Help Help Catalyst Drive Cycle

[Coloviper]

Yah, I get a day to finally drive my Viper and realize the plates are out of date by one month, but there is a one month grace in Colorado. However registration requires the two year emissions test. So I go drive it 25 miles to heat things up and take it to the testing station. Fail at the beginning because the catalyst flag is not ready. O2 flags and everything else is ready to go. ODB state print out says the computer has not finished its ODB reset yet. Must drive it and complete its cycle to reset the flag.

Car is a 1996 Viper RT/10. Has factory cats and factory tune. Does anyone know the specific drive cycle parameters so it can finish and be ready for me to take it back there to be tested.

Second Viper I have owned with issues when this F&@kin' emissions testing stuff cones up. Nothing changed on the car over the past 5 years to cause this. Always on the battery tender and a new battery 3 years ago. All I can think is it must be low enough at some point to kick the flag or it knows I did not even start it for 5 months nor drive it more than 400 miles the past 26 months.

This stuff just takes the fun out.

Again anyone know the specific drive sequence? Much appreciated for the help.

Rick

[Special Ed]

No way you are having fun only driving 400 miles in two plus years.

[Coloviper]

Yes true but life throws curve calls and the past few years that is it. Anyone have the drive sequence?

[Coloviper]

Anyone know if the Viper is different from this Chrysler drive cycle:

http://www.obd2.com/support/reprog/downloads/chrysler/chry-imset_procedure.pdf

[mitchdob]

This thread may also be helpful:

http://www.viperalley.com/forum/viper-discussions-gen-i/99748-emissions-readiness-2.html

[Coloviper]

Thanks it helps a little but I thought there was a step by step for result procedure not a troubleshoot.

So fricken tired of this crap. Honestly this may be the end of my Viper fetish and ownership. Who has time for this crap for what is suppose to be fun when someone can find a moment? My Saleen's are in the same boat in this EPA Nazi state. They all have cats, etc too. Only maybe Montana plates may be in order to keep me in the family.

Beyond f$&kin annoyed T this point.

[RedTanRT/10]

Colo, I had this problem last fall when I need to smog my ACR. 1st time I had to get it ready 2 years earlier seemed liked I drove in 4th gear about 50 miles from Dan Cragins shop, then maybe 10 more miles of low speed around time and all was ready.

This past time I drove around 300 miles and all monitors still not ready. I went on-line and found a procedure similar to what you posted. The one I used called for a couple of 50-60 mph cost downs to 10 mph without touching the brakes or clutch. I followed it to the letter and 20-25 miles later it was ready. good luck, do some more searching and find the one that shows the coast down. Good luck, Mike

[Camfab]

https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/7162-CA-smog-on-the-Star-system

Do what I outlined in post #9

[Camfab]

I think you're not stubborn enough not to take this advice. Just buy that little gem I outlined in the thread, it works and takes all the stress out of not knowing if your going to pass. Best money you'll ever spend!

[Sybil TF]

Find an independent shop that does emissions testing. Befriend the owner and um...it passes with flying colors. Glad we have no emissions here;)

[Coloviper]

Camfab I will read when I get home. Temp dropped to 45 degF here so not in parameters to do the cycle run anyway. I will take all advice I can on these. Unfortunately CO is as bad or worse then CA these days. There is only the state computer and there is no mom and pop if newer than 1981. There is only the state. Will try to drive it all long weekend and if t fails on Tuesday, then will be setting up the Montana thing period for all my cars.

[Coloviper]

Thanks as well Mike, I will do a bit more searching to find the coast down procedure and see if that works. Surely this CO state can hand out a temp registration while I do this. My grace period on the plates runs out on Tuesday next week.

[dave6666]

Thanks it helps a little but I thought there was a step by step for result procedure not a troubleshoot.

There is a step by step in that thread. You are just apparently too lazy to read it.

[Coloviper]

Not too lazy, tried to read it from my phone quickly which was not the easiest. If it is there I will see it later tonight.

[Coloviper]

Okay, just got back home and can see all of Camfab's posts. Some of the pics did not show up on my phone. So seems like an easier procedure hopefully. Quick question is the another cable scan tool that works with a Microsoft OS laptop? I run Durametrics on the laptop for our Cayennes and would be nice to just have everything on one place with different cables for whichever manufacturer. 319 is an inexpensive tool so may just pick it up ( as they are around $35 now) but curious if there is a laptop option. Not some professional $$$$ one but something still reasonable. I paid just over $200 for Durametrics which was good for 3 VINs.

[Vipernoob]

Register your car in the Springs or Elbert County.

