Emissions Fail...ECU problem?

[ducboy]

I sent CharlieX an email on this as well, but wanted to post up to see if anyone has any ideas on how to get my car straightened out.

I recently bought Cashman's 2007 Exige S w/Gotham tune. (beautiful car BTW) Went down to the test facility today and she fails the emissions test miserably. Here are the results:

MIL Command Status: Pass
Diagnostic Connector: Pass
ODB Communications: Pass
Readiness Result: Fail
MIL KOER: Pass
Oxygen Sensor: NotCompleted
O2 Sensor Heater: NotCompleted
Catalytic Converter: NotCompleted
MIL KOEO: Pass
EGR System: Unsupported
Evap. System: NotCompleted
Secondary Air: Unsupported

My first assumption was that the tune was the problem, but based on what I'm reading on the board, this is seeming less likely.

Anybody have any clues as to what might be going on, or what I need to do to fix?

I am clearly ECU ignorant If this were my PC, I would just reboot twice without saving and it would be all good

[Bavarian Motorist]

That's the readiness test...yeah... you need to keep driving it. There is some procedure to get it to go away, but I don't know if it's public knowledge or not as it varies from car to car. As far as I know, you just need to keep driving it and keep checking with an OBD-II reader to see if it has gone away.

[dstevens]

Yep, after resetting the ECU you need at least two driving cycles from cold to set the readiness codes. There might also be some other conditions - maintaining 40 mph for 90 seconds, that sort of thing. Normally the manual will give the technique to set each readiness code, but I can't find any reference to this in the Lotus manual. The only odd thing is that normally the o2 sensor and o2 sensor heater readiness is set within 30 seconds once the engine is warm.

[ducboy]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

That's the readiness test...yeah... you need to keep driving it. There is some procedure to get it to go away, but I don't know if it's public knowledge or not as it varies from car to car. As far as I know, you just need to keep driving it and keep checking with an OBD-II reader to see if it has gone away.

The tech asked if the battery was disconnected any time recently and wanted to know how many miles I put on it since I purchased. I drove from northeast Virginia to St. Louis at or under the speed limit (no plates) for a total of like 900 miles. I would have though that would have been enough time assuming the ECU was reset before I bought the car.

Maybe Charlie can tell me what the procedure is. I'm sure he gets blamed for stuff like this all the time

[ducboy]

Originally Posted by dstevens

Yep, after resetting the ECU you need at least two driving cycles from cold to set the readiness codes. There might also be some other conditions - maintaining 40 mph for 90 seconds, that sort of thing. Normally the manual will give the technique to set each readiness code, but I can't find any reference to this in the Lotus manual. The only odd thing is that normally the o2 sensor and o2 sensor heater readiness is set within 30 seconds once the engine is warm.

I combed through the manual as well with no luck. Did some searches on here too, but the 'procedure" is still a mystery. If I ever learn it, I'll be sure and share.

This needs to work itself out...I have never wanted to visit the DMV and pay taxes so bad in my life!

[Bavarian Motorist]

This almost happened to me a couple weeks ago, except my mechanic pulled some strings and somehow got me an inspection from someone.


You can try to find a guy like that, or you can call the dealer and see if they'll help. Best of luck...

[charliex]

the readiness subsytem on the gothams does work, i did have a problem with the 06 katanas that i fixed ( see link in sig) but that was because of the temp sensor relocation and i missed one bit that controlled the readiness codes, however the S's don't need any of those changes, and there are no changes for the 02 sensors or anything else that'd affect readiness.. i've smogged mine, and a few others have too.

even though the fault code should be on if it is, check the rear 02 sensor and make sure its hooked up and working, ok, the readiness codes should pop in in a short drive, if they don't its probably a real fault.

whats odd about it is that you're not getting a fault code, i'd expect to see that too, but some of the common problems aren't picked up by obd ii codes.

check the exhaust, cat for leaks too, i'd say go ahead and check for vacuum leaks too, it shouldn't cause that (lumpy idle and stalling would be that), but its always worth checking while you're in there, i keep coming across them, i can't say i've seen that cause an obd ii readiness fault, but then i've never checked that they passed on a car with a leaky cat / exhuast.

