a free seminar

Request an Outreach package to educate staff about the program.

Arrange for a visit from a member of the Outreach team.

Sample of Repair Data Report with Current REI for an Individual Repair


From the June 2000 issue of Air Repair.When the emissions stations start using the new Vehicle Inspection Reports (VIRs) this month, the Repair Data section will be much easier to com-plete.

The new form is very simple and straightforward. It has six short sections: Sec-tion 1 requires the person performing the repairs to check either the “motorist” or “repair technician” box. Section 2 asks for the total dollar amount for repairs performed since the last failed test. Section 3, to be completed only by a repair technician, requires the ten-dig-it phone number of the repair facility.

Section 4, If box 4 is checked “NO” that VIR will not be used to calculate the shop’s REI regardless of whether the vehicle passes or fails the retest. If box 4 is checked “YES” or left blank, that VIR will be used to calcu-late the shop’s REI, whether the vehicle passes or fails the test. Section 5 asks for the printed or stamped name and complete mailing address of the facility performing the repairs. Section 6 asks the repairperson to print his/her name, sign and date the form.

The back of the VIR must be filled out completely so that your repair shop receives proper credit when the vehi-cle is retested. Owners returning vehicles for a retest must bring the fully completed form with them or the vehicle will be rejected. The repair information on the form will be used to calculate the Repair Effectiveness Index (REI) in the Repair Facility Performance Report (RFPR).

The before the vehicle can qualify for a retest or a waiver. Only repairsmade by a recognized repair technician will qualify for a waiver on 1981 and newer vehicles.

we recommend that you have your vehicle repaired by aqualified technician who is experienced in the repair of emissions components. Please have the personwho performs repairs fill out this form. Bring this form, along with the emissions repair work order formand all receipts for parts and labor costs for the current repair work, when you return for a retest.Please complete the appropriate sections.

Repair Data

If your vehicle failed the emissions test

must be completed

Signature Date

Facility Name

Repair Data

Emissions-related costsincurred since last test. To becompleted by the motorist orrepair technician:

To be completed byrepair technician only:

Motorist

RepairTechnician

Repaired by:

$Total for this repair only:

Repair Facility Phone Number

1. 2. 3.

5.

4.Yes No

To be completed by repair technician only:We completed all repairs that we recommendedto the motorist:

emissions-related

-

This vehicle may be eligible for a waiver, after receiving a retest, if:1. the vehicle has failed to comply with the applicable emissions standards;23. all eligible emissions-warranty repairs and adjustments have been completed;4. levels of emissions have shown improvement as compared with the initial test results;56. repairs for model year 1981 and later are conducted by a recognized repair technician; and,7. evidence of repair is presented consisting of either signed and dated receipts identifying the vehicle and

describing the work performed and amount charged for eligible emissions-related repairs, or an affidavitexecuted by the person performing the eligible emissions-related repairs.

. a minimum of $450 in emissions-related repairs (excluding tampering-related repairs) have been made;

. all emissions control devices are present and appear to be properly connected and operating;

City State ZIP

Required VehicleRepair Data

6.To be completed by the person performing repairs:I certify that the above information is correct.

Print Name

Repair facility information, if applicable (please print or stamp):

Street Address

-(Area Code)

So, be sure to complete the repair data section thor-oughly to help make sure that the information used to cal-culate your REI will be a true indication of how well your repair facility accomplishes emissions-related repairs.

Back of VIR Simplified For Quicker Completion Accuracy of Repair Facility Data Still Important


Federal Emissions Warranties Section 207 (I) of the Clean Air Act specifies that the defect and performance warranty period for light-duty trucks and vehicles and engines manufactured. Emissions repairs for either defect or the performance warranties on the chart below are the responsibility of the manufacturer. During the warranty period, only an authorized repair facility from the manu-facturer has the ability to receive reimbursement and approval for the repairs. Please refer to the EPA Environmental fact sheets at the Web sites below on specific details important to consumers and the repair industry.

