As some of you know I have been trying to release the on boards for emissions testing.Believe me this has been a daunting task to say the least.I am driving around at this point with an overdue/failed inspection sticker.

At this point I put an additional 160 miles on the car which has released 4 of the 7 (one of these is a components , which through further research is a "components" code -a dealer code i believe which is non-emissions related.

In new jersey you are allowed one non release only otherwise they won't even do the test. So in actuality I am down to two . A few weeks ago I got a engine light red, the reader picked up a evap leak code. Checked everything out and had smoke test done. Turned out to be a stuck evap purge valve which i replaced .Of course this required a re-set and put me back to square one re my effort to release for emissions testing.

Last night I went out.Gave the fob/key to valet when I got back into the car I noticed a boot open message. Than I tried to put the drivers window down and it would not go down. Knowing this also impacts the sun roof it also would open partially and close on its own after about 30 seconds.I can only figure the valet was messing around with the fob and manual settings on the driver door handle....who knows?

When I got home I tried locking and opening with just the key. This worked fine but not so much on the global opening...if you hold the key...the windows are suppose to go down. Only the passenger goes down about a third of the way.
Simply put I find myself between "a rock and a hard place". But I have been there before as when i put a battery in the car everything re-set (including any progress I made on releasing the emissions for testing), than the replacement of the purge valve...again back to square one.

I am familiar with the fix for this current problem (happened to me before)...a cold re-set /battery disconnect and reconnect which solved the problem last time. But and here we go again.....back to square one on the emissions release and more mileage and driving. Does anyone know how I can fix the window/sunroof problem without loosing the progress I have made thus far re the emissions testing release? thanks again robert

 

When it comes to NJ law, "I ain't from around here!" I need an explanation: what does all this milage have to do with resetting the codes? why is a window motor issue an emission issue?

Said another way, what does "releasing the emissions" mean?

 

jim i am sorry if i am not making myself clear. The window not going down is a separate issue. I believe I can resolve this by disconnecting the negative on the battery and than reconnecting.

When you disconnect and reconnect the battery this way all of the codes/settings are put in their original state. This is known as a re-set or cold re-set. As I had this problem before, I know I can get the window and sunroof to work properly doing the re-set

The re-set makes the ecu /computer put all settings in their original state Including all the emissions related settings(ones i am trying to get the computer to release)[/B].These include things like o2 sensor, catalyst, evap/fuel system plus a few more.

What I mean by release is that the car must be driven (different types of driving) for certain distances before the computer will release and allow the
car to be inspected at the new jersey inspection station.

The complication arises because prior to my having the window problem I have spent a few weeks driving the car around and managed to get most of the emission stuff released. I am down to two left. If i bring the car the way it is now i will fail inspection. They will not be able to COMPLETE ALL THE REQUIRED EMISSIONS TEST NEEDED FOR ME TO PASS INSPECTION.

AGAIN, if i do the reset as described to get the window to work properly(NOW) all settings will go back to their original state...INCLUDING THOSE WHICH THE
COMPUTER HAS ALREADY RELEASED..AND related to emissions controls/testing

So the point of this thread was to get suggestions from members as to whether there is any way around this dilemma.Frankly I really don't want to start from square one again. I have already put about 165 miles on the car and seem to be very close to having all of whats needed so i can take it to the inspection station.

Thanks and i hope this clarifies further.

 

Not to "rain on your parade" but I think a "hard reset" as I call it (and as you've described with the battery) is the only thing that's going to work.

It should not take the car long, at all, to do the OBD tests necessary for an emissions inspection.

I am presuming you have an OBD-II/CAN reader. If you get the P1111 code (see this thread) then all should be ready for an emissions test. However, it might also be ready if you've driven it for some reasonable distance (say, 30 miles) and you still have a P1000. My car has a perpetual P1000 because of a fault with one of the ECUs that remembers the mirror/seat/steering wheel positions. Since it "instantly" throws a code even after all that can be cleared have been cleared I'm in a perpetual P1000 state.

 

thanks brian i am afraid you are right. As I suspected I will have to do the re-set (need to be able to use the drivers side window up and down especially when i go to micky ds....lol.) I hope your right on the 30 miles or so that is needed.....frankly I think its more. all not releasing before as i had a bad evap purge valve which i replaced. This may have been preventing full release now that I think about it.....

always appreciative of your knowledge and feedback.....thanks again robert

the mystery to me is what caused this no window down problem in the first place?That is to loose the correct setting? Could it have been fob related? Perhaps parking attendant messing with fob.Problem emerged after I was given back the key and fob.

