NYS DMV - (Brochure) DRIVE NY CLEAN
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A Consumer Guide to
Readiness
Monitor Failures as Part
of the New
WHAT IS A READINESS MONITOR?
Vehicles equipped with
On Board Diagnostic II (OBDII), which includes most 1996 and newer vehicles under 8500 pounds, self-test their emission systems
utilizing various monitors. Vehicles perform up to 11 system tests, depending
on year, make and model of the vehicle. These tests are commonly referred to as
"readiness
monitors." The readiness
monitors identify whether the vehicle's computer has completed the required
"tests" while the vehicle is being driven. If a test has been
completed, the system status will be reported "ready." An uncompleted
test will be reported "not ready." An OBDII vehicle will not pass the
annual inspection unless the required monitors are "ready." The
Inspection Receipt from the test equipment will identify monitors that are not
ready. The test equipment reads the OBDII and readiness monitor status as part
of the vehicle's emissions inspection. The vehicle inspector cannot change the
information reported by the vehicle.
HOW MANY MONITORS HAVE TO BE READY?
The US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines allow up to two monitors to be in a
"not ready" state for model year 1996 through 2000 vehicles and one
monitor "not ready" for 2001 and newer model year vehicles.
WHAT CAUSES A "NOT-READY" REPORT?
Causes of a "not
ready" report:
Recent vehicle repairs
in which diagnostic trouble codes have been cleared with a OBDII scan tool; or,
If the battery had been
recently disconnected or replaced; or,
If the vehicle's
computer requires a software update; or,
A pending problem has
not yet illuminated the "check engine" light.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
To allow your vehicle's
monitors to perform their tests and reset them
to a "ready"
state, your vehicle will have to be driven in a special way
called a "drive cycle."
Running through the drive cycle sets the
readiness monitors so they can
detect any emissions failures. Your
vehicle's specific drive cycle
can depend on the vehicle make and
model, and which monitor
needs to be reset. In most cases, two drive
cycles are required, separated
by a cool down period.
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
If the only reason your
vehicle failed the inspection was due to readiness monitors not being in a
"ready" state, and your current inspection has already expired, the
inspection software will issue a 10-day extension that will allow you to
legally operate your vehicle on the highways.
During those ten days,
you can either:
Drive the vehicle as directed by your owner's manual (look under
OBD);
Use the generic drive cycle on the back of this brochure;
Be sure to return to the inspection station within ten days to get
the vehicle reinspected.
OR negotiate with the
inspection station to have a technician perform the drive cycles according to
manufacturer specific guidelines for a fee you will pay.
If you take the vehicle
from the inspection facility to perform the drive cycle yourself, the
inspection station operator can charge you an emission re-inspection fee, up to
the maximum fee allowed for an original emission inspection.
HOW DO I AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE?
Tips to consider:
1. If your check engine
light comes on, do not wait until
your annual inspection to
get your vehicle repaired. Not
only will it help clean the
air, but it could save you a lot of
time, as well as future repair
and fuel costs.
2. Refer to your owner's
manual to see if your car has a
readiness monitor check. Some
newer model vehicles
have this function
programmed in, which enables you to
check your vehicle's monitors
before an inspection.
3. Inspect your vehicle
early! Do not wait until the end of
the month to get your
annual inspection.
GENERIC DRIVE CYCLE
The purpose of the OBDII
drive cycle is to run your vehicle's onboard diagnostics.
This, in turn, allows
monitors to operate and detect potential malfunctions of your vehicle's
emission system. The correct drive cycle for your vehicle can vary greatly,
depending on the vehicle model and the monitors that need to be reset. When a
specific drive cycle is not known, or drive cycle information is not available
from an
owner's manual, the generic
cycle described below may assist with resetting your vehicle's monitors.
However, this generic cycle may not work for all vehicles.
IMPORTANT: If you choose to use
the generic drive cycle below, you must obey all traffic laws and drive in a
safe manner.
1. The OBDII drive cycle
begins with a cold start (coolant temperature below 122 degrees F and the
coolant and air temperature sensors within 11 degrees of each other).
2. The ignition key must
not be left on prior to the cold start - otherwise the heated oxygen sensor
diagnostic may not run.
As soon as the engine
starts, idle the engine in drive for two and one-half minutes, with the air
conditioning (A/C) and rear defrost turned on, if equipped.
Turn the A/C and rear defrost
off, and accelerate to 55 mph under
moderate, constant acceleration.
Hold at a steady speed of 55 mph for three minutes.
Decelerate (coast down)
to 20 mph without braking (or depressing the clutch for manual transmissions).
Accelerate again back to
55 to 60 mph.
Hold at a steady speed
of 55 to 60 mph for five minutes. Decelerate
(coast
down) to a stop without braking.