Vehicle model year Defect Performance �� & Earlier All emissions related All components and parameter(for all Tier 0 and components for � years/ adjustments for 2 years/2�,000 miles.Tier � vehicles) �0,000 miles. All emission control devices or system

components for � years/�0,000 miles

�� & Later All emissions related All components and parameter(for Tier 0 and Tier � components for 2 years/ adjustments for 2 years/2�,000 miles.vehicles) 24,000miles. Certainspecifiedcomponents

(Catalyst, ECU & OBD device) for � years/�0,000 miles.

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/warr95fs.txt http://www.epa.gov/obd/warranties.htm

Aftermarket Catalytic Converters Re-manufacturers of used converters may only use OE converters and are required to test each on a bench for the performance standards.

Aftermarket converters are generally designed to fit a variety of vehicles and are an economical solution to an

OE converter. Currently, there is not enough data to substanti-ate if aftermarket converters are an acceptable alternative to OE. It would be prudent to work with a reputable aftermarket converter company. Important

to keep in mind the derogation of an OBDII converter may only be less than 10% before setting a trouble code for CAT efficiency.http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/factshts/catcvrts.pdf

Section 203 (a) (3) of the Clean Air Act specifies that the installing or selling aftermarket converters is prohib-ited which have not met the criteria of the EPA’s interim enforcement policy entitled “Sale and Use of Aftermarket Catalytic Converters” (see Web site below for the complete publication).

Aftermarket converters are either categorized new or used. New universal converters are to meet Federal durability standard of 5-years/50,000 mile on the converter shell and end pipes and a performance standard of 25,000 miles when the vehicle is properly used and maintained.

Used and re-manufactured converters are only re-quired to meet the performance requirement of 25,000 miles at the time of sale. Used converters from a junk/salvage yard or used vehicles are considered tampering unless certified with the appropriate documentation. Used converters must be certified and have the required labels.

Call Repair Industry Outreach if you have questions about:

phone 847-758-3434 or visit our Web site at www.epa.state.il.us

FREE Seminars Fixing IM240 or OBDII failures Repair Facility Performance Report Touring a test station Obtaining a copy of your shop’s Repair Effectiveness Report (your grade) Receiving a copy of a drive trace

Receiving a certificate for attending an Outreach Seminar ... or any emissions-related questions


Common OBDII Known Manufacturer Issues and the Fixes — 1996–2003 MYSome vehicles have readiness monitors that are harder to set than others. You need to use all of your resources when finding a drive trace that will work. Communication issues also exist. Refer to back side for additional information on checking communication.

There are a number of publications that can be of help. Motor an OBDII Drive Cycle Guide. The Mitchell Emission Control Application Guide has a very help-ful section on the more difficult to set vehicles. For more information check the online services and OEMs. The USEPA also has a recall emissions Web site but does not include all recalls at www.epa.gov/otaq/recall.htm.

In addition, the following bulletins can be of help:

Canadian Vehicles. 1996 and 1997 Canadian built GM products #02-06-04-039A Retrofit Kit is available for vehicles that do not comply with US certified OBD II systems.

There are other vehicles to include Volvo, Suzuki, Jaguar, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Porsche, SAAB, Subaru & Toyota that do not comply with US certification. Check with the OEM to determine the exact conversion modification. Also refer to the Quick Reference Information in this publication.

Flexible Fuel Vehicles. 2000-2003 Isuzu Hombre, Chevrolet S10 and GMC Sonoma may be rejected if readiness is not achieved when operating on ethanol. The manufacturers recommend that the vehicles be refueled with gasoline (two full tanks) prior to returning for retesting.

1996 – 2002 Audi/Volkswagen that has had the original radio replaced with an aftermarket stereo may not communicate with the analyzer and/or OBD scanner and may cause damage to the analyzer/scanner. Refer to VW TSB 02-03 dated June 10, 2002.

2003-2004 BMW 500 series. Not all readiness monitors are setting and may also experience communication issues. A recall is in effect to reprogram the PCM.

2000 Dodge Dakota, Durango, Rams unable to communicate with a generic scan tools or with DRB-III in generic mode. Reprogram for PCM is available.

