pcar

Ben,

Hello I have done this a number of times..The trick wake up at 4am and head up to Ventura on PCH (this will give you enough road to drive at all the different speeds w/out pissing off everyone behind you) Good Luck

TheBen

I went to the Ref. station this morning. None of the readiness have cleared so they wouldn't smog the car. They did say the rules have changed recently and have gotten tighter. They said I could go to the dealer and have the dealer put in writing that there are no codes present and no failures in Mode 6 data. If I got this, then they would smog the car. PITA!!!!! ;-(

1pcarnut

Darn, sorry to hear that!

Martin S.

Otto's in Venice and talk to John.

TheBen

Thanks. He is so close and I have driven by so many times before when I was Porsche-less. He's working on getting the codes set now! Will let you know how it turns out!

slapshot

Wow . . . this is news for 2009/10! So, the referee stations will not smog you any more if you come in with the usual "battery was unhooked please smog from the tail pipe scenario"? That is going to be a nice PITA for many on this site. Had to do this twice due to the battery being disconnected (horn repair and front trunk clean) and they were fine with it. (No codes set, but tailpipe emissions fine.) I went to the El Camino ref last year and got through. Anyone else have TheBen's experience?

s4vant

Going through this nightmare currently in Chicago. They will not referee the car under any circumstances---if it passed obdii testing previously in the state, which my car did a few years ago. Replaced the battery in April and readiness codes have still not set, now after 5 months and several hundred miles and after attempting all posted drive cycles. Had my indy apporach smog team and request a manual test; they offered an exemption based on records of similar issues with the model---until they pulled my records and realized it passed previously. Afterward they informed us there would be no manual test and no exemption under any circumstance. So, I'm left with a 3300 lb paperweight at this point.

TxnBluDvl

Odd that they won't smog if the readiness codes aren't set.

FWIW, I just had my car smogged in 9/09 at a CA referee station after failing at a CA test only station for lack of readiness codes.

2ndof2

TB,
Did your PPI include checking the computer for fault codes or anything to determine if there were secondary air problems etc? How many miles on the motor?

Cliff Brown

Ben

Were you successful?

Could you give us a detailed account of your experience, successful or otherwise.

97Targa

Same experience as SLAPSHOT (post #21). I know that I've replied to several threads regarding this issue. I just don't want any other RLer to waist their time and money. Only to have a DID NOT PASS EMISSIONS black mark show up on the carfax for their car. Others here have had luck with the "BMW driving cycle". I'm going to try that, several times if necessary. Before I give $375 to the dealer and Porsche, that obviously have abandoned 993 owner in regards to this issue.

Yoshinoya

i too failed recently, had to change the battery and everything reset. Learned about the Ref stations through RL, but have not made an appt yet. Is it still worth going?

97Targa

Nope. At least not the one (in San Diego) that I went to. And I assume that they are all operating under the same rules, at this point. All they will do is run the standard smog test. If your car's computer is not ready, they will fail it. From then on it will be on record, with the state, that the vehicle failed smog certification. I am currently trying the "BMW" driving sequence, to get mine ready. It's not easy.

tbil

Playing the same game right now. Changed battery and only have the 3 flags set with the 5 remaining that won't reset under normal driving conditions. Have another month until smog's due, guess I'll have to do the 3AM run as there is no way I can even get close to the BMW drive cycle with San Diego traffic and the thousands of traffic lights in my neighborhood.

TheBen

Wow! my old post from way back. Yes, I was successful after I paid my mechanic (Otto's in Venice) to do the drive cycle for me.

I think people in the know about 993's wouldn't care to much about the potential DID NOT PASS EMISSIONS black mark. I'm not selling my car anyway.