I will be doing a drive cycle, per the instruction and will try to follow as close as possible. In nj, and I have to pass a few small towns before the highway where 60mph requirement can be satisfied.

Before I leave, let me ask about this. I already did 2 drive cycles. But just driving around, town and highway for about 30 miles each time. This started when inspection failed and the obd reader was saying systems "not ready". I thought all I had to do was drive around for while.

Before starting the drive, reader was "not ready" for these: oxygen sensor, oxygen sensor heater, catalyst, EGR, secondary air system.
After the drive, hot engine, I got p1507, IAC. Next day, before the 2nd drive, cold engine, all above were blinking again. After 2nd drive, only catalyst "not ready". Checked again this morning, cold engine, all above again "not ready". No trouble codes.

I know the drive cycle I did was not per instruction, but why are they still not ready?

Above items, oxygen, its heater, catalyst, egr, air. If one or more of them is faulty, shouldn't I have code(s) than "not ready"? Also was I wrong to do the driving over 2 days? Is this supposed to be done in one drive?

 

If I'm reading correctly you drove truck and got it down to one "not ready" , catalyst. Then after it sat overnight everything went back to not ready. This indicates a problem in the ECM, maybe even a bad small battery like a motherboard has.

For now just to get past the emission test, you could do the following. Do a drive cycle and get at least one system over to ready. Turn the truck off for about five minutes and then restart. Check to see if the system stayed ready or went back to not ready. If it stayed ready you can do a drive cycle the same day as you do the emissions test. The Test Center, has to shut the vehicle off and then restart to verify the check engine light works. By federal standards 1996 to 2000 vehicles are allowed to have 2 not ready monitors and still pass the emissions test.
Hope this helps.

 

What instruction?If you only do it "as close as possible", then you're NOT doing a drive cycle.When you get past them, pull over somewhere, turn the engine off, and then begin the drive cycle.Then you did zero drive cycles.No. Drive cycle has a specific definition. It's not a generic expression for "driving around".Code definitions are not a single word or part name, so don't pick those out of a definition. Read AND POST the complete definition for each code number.Then you know it wasn't a drive cycle.Because you haven't done what they need for the software in the PCM to complete the process of checking that they work.Why would you think anything is faulty?You CAN'T have many specific fault codes until the PCM completes the readiness checks. Until then, it doesn't know if those things have faults. It's like being handed a heavy box, and being asked how many chinchillas are inside it - you can't know until you check a few things. The PCM can't manage the engine & emissions properly until it completes the checks of that equipment.Not "wrong" - just not a drive cycle.Yes, the vehicle must remain above operating temperature until all the checks are complete, or some of them will have to be re-done.

Click this & read the caption. It is not a step-by-step instruction of how you have to drive; it's just the things that the PCM's Readiness Monitor software needs to observe before it can move on to the next check and complete its list. So it's watching for these things in this order, but you CAN do other things (which the Readiness Monitor will ignore, but the PCM will still manage) as you drive.

(phone app link)

 

Really a lot of bad incorrect information in this last post.
1. In normal driving the monitors will not set to ready and then set back to not ready.
2. There is not a sequence or order the monitors need to follow in setting each one to ready.

What being ready means is the truck has met certain conditions for the monitor to be checked to verify the emissions device is working properly. This is happening constantly with a OBD2 system.

I hate it when credentials are thrown out but in this case I'll do it. I own multiple independent emissions testing shops and deal with this on a daily basis. On this particular issue my livelihood depends on me knowing how OBD2 works for emissions testing.

i'm sure the other poster will want to argue and say I don't know what I'm talking about. But if you look at some of his other postings you'll see he likes to argue with everyone about everything.

Bottom line if you drive your truck set everything to ready and then in the morning everything is not ready there is a problem somewhere. That's not how OBD2 works unless it's malfunctioning.

 

Thank you both. Really helps and reassuring to know. Aside, in nj and found yesterday it's about impossible to drive at 20- 45 for 1.5 min. Too many lights, exits and drivers looking or lost. Tried 3 speed variation at 1.5 min each on a highway and cars behind starting honking. Inside towns is impossible unless I make many cars mad. Again, this is nj.
I tried to follow the drive cycle as closely as possible yesterday. Order was mixed. After 40 sec idle, the reader this time said EGR not ready. First time was catalyst, second IAC, third EGR. I think what I have may be a vacuum leak somewhere. I had vacuum leak before which I repaired but I may have to look at it again. Sorry I didn't mention this before. But I will try that inspection bypass with one code thing. It's 50-50 chance. Don't know if nj goes by fed standard. It's california here.

 

California's emissions laws have recently been invalidated by the EPA - now they're back to obeying the same as everyone else.

 

Is that currently the case or is that still being fought legally? I tried googling the matter but I see alot of "plans to" or "tried" and its not clear on what IS rn

 

Something odd here. Today another drive cycle and (maybe because sunday) got fairly close to following the cycle direction. At the end, success and green light on the reader. However, after cooling the engine for about 3 hours, key on engine off, reader is back to "not ready" on all 5 listed above, oxygen, catalyst, etc. The cooling off may be about 10 minutes - I timed it yesterday. Yesterday, after a cycle, I had EGR not ready but after about 10 minutes, all five not ready. It looks like ecm gives a green light immediately after a cycle but forgets after about 10 minutes. Any ideas? is this a sign of bad computer then?
Following the cycle direction, the drive time, I think, is shorter. After I get a green light, should I keep driving for another cycle's worth, or is it a waste of time?

 

Sorry, went back to the manual. My reader is innova. Manual says 3 trips needed. Going back for another cycle. I read, another site, that I need to cool the car overnight. Have 30-70% gas tank only. Under 90 deg weather. I'm going to ignore all of it and go for another cycle. Please advise if those are must follow rules or depends on the car?

 

I misread the manual. The trip numbers were about no fault-turn off MIL. I have neither the pending DTC nor any MIL. First or second drive, I did get p1507 (IAC) but that went away with later cycles.

The latest drive cycle, I got EGR not ready again. So, what does EGR monitor take to complete the process? I did 2 drive cycle per the drive cycle given by Steve83. Why is EGR monitor not completing the process? Does it indicate a vacuum leak, EGR tube leak, DPFE problem, EGR valve problem? If a problem, shouldn't I be getting some kind of MIL by now related to EGR?