Ford/Mercury recalibration for illuminating MIL for P0420/P0430. Reprogram is available to PCM to the

latest calibration using WDS release B31.4 or higher. Replacement of catalyst is no longer necessary to address the most common causes of this condition. Ford will not issue any additional TSBs on this issue for other models/years.

1996 Explorer 4.0 L OHV TSB# 00-26-04

1997 Crown Vic/Grand Marq/TownCar TSB# 03-24-05

1998 Explorer/Mountaineer V8 only TSB# 04-07-05

1999 & 2000 Contour/Cougar/Mystique 2.5L V6 TSB# 04-10-04

2001 & 2002 Crown Vic/ Grand Marq/Town Car TSB# 05-02-02

2002 Ford Explorer 4.0L Vin E. Some vehicles may have difficulty communicating. Replacing the instrument cluster is the fix and will be done at no cost to the customer by Ford.

2003 Ford Focus. Some vehicles may have incomplete readiness status. Reprogram the PCM with the latest calibration using WDS release B42.2 and higher.

2000-2001 Honda Insight. PCM does not identify malfunctions of the air/fuel ratio sensor(1). A recall is in effect to replace the PCM.

1996 Hyundai Accent GT is missing pin #5 to establish communication. The dealerships have been notified of this issue and will install the fix at no expense to the consumer. TSB# 04-36-007.

1999 Hyundai Sonata w/ 2.5L w/ automatic transmission has communication error w/ generic scan tools. Reprogram for transmission computer is available.

2001 Hyundai Sonata w/ 2.4L w/ auto trans will not display DTCs w/ generic scan tools. Reprogram for computer is available.

2003 Hyundai Tiburon is missing pin #5 in some 2.0L vehicles. Hyundai will also modify the DLC to include the ground on pin #5.

1996 -1997 Infiniti all models – Monitors are difficult to set. All Models ITB98-011c Drive Traces.



2006 Infiniti all models have difficulty in setting readiness in particular Catalyst and Evaporate. Refer to the specific drive cycles from Infiniti for the specific model.

1996 & 1997 Jaguar – Difficult to set monitors and sometimes run out of sequence. Once all other recommended diagnostic strategies have been exhausted. Replacing the PCM has been proven to be the logical fix. An updated TSB is in process.

1999-2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Readiness monitors will not set to ready with a generic scan tool. Reprogram for the PCM is available.

2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cherokee and Wrangler unable to communicate with a generic scan tools or with DRB-III in generic mode. Reprogram for PCM is available.

2002 Land-Rover Freelander is missing pin #5 to establish communication. A TSB is available which splices a ground lead to pin #5 of the DLC.

1996-2004 Lamborghini all models. May experience readiness monitor retention. A reprogram is available at a Lamborghini dealership.

1996-1998 Mazda all models – Monitors are hard to set. Contact Mazda for the specific drive trace for year and model.

2000 Mazda MPV. Needs to be reflashed to establish communication with generic scan tools. The following Web site can be used to determine if the vehicle is included in the reflash bulletin.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=ownRecalls

This reflash may also help vehicles that are not included in the bulletin.

1996 -1997 Nissan all models – Monitors are difficult to set. All Models NTB98-018c Drive Traces.

Common OBDII Known Manufacturer Issues and the Fixes — 1996–2003 MYContinued from page 32.

VEHICLE FAILED TO COMMUNICATE

WITH THE EMISSION TEST LANE

When a vehicle’s On Board Diagnostics system (OB-

DII) won’t communicate with the emissions test lane com-

puter, there are several things you may want to be checked

to ensure that the proper communication can take place.

The first thing to check for is power on pin #16. There

should be full system voltage with the vehicle running.

Next verify the ground. To check the ground circuit,

disable the vehicle so that it will not start. Do a volt drop

check on Pin #5 (which is the signal ground) to the battery

negative terminal with the engine cranking. This will give

you a good dynamic test. There should be less than 0.2

volts. Pin #5 may not be used on all vehicles. Check the

wiring diagram for conformation. If there is no Pin in posi-

tion #5 this may be the problem. The emissions lane uses

Pin #5 for ground.