[Coloviper]

My Saleen S351R is registered in Pueblo West due to this kind of stuff. Then the state changed my voter area, (called me for jury duty), flack over the fact my home address is in a different county, it created all kinds of tax issues year end, etc.

It is just not worth it in the end. Everyone thinks it is so easy, slip a few bills here or there. Don't know if it is Douglas County or what but must be some car hating people in government here because the loop holes are closed and like a full time person to close the rest.

I will try the scanner, drive cycle route that was presented. If that does not work, then it will be the Montana company avenue or I think after 44 years of life and living dying custom cars, sports cars, etc. I think I may just be done with all of it. Sell the whole lot and say "f$&k it". Just have zero patience for this stuff anymore. I understand and maintain our daily driver Cayenne Turbos which have been great. But the Saleens, Vipers and others in my mini collection, they seem to be on the naughty list for the EPA. The whole EPA is a joke outside of businesses. I rarely get time to even drive anything these days. I have lived and breathed cars my entite life, which is what makes this so frustrating.

[Coloviper]

Bought the Autel 319 new for $30, shipping included so will cross fingers that this handles it along with the drive procedure. Just need to get a temp tag or something from vehicle registration to drive it as plates will be out before I can receive and plug it in.

[Camfab]

In CA you can pay the reg. without the smog cert. They will cash your check, but won't send out your tags until you pass smog. This way you avoid paying late fees. Not sure if CO is the same.

[Camfab]

The crazy thing is we all hate on the smog system, but really it's not the state that's the problem. If your car isn't "ready", it's really the cars fault. Even though all cars 1996 forward are OBD II systems, they really are not the same. The early computers are so slow and finicky. When I plug the Autel in my car which is a 2000, it takes a bit of time to get the results, however when I plug it into my truck which is an '07, it cycles through in a couple of seconds. Once you understand the drive cycle deal, it's super easy. It takes away all the stress I used to have thinking about the whole smog test.

[Coloviper]

Thanks! Once the weather clears up, then I hope to be able to run it. Got to wait for the device to be delivered. A quick question but do you drive with it plugged in for a real time result or is it after you run the test and are parked.

One issue that might be why it is not setting. From a cold start, I have to cycle the key 5 times due to prime the fuel system due to a failed pressure back flow preventer valve at the fuel module at the tank. Like all early ones, it failed open so primer timer or new pump. I have a new pump (lucked out and found an NOS) but zero time to change it and no one in Colorado to do the work really.

Colorado, they require you to bring the emissions statement and proof of insurance first to then get your plates. I honestly thing Douglas County, CO is the worse most stringent in the entire county. It is beyond ridiculous here.

[Solid Red 98]

I just went through this in Cali. I have been trying to find my procedure sheet, but it eludes me. Call Valaya Racing in San Jose CA. (408) 297-1990 . Talk to Ted. He will give you a successful procedure that doesn't take much time and mileage.

[Coloviper]

Thanks Solid! I will give him a call as well.

[Coloviper]

Drive the car over 100 miles in various test conditions and still no go. Well got the Acutel. Saw a pending code of P0441-$D1Generic-Evaporatic Emissions System Incorrect Purge Flow. Was pending code not memory. Cleared it, which wiped out all other memory like Heated O2 Sensor Clear.

Now the P0441 code comes and goes from time to time. Some times it is there and sometimes it clears by itself. Since EVAP is not a supported system for the computer nor the state, it should not be hurting me.

Now can't get the heated O2 cycle to complete and still can not get the Catalyst cycle to complete even when the Heated O2 cycle had completed. There are no codes, no faults, no check engine codes.

I am about done with all this fucking bullshit. Two Vipers with these problems over time. Love the car. It is running like a dream right now. Maybe 22 mpg the 100+ mikes I drove it off and on the past two days. State would only give me one 10 day temp plate. Which they shirt changed me to only 8 days.

Don't' know what else to do and have zero time for this crap starting a new international engineering business and a young family. This is suppose to be my escape not add exponentially to my stress which this is most certainly doing. Drove all the cycles, bought the equipment. Nobody in this state to even help fix it. Not sure where to even start.

Any help???? Options are Montana thing or sell it and all the Saleen's, etc and just move on with life which is hard to do because vehicles have been my passion for 38 years since I was 6 years old. 44 now and no time nor space to deal with this stuff.

[Coloviper]

Drove to work this morning and it set the 02 Heated Sensor IM so I is just the catalyst IM to set. Everything else is set. Last few times driving it, the 0441 code did not show as pending. No codes present. Stil can't seem to get the catalyst IM to complete. Acutel shows up as a green check mark, ready for emissions hit the car IM is still incomplete. This is where I was when this all started.

Anyone know the fix or issue with that 0441 code since it seems intermediate and might be what is tripping this up. I just don't know at this point.

