Emissions Inspection

backporch · Jan 18, 2019

I get the feeling that the answer to this question may be pretty vehicle/manufacturer specific, so I was hoping the experts here had an answer.

I need to get my 99 4.0L ready for inspection in NJ. It will not pass unless the OBDII shows that the catalytic converter has gone through its number of required trips without issues.

What little I know about this process is that a "trip" is one where you go far enough to heat up the system so it can verify proper operation. I think if you drive 100 miles, that is 1 trip, but if you drive 2 miles in winter, maybe not a trip.

Is there a way to accelerate this process, like go far enough to heat up the system... I think the OBDII shows closed loop or something like that and then shut the truck off and restart and take a short trip... repeat? What is the quickest way to have the system complete the test?

I also have a friend with an explorer 3.0 2001 in the same boat.

Thanks!

Uncle Gump · Jan 18, 2019

As far as I know... converters have no feedback data that can be checked with a scan tool.

Dirtman · Jan 18, 2019

For like 30 bucks you can just buy a scanner with I/M readiness check feature which will tell you instantly if your vehicle will pass. The Ancel AD310 does this and are all over amazon on sale for under 30 bucks.

What exactly did you do to make you think your vehicle is not ready? Simply replacing the cat wont do anything to the computer system. The only way to make a system "Not ready" is to clear a dtc or reset it. Generally after clearing a DTC or resetting the ECU the system will be ready again after only about 50 miles of regular driving. The number of "trips" doesn't matter, each system has its own criteria for self testing. For example the evap system usually requires you to have 1/2-3/4 of a tank or something like that and drive 10 miles above 50mph for it to complete it's test. The o2 sensors will have another criteria before that system test is complete ect ect...

I believe in NJ you can have 2 incomplete system tests but no failed tests or DTC's

I reset the ecu on my truck and got it inspected 2 days later after putting maybe 30 miles on it. No issues.

adsm08 · Jan 18, 2019

You are looking for the catalyst monitor to set. It is actually one of the easier monitors to do, but is based off the oxygen sensors, not the cat itself.

The problem with an OBDII drive cycle is that there are multiple monitors and some of them have to set in a certain order. This is one of them, it can't be done until the O2 monitor is complete.

As stated, a mid or high grade scanner is a good thing to have, so you can monitor the conditions and see the monitors set as you go.

This link will give you the procedure for each:

http://www.obdii.com/drivecycleford.html

And a "trip" is not a set number of miles. I have done whole drive cycles in under 10 miles, and failed to get several monitors to set after 80 miles.

Emissions Inspection

backporch

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Uncle Gump

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Dirtman

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adsm08

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