There are two sides to an OBDII system, the manufac-

turer/vehicle specific side and the generic/global side. The

OBDII tests performed at the test station must communica-

tion and comply with the generic/global side.

If your scanner is not self-powered with its own in-

ternal battery, you may or may not be able to read the data

coming from the computer. Most scanners rely on power

and ground from the vehicle to operate. If your scanner is

self-powered, you will probably be able to read the data

coming from the vehicle and think that nothing is wrong.

For complete information about checking OBDII vehi-

cles, see the article in the July 2004 issue of AIR REPAIR

on page 9 available on the Web site at www.epa.state.il.us.


OEM Service Web sitesAcura: http://www.ServiceExpress.

Honda.com

Audi : http://erwin.audi.de

BMW: http://www.bmwtechinfo.com

Chrysler, Dodge, Eagle, Jeep, Plymouth:

http://www.techauthority.com

Ford, Lincoln, Mercury:

http://www.motorcraft.com

Mode 6 data for Ford can be found

at http://www.iatn.net

General Motors:

http://www.gmtechinfo.com

Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Geo,

Hummer, Oldsmobile, Pontiac,

Saturn: Mode 6 data for GM can be

found at service.gm.com

Honda: http://www.ServiceExpress.

Honda.com

Hyundai: http://www.hmaservice.com

Infiniti: http://www.infinititechinfo.com

Isuzu: http://www.isuzutechinfo.com

Jaguar: http://www.jaguartechinfo.com

Kia: http://www.kiatechinfo.com

Land Rover: http://www.landrovertechinfo.com

Lexus: http://techinfo.lexus.com

Mazda: http://www.mazdatechinfo.com

Mercedes Benz:

http://www.startekinfo.com

Mini : http://www.minitechinfo.com

Mitsubishi: http://www.mitsubishitechinfo.

com

Nissan: http://www.nissantechinfo.com

Porsche: http://techinfo.porsche.com

Saab: http://www.saabtechinfo.com

Subaru: http://www.subaru.com

Click on “home” and then

“technical information”

Suzuki: http://www.suzukitechinfo.com

Toyota: http://techinfo.toyota.com

Mode 6 data for Toyota can be found

at http://www.iatn.net

Volkswagen: http://www.erwin.vw.com

Volvo: http://www.volvotechinfo.co


How to Deal with OBDII Canadian VehiclesFrom the January 2005 issue of Air Repair.By Ken Beauvais, Repair Industry OutreachEver since the North American Free Trade Agreement was ratified in the mid-90s, Canadian vehicles have been allowed to be imported into the United States. Automakers build vehicles to meet safety and emis-sions requirements for United States and/or Canada. The import process is relatively simple. It involves changing speedometers and odometers from kilometers to miles, changing the labels on the doors and engine compartment and then submitting the paperwork to the U.S. Depart-ment of Transportation. The paperwork indicates that these imported vehicles meet the United States safety and emissions requirements. This is the legal channel.

But tens of thousands of non-compliant vehicles have crossed the borders in untraditional or “gray mar-ket” channels. These vehicles that make their way into this country are often stolen and/or have salvage titles, labels and documentation that have been forged, and they could have cloned VINs. A few dealerships near the bor-der take advantage of lower Canadian costs and import to the United States. Also the border patrol, like many government agencies has faced cutbacks in staffing and financial resources that make it easier to cross the border.

US owners of gray market cars can have issues of no warranty coverage and can be faced with seizure of vehicles that have been proven stolen, forged or cloned. Many owners are not aware they have gray market ve-hicles, but this gray market affects both new and used ve-hicles bought and sold by dealerships and private parties.

The Illinois Vehicle Emissions Test program does not have the jurisdiction and resources to fully investigate all of these situations. Our purpose is to provide clean air.