Any help is appreciated fellows.

[Camfab]

Sorry for your troubles, but did you do the drive cycle EXACTLY like I explained in a previous thread?

[Coloviper]

Camfab, yes, I have repeated it exactly as written (twice now) and it still will not complete the cat IM. The Acutel shows a green check mark but the Cat IM still shows as inc and will not set. There are no codes in storage and none pending when I stop and plug it in. I am completely baffled and just don't know what to do now. All others are complete and set to OK.

Again only mods are KN Filter Charger Stage II upfront, Edelbrock CARB compliant headers, factory cats and Borla cat back. All O2s front and back are in place and running. They passed OK. The only code which was pending at times before was the 0441 code. But it comes and goes and clears itself. I haven't seen the pending code the last few times I went out to drive the car. Something with EVAP emissions flow. That could be messing this up but don't know. I can't find a fix for the code to diagnose the problem.

Believe me the drive cycle should be outlawed as unsafe. Very hard to find a spot to drive it exactly like that and not cause an accident nor get run into as it is a riduculous set of driving circumstances.

Anyway not sure what to do as 3 days left on temp permit and they already said, they will not give me another one. Crazy, as it passed before with exactly the same equipment on the car. Nothing has been changed.

[Coloviper]

Well, got tired of driving the car non-registered (Illegal) on the road to set all the IMs in the PCM. Put on an extra 250 miles during the 7 day temp license plate time and after that time and still the only IM to not set was CAT. Stock cats and all, no code present nor pending. Today, I said enough and drove over there to emissions station for help. They moved from their rules around and let the car on the states dyno to run the dyno cycle and collect exhaust. A physical test, how novel.

Of course it was clean as a whistle and only tested numbers 13% of the max in all categories. It was not even close to being dirty. They passed me and I now have my emissions certificate for another two years and have plates back on the car.

Now my rant!!! Barely drove the car this year so far due to weather and not able to register it due to this emissions BS. Car has always been clean, good and no issues on that front in the last 5 hyears I have owned it. Bought the Acutel tester and still no codes present, nor pending and still would not set the CAT IM no matter how I drove the car or what drive cycle I used. Hell the CAT IM may have never been set in the past as up until this year, it was always a drive cyle test not just a computer plug and play as they have it now.

I am sorry but does common sense even enter into the picture of the fricken EPA BS. Wasted my time immensely this whole process and for what? To beg them to actually test it physically not just plug in the damn computer. If they even cared about the environment and not the money making aspect, they would physically test all vehicles period. But they don't. AND no classic vehicle plates, non-test situation for 1982 and newer cars EVER in this state. This will be a problem forever for us 90s and newer cars.

The scary thing is they said a lot of other cars from other manufacturers are having issues with the computers and the internal IMs not setting. The state admitted that it is near impossible to set the IMs unless you are on a closed course and can duplicate the drive cycle exactly. Again, this will be a problem in the future.

The cars were not meant to last forever with the plastic, heat, etc. parts. but as far as the State of Colorado and other states are concerned, they do not care and their preference is you do not put the car on the road if it can not meet the exact criteria into perpetuity. This is where pre-95, ODB-I cars will have an edge as the state no longer has the means to hook into those computers to read them. It is just a tailpipe test or in the case of the Viper, a side pipe test. I guess in the future that spells good for 92-95 Vipers in certain areas.

What a royal PITA!!!!!!!!! Now I get to drive mine for what little is left of the summer and fall. My 4 year old has been begging for months "Did you fix the WIPER Dad? Can we go on a drive?" Now we can.

Sorry but NOBODY will convince me this EPA emissions stuff really has the environment in mind. It is a money making cash grab plain and simple. Period and done!!!!!!

Now this weekend I am going to put the car through it's paces and make up for lost time. If I was not already running a licensed wireless operations communications business and just started up an international specialty services engineering company I could have driven it more, but it is what it is.

[Coloviper]

There's your million dollar idea. Sell the equipment and service to set up the various cars, like a little Acutel that hooks to the computer, but it sets all the IMs and then the car is ready to go period. It is a live real time control system in the PCU. If there is a problem, then the computer will throw the codes and fail the IM after there is a problem. Certainly a lot safer and makes much more sense than trying to run an impossible drive cycle to set a code that may never be set, but the car runs clean.

THAT is common sense and that is what it should be. Make all cars run on the state dyno to test the emissions in real life not a virtual computer world. THAT is common sense.

I hope these things change. This should be the situation. Set it to a steady state and if everything is working, it will stay there. if not, it will fail. How fricken hard is that to do?

[Camfab]

I can understand your frustration with your car. Glad it's good for the time being.