[2001 Esprit]

Ok...hopefully the wisdom of this board can help me. I have a 2001 esprit now for about 6 years or so. When I first got it, I had to reset all the inspection monitors and could not get some of them to reset. No matter how I tried driving it

Found out that Lotus had upgraded the firmware to correct this. Sent the ECU out and got the firmware uploaded

No problems in getting the inspection monitors to set and I (mostly) did not have any problems getting New York state to read the ecu over the years (5+) Occasionally, it took a couple of times to read at the inspection station...but it always did read

Had the car off for the winter and battery disconnected. Hooked the battery up this spring and started the car (no problem). However, a couple of days latter the battery was down and would not turn over. Hooked the battery charger back up for 24 hrs and no problem starting

Used my scanner and checked for codes (none). All inspection monitors were set and green. Went to the NYState inspection station and they hooked it up to their computer. It showed it had a valid connection on the screen. However, it was not able to retrieve anything from the ECU. The station had a hand held scanner and he also saw the inspection monitors were all set and no DTC

So tried another station. Same results

Any thoughts on what to look for?

I'm puzzled as my code scanner shows no problem....so I'm scratching my head on where to start
thanks
dean

 

[maz]

After the battery has been disconnected it can take a while for the readiness tests to pass. Drive it for a while and see of the tests are completed.


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[Vulcan Grey]

The Elise guys were also having problems in NY, something about the new NY emissions software isn't working correctly. there is a thread about it here on LT.

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f171/obd-port-not-connecting-208946/

 

[jtrealty]

It should not make any difference but you can try the OBD port in the engine bay next to the battery. Once the battery goes dead you have to reset all of the readiness flags and that takes several driving cycles. That is why you need to keep a battery tender on so you don't kill the battery and lose all of the settings. Killing the battery shortens it's life so you do not want to let it happen too much. Kind of like a cat's 9 lives. You do not know when you are on the last one till they are ALL gone! BTW, most scanners do not read all of the codes, the only thing that gets everything is a Tech 1.
David Teitelbaum

 

[2001 Esprit]

the readiness inspection monitors are all set. That is not the problem

the NYState DMV computer connects..but then does not get any data from the ecu. If my inspection monitors had not been set, the DMV computer would of gotten a failed notification for inspection monitors not being set

I have also tried both set of OBD connectors. No difference

 

[bri3d]

the readiness inspection monitors are all set. That is not the problem

the NYState DMV computer connects..but then does not get any data from the ecu. If my inspection monitors had not been set, the DMV computer would of gotten a failed notification for inspection monitors not being set

I have also tried both set of OBD connectors. No difference

Definitely sounds like what Vulcan Grey posted. Exact same symptoms for Elise owners.

According to "Top Flight" you "call 518 474-5282 x 4 ask for ROB" and they approve you remotely.

I'm guessing whatever crappy software they bought tries to look up which monitors should be set in a database that doesn't contain Lotus.

 

[Lotus Dave]

Took my Chev. pickup for inspection yesterday.......same problem. Took 6 or 7 tries before the connection would receive data. He's had nothing but problems with NYS inspection software. If one of you guys would buy my house, I could leave this s**t hole state. I hate it here.
Dave
90SE

 

[Type82]

I remember some years ago Connecticut had a major problem with their emission program. It was so bad they had to suspend it until it was sorted out. There was a fault in the program which was failing cars that should have passed and passing cars that should have failed. Created a very big mess.

The so called 'Green' people have been fighting for years to have any car made without a cat removed from the road permanently. That means no more vintage cars on the road wether it be American, British and everything else in between.

If I recall the older Lotus cars were not recognized by the DMV computers. It wasn't until the Elise came out that they decided to recognize the Lotus marque. On going headache and problem for us.

My car is an '87 and I had to pass tests designed for cars made after 2k... I don't have all of those sensors and fuel management the new cars have. Watching the inspector try and run the car on the Dyno was a bloody joke... he could not keep up and drove the car like Schitt. He asked me to do it, I tried and could not keep up with the coumpter rev requirements... it was way to hard core.

We went to the 'two speed idle' method and it passed. :clap:

If your problem is their computer cannot link with yours file a waiver because it is a problem on their end. If you do not have a check engine light on in the pod there is no failure.

