batman2309

I drive my 1999, 996 only once or twice a week. I recently had to change the battery. I took it for New Jersey inspection and it failed Overall Readiness. The inspector said since it sits a lot and battery was disconnected, to drive it about a hundred miles and bring it back-it should reset itself. I drove it over 200 miles and took it back today. It failed again. On the OBD System Readiness Status, all of the systems are showing unsupported, ie: Engine Misfire, Fuel System, Catalytic Converters, Evaporative System, Secondary Air Injection, A/C Refrigerant, Oxygen Sensors, EGR Systems. The only one showing ready is Comprehensive Component. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to reset this or what the problem might be?

Macster

For all of those readiness monitors to be flagged as unsupported seems odd to me. Are you sure instead of unsupported they are not just flagged as incomplete?

(BTW, you can buy at any auto parts store a OBD code reader (for less than $100 IIRC) that you can use to read out the readiness monitor status. You can use this to double-check the status before you take the car into have it checked.)

For incomplete the car has to be driven enough before the inspection to give the DME time to complete the readiness monitor tests and set these -- if no problems found -- to complete.

Even if you drive the car 100 miles at the next engine start after the engine has cooled down like it would overnight some of these are set back to incomplete and another drive cycle is necessary to get them set to complete.

On the day I elect to have my car smog checked I drive about 30 miles and not all flat out or not all driving around the block in 2nd gear either. What you try to do is just drive the car in a variety of situations. This is where having your own OBD reader handy so you can check these statuses and know they're ready.

Then I drive the car to smog check place that is not busy so I can let the engine idle while I get the paperwork going. The tech never shuts off the engine and the car is placed on the rollers and checked and found to be good almost before I have completed the paperwork.

Consider getting your own OBD code reader to help you know when the car is ready.

If you find you are not able to get the readiness monitors to complete there is a source -- sorry but I do not have a link to it -- of a document that gives a reasonable drive cycle that other car owners have used to know how to drive the car to get the readiness monitors to complete.

Sincerely,

Macster.

rmc1148

Im sure its different in Ca but in Pa I drive all my cars less than 5000mi per year and they are exempt.Macster gave you great advice try different styles of driving to clear falts/codes.Good luck

fasteddie99

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...rocedures.html

Try this^^^

jdjones2010

Same here, usually when I need one I just go by my buddies lube shop & show him my drivers Lic. & Insurance card & pay the $10 & I just take it home & put it on my car (if I wasn't in it that day) but I usually like to put mine on anyway cause they usually don't care how they look, halfway clean the old one off & just slap them on crooked! jmo

batman2309

Thank you for responding to my problem. I will try this - I hope it works.

batman2309

I did the test to clear out the errors and took my car back to inspection this morning. It failed again. In the OBD system, almost everything is listed as "unsupported". What does unsupported mean? I have no idea what to do next. Thanks in advance for any help.

rmc1148

jdjones2010 I know what you mean I have to ask them to clean the old stickers and adhesive off or they will just do a quicky crap job lol. Sounds like batman2309 might have an ecu problem I have not had much experience with Porsche but on my Audi I used a spare to check.

batman2309

thanks for the response. Is the ECU something that can be replaced? do you have an idea of the cost of the repair for a ECU problem? thank you so much

rmc1148

They can be replaced and sometimes repaired but If I were you I would take it to a reputable shop in your area as just changing parts to find a problem is not the way to go and gets exspensive quick.. I know it stinks but sometimes its the best course of action.Good luck.

batman2309

thank you rmc1148!

Macster

Well, I think you need to reread some posts.

If you clear an error, a DTC, even if there isn't any this resets all readiness monitors to incomplete.

An Ecu failure is rare. Right now -- based on your posts -- I'm doubtful your car has an Ecu failure.

You need to drive the car enough and in such a way to have these set to complete.

Some states vary in how many can be incomplete and which ones. There are major and minor ones and while I was told a few months ago which were which (at least in CA) I have forgotten though my guess would be O2 sensors, misfires, converters, and either SAI or vapor recovery. Vapor recovery now that I think about it because here in CA the gas cap is tested.

Anyhow, you need to drive the car. Someone above posted what I believe is a like to drive cycle document that you can use as a guideline.

If you want hook up the code reader/data viewer tool and as you drive around check that the readiness monitors switch from incomplete to complete then when they are complete head to have the car inspected.

If they do not switch to complete then there is some kind of problem.

Sincerely,

Macster.