i'm off tuning in california at the moment, so i'm not on t'internet much today, i'll check in again latert tonite, feel free to call me on 818 404 2395 if you want to chat about it, but given we're street tuning you'll be lucky to catch me, text me your number with a note if you want me to call you, since my voicemail is internet based.

i do have an updated gotham, that was done a couple of months ago, but it doesn't fix any readiness stuff, it has the false codes on the DBW fixed ( if you don't have codes, you don't have this problem), but you'll need a code reader that can read the firmware id or CVN (a 4 digit numerical value ) and let me know what it is so i can tell you if you've got it or not, not having it doesn't cause any problems you don't already know about , but it improves cold starts and the mystery DBW codes, if its a fairly recent gotham it'd already be updated.

good luck!

[ducboy]

Thanks for getting back to me Charlie. I bought an OBD-II scanner tool today. I assume I can run the 02 monitor test to verify that system is ok? Also, I saw earlier the Gotham 265 tag in the vehicle information, I'll go back in the morning and look for the firmware ID.

I actually picked up the car in Virginia and drove it back to St. Louis, so I would guess that the readiness codes should have popped by now I also took her out today for ~50 miles with the scanner on data record, and they never came off incomplete.

I'll also try and hunt down where the 02 sensors are on the car. I haven't gotten that intimate with her just yet

[Noisycow]

I knew that price was too cheap!!!














I kid!

[ducboy]

Charlie,

The tune info from my car is:

Cal ID #1 Mod $10
*Gotham 265 Char

CVN #1 Mod $10
00 00 DE C5

And the results from the O2 test is:

*************************
O2 Monitor Tests


O2 Bank1 Sensor1

RICH-LN Thresh
MAX: -----(V)
MEAS: 0.690(V)
MIN: -----(V)
MOD: $10

LN-RICH Thresh
MAX: -----(V)
MEAS: 0.410(V)
MIN: -----(V)
MOD: $10

Lo V for Switch
MAX: -----(V)
MEAS: 0.410(V)
MIN: -----(V)
MOD: $10

Hi V for Switch
MAX: -----(V)
MEAS: 0.690(V)
MIN: -----(V)
MOD: $10

RICH-LN Sw Time
MAX: 0.11(s)
MEAS: 0.02(s)
MIN: 0.00(s)
MOD: $10

LN-RICH Sw Time
MAX: 0.16(s)
MEAS: 0.01(s)
MIN: 0.00(s)
MOD: $10

*******************************

Any ideas? I'm still unsure where the O2 module is on the car, and I haven't checked the CAT and exhaust for leaks yet. I think I need a maintenance manual...

[ducboy]

Charlie,

Good news, sort of... I got a 1 year registration despite failing the test (sort of like our education system) So I essentially bought a bit of time.

But I got to thinking that the previous owner did aftermarket exhaust and decat at some point and then went back to stock. Perhaps one or both 02 sensors are not functioning like they should after the switch back.

In any case, how far out am I in terms of being up to date with my tune?

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by ducboy

Thanks for getting back to me Charlie. I bought an OBD-II scanner tool today. I assume I can run the 02 monitor test to verify that system is ok?

You can't manually run the various monitor tests. The ECU runs them periodically, and when the conditions are right, the tests are completed (and you either pass of fail).

I actually picked up the car in Virginia and drove it back to St. Louis, so I would guess that the readiness codes should have popped by now I also took her out today for ~50 miles with the scanner on data record, and they never came off incomplete.

The tests are more complicated than that. They involve starting the car from cold, driving below a certain speed for periods of time (often within a high and low temperature range), Starting a warm car, and driving below a set speed for a set time. Driving above as set speed for a set time (with the engine in a specified "load range"),etc. Additionally, most of the tests require multiple completions before a status code is set. The number of completions and the parameters vary from car to car, make to make. It's not simple at all. Usually if you drive the car regularly for a couple of weeks is will complete the various tests. Just one long trip and one long drive isn't going to do it.

By the way, clearing any codes, will also clear any completed readiness tests. So will disconnecting the battery. Do either of that, any you have to start all over with the readiness tests.

Bottom line is that driving straight from Virginia to St. Louis is unlikely to have met all the various parameters. Even driving for another 50 miles probably didn't do it.