 

jagjunky -
What codes are left? short trips help....maybe a flakey O2 sensor...these can throw the car off, post lights and codes and of course fail emissions. Once identified and replaced it's good to go.
re:window...
have you tried testing the window with the global opening/closing feature? key in door all the way over and hold for a few seconds should close/open all.

Depending on the codes, the number of 'clear' drive cycles without issue can vary before the codes clear, but

How old is your battery?

 

You will need a drivers door lock / latch.
try using the key in the tumbler, not the transmitter for locking / un locking

 

SeanB makes an important observation about a wide range of OBD-II codes: some get erased by the system itself if they do not recur within a specified number of engine start-up/shut-off cycles.

Also, do you not have an OBD-II/CAN device that allows you to clear codes yourself? I am not suggesting that you do this to falsify anything, but doing so can give you a much clearer picture of which issues are active versus which are either historical or transient. One thing I've learned, though, is to be sure to write down the stored codes before you clear them. This helps you not only to remember what was there, but to see what is still recurring and to look up detailed information on each code later.

I have an Innova 3130 that pre-dates the latest ABS/SRS code reading capabilities. Even the least expensive readers that cover only "generic" OBD codes (PXXXX) have code clearing capability.

As far as the windows issue, there are a wide number of things that might have triggered this. I had similar behavior when I replaced the driver's window/mirror switch pack without having disconnected the battery. The electronic systems in these cars are multiplexed in such a way that small burps in one can potentially have ripple effects in others, particularly when they're powered up incorrectly. This leads directly to a question that someone else asked on another of your threads: Have you made absolutely certain that your battery is not weak? I learned the hard way that these cars can easily be started with a battery that is "weak". The power drop you get during the starting can make any number of ECUs "crazy" and trigger a slew of spurious warnings and codes. My car was doing this for a period of months and I foolishly thought, "Well, it cranks without any effort, it can't be a battery issue!" It was a battery issue. I personally find it insane that the on-board monitoring system does not monitor either battery level or fuel pump pumping/not-pumping status.

 

Thanks for your explanation. My real question is why can't you just clear the offending codes with your OBDII reader? I understand some codes clear after X # of starts, others after some miles. I thought/think all clear with code reset. Including those in memory. This was how LRs and RRs worked. PROs, is this correct?

 

You can clear the codes but that doesn't make the monitors show "ready"
In AZ the emissions test on newer cars is done purely by interrogating the OBD system I assume NJ is the same, so after resetting the vehicle has to complete the system checks and report the monitors ready.

 

U R probably right; I had assumed this is what P1111 tells us.

 

And that's precisely what P1111 tells you: all monitors have completed again since last code was triggered or code memory was reset.

Depending on the code reader you have it may also present you with status icons regarding which monitoring systems have actually run to completion versus those that haven't. If some have not completed, and you have no other DTCs, you will still have a P1000 status. Depending on the laws of your state you may or may not be able to pass emissions testing with a P1000 trouble code or incomplete monitor system runs. It just depends on whether the jurisdiction cares about anything beyond the actual emissions-related monitoring system or not.

 

What are your fuel trims at?

 

guys...all of you....thanks so much and i am learning so much....checked codes this am....the only monitoring not yet completed or released (however you wish to describe it) is the catalyst. My mechanic told me to go to the inspection station and have the emissions test done . In nj they will inspect if you only have one showing as" not complete".

Of course the complication is I have to go there with my drivers side window incapable of being lowered. I am not going to re-set until I pass inspection (on the emissions test)...so I will be going as is. Technically, they can't fail me for the window problem as in nj, they only do an emissions test which you must pass to get the sticker.

The question remains what caused the window problem? I am reasoning that perhaps the nit -wit i gave the key and fob to, had the window down and inadvertently pressed the panic button on the fob. This may have put the car in secure mode ,the ecu maybe thinking "this is a break in"and set up a close and no re-open on the window.

Anyone have any ideas on this?Lesson learned?....There are some pretty stupid people out there parking cars these days. So for me next time just give them the key and have them lock and unlock just useing the key.

Will be going to inspection sometime this week. Keeping my fingers crossed. Next time you here from me on this i hope will be a new thread with word "closure" in the title.