The vehicles in question are model years 1996 and 1997. All 1998 and newer Canadian vehicles (except Volvo V70 built prior to 9/1/1997) are considered by the USEPA to conform with U.S. emissions requirements.

The USEPA’s Web site lists 1996 & 1997 model Canadian vehicles that are compliant with U.S. emissions requirements. Some may require a retrofit or recalibration. These known fixes are required to pass the Illinois emis-sions test. All other Canadian vehicles will be subject to a visual inspection of the label on the door or engine com-partment and an exhaust test will be authorized. This can be accomplished at any test station Monday-Friday from 8-4:30 pm.

Canadian Vehicle Information Resources:Canadian vehicles considered by EPA to conform with U.S. emissions requirements are listed at: www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/canadian.htmCarfax is cited as a resource because of the strength of its database if a particular vehicle meets US high-way safety specification. Carfax.comSmart Search is a resource that accesses the database in the Canadian provinces. LienQuest.com

Vehicle Emission Testing In Illinois — General InformationFrom www.epa.state.il.us/air/vim/faq/index.html

The Illinois vehicle emissions test checks whether or not the emission control system on your motor vehicle is working properly. Motor vehicle manufacturers are required to meet increasingly stringent pollution stan-dards, but vehicles that are not properly maintained or that have malfunctioning emission control systems often exceed these standards. Vehicle emissions tests identify such vehicles, and repairs are then required to reduce the emissions which cause pollution. These repairs help clean the air while improving the vehicle’s performance and fuel economy.

Your vehicle is scheduled for testing every two years, beginning the fourth model year. If you purchase a vehicle

that has an expired vehicle emissions compliance certifi-cate or sticker, the vehicle may be required to be tested as soon as the new registration is received. Vehicles failing the emissions test must be repaired, then retested. If your vehicle failed the emissions test, we recommend that you have the vehicle repaired by a qualified technician who is experienced in the diagnosis and repair of emission control systems. If a vehicle cannot pass the emissions test, a waiver may be available after the emission control system has been inspected, repairs and adjustments have been completed, and emissions levels have shown improvement from the initial failure and a minimum of $450 in emis-sions related repairs have been made. All emission control components must be present and functioning, but major engine overhaul is not required. .


These vehicles will not be rejected for readiness status at the test station. 1996 CHRYSLER CIRRUS, CONCORDE, LHS, NEW YORKER, and SEBRING 1996 DODGE AVENGER, INTREPID, NEON, and STRATUS 1996 PLYM NEON 1996-1997 EAGLE TALON 1996 EAGLE VISION 1996-1998 HYUNDAI SONATA 1996-1998 MITSHUBISHI ALL 1996 PORSCHE ALL 1996-1997 SAAB 900 Series 1996 SUBARU ALL 1996-1997 VOLVO 850, 960, and 850R 1998 VOLVO S70, S90, V70, V70R and V90

These vehicles will not be rejected for Evaporative Monitor at the test station.

1997 TOYOTA PASEO and TERCEL

Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV) will be rejected if readiness is not achieved.These FFVs may not achieve readiness when operating on ethanol.

2000 ISUZU HOMBRE 2000-2002 CHEVROLET S10 2000-2002 GMC SONOMA

Difficult to Set Readiness Monitors

OBDII

FAILUREé MIL commanded on for any DTCé DLC missing, damaged or inoperable (Unable to transmit necessary information)

READINESS/ REJECT

é An OBD test failure for any catalyst code (P0420-P0439) must have the catalyst monitor set to ready for retest (must still have required number of monitors set to ready as stated above)

é A deliberate or unintentional attempt of clearing codes prior to the OBD test will cause the readiness monitors to reset to NOT READY and may cause a readiness reject.

é Heavy Duty Vehicles (GV 8501+) will receive an Idle & Gas Cap Test.

1996-2000 Allowed two non-continuous

monitors not set to ready

(3 or more is a reject)

2001 and Newer Allowed one non-continuous

monitors not set to ready

(2 or more is a reject)

é MIL not commanded on for any DTCé Readiness status OKPASS

air repair obdii review

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