Robert

 

[jtrealty]

Lotus had ongoing communications problems in NY and CA. A lot of the revisions in the HTU for the ECU tried to address these problems. Maybe if you contact Lotus USA they can help or maybe reflash your ECU. Unless you use a Tech 1 and it says all of your readiness flags have been set, I would guess some of them have not been. What I am hearing is that the inspection station's computer is able to communicate but it is not seeing all of the readiness flags set. That would seem to put the onus on you. Just because you have not lit your MIL is no indication all of the readiness flags are set. It can take quite a few driving cycles to set ALL of the readiness flags. In fact, just because the MIL is not lit does not mean you have no codes either. Some codes can take several cycles before they will light the MIL. Do you see the MIL light during start-up and then go out? There have also been "issues" in inspection stations with worn out adapters, plugs, and wires too. Seems this stuff was not engineered to be plugged and unplugged so many times! Who would have guessed it needed to be used so often? New Jersey had it so bad for a while they were just waving people through. When they first got the newer equipment it was designed for warm CA not winters in New Jersey!
David Teitelbaum

 

[JamesM3M5]

So I am also having this issue with a 2000 V8 Esprit in Virginia. Car just purchased by the new owner, and I'm just going over it for maintenance and other issues, which are relatively few.

With a Snap On Solus scanner set to Global OBD, it communicates just fine. The emissions station claims the engine must be running while communicating, which is does fine on the Snap On and another generic OBD scan tool at the emissions station.

However, with the VA DEQ computer, it does not communicate. Tried two different inspection stations, same results. Hand held sees no faults and all but 1 monitors set.

They have a call in to the VA DEQ to find out what to do next.

 

[JamesM3M5]

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/failed-ny-state-inspection-65284/#post1515711

Found this, too. This car has a yellow label with the previous owner's info and "HIGH TORQUE ECU" on it. I would assume that the ECU should still be compliant for OBD emissions communication.

Battery was disconnected on this car recently, and had a blown fuse B2 in the rear box. New battery, new fuse, no DTCs, all but 1 monitors passed. Will post back once we get a fix.

 

[emiaj]

First, I feel your pain - those who are living in the states where bullzhyte emission is required (money making scam). In my state of Florida, no emission requirement.

However, I used to live in the state where emission testing is required. Happened to my V8 too, I asked the DMV to use the Lotus front OBD connection instead of rear.
For some reason, the front works and intermittently failed at the back connection. I don't have explanation. My guess one of the obd2 9 pins in the back is bad.

 

[JamesM3M5]

Yeah, I was using our hand-held on the front OBD port, but so were they.

 

[jtrealty]

If you read the older posts in this thread you will notice NY is having issues with their software communicating with older cars. If you have the HTU the problem is not your car. In a previous post there is a name and # to call to fix this.
David Teitelbaum

 

[JamesM3M5]

If you read the older posts in this thread you will notice NY is having issues with their software communicating with older cars. If you have the HTU the problem is not your car. In a previous post there is a name and # to call to fix this.
David Teitelbaum

Yes, I read them, but they are rather old posts from several years back. Not sure whether VA has the same issue that NY did, just waiting to hear back from the VA emissions inspection station on what VA DEQ is going to say about it.

 

[Wayne Ellison]

I am going to make an educated guess here.

I have spent many hours working with the Lotus V8 ECU. I have a PC based scanner which I can adjust the delay between PID requests. (the individual data elements returned by the ECU) The ECU is very, very fast in responding to data requests, I am going to guess that the NY and VA software is not expecting the very fast response and maybe they are missing the response???

 

[jtrealty]

I am going to make an educated guess here.

I have spent many hours working with the Lotus V8 ECU. I have a PC based scanner which I can adjust the delay between PID requests. (the individual data elements returned by the ECU) The ECU is very, very fast in responding to data requests, I am going to guess that the NY and VA software is not expecting the very fast response and maybe they are missing the response???

That technical answer is as good a reason as any and it could explain it if the problem States have the same software which would cause them to experience the same problems. For practical purposes it doesn't matter. All that matters is the guy running the tests can't do it and he doesn't care why. He has no control over the software, he has to use what the State makes him buy.
David Teitelbaum