Smog Failed - Not Ready

[ShadowsPapa]

How/why was it smogged 3 times? It is a 2 yr cycle. That would put it at >6 yrs old.

Someone once told me that a state or two can do spot checks besides doing the normal every xx months/years check. They questioned the accuracy of equipment set up at stops along the road vs. taking it to a dedicated test center.
Any thoughts? Was that true - about "spot checks" just like the highway patrol sometimes will randomly pull cars over for checks of lights and safety equipment?
They lived in one of the western states is all I can remember about it, but they were definitely talking a road-side spot check of emissions.
(To clarify, when I say "western states" - I mean starting with Colorado on west, being where I am, half the country is a "western state)

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[ThePhotoBus]

How/why was it smogged 3 times? It is a 2 yr cycle. That would put it at >6 yrs old.

If at first you don't succeed, try again

The 3 failed smogs were all in the same week. Each after trying various advice that did not work.

I ended up putting 6k miles on it in 1 month. Monitors finally became ready at 3247 miles.

 

[DankjeeP]

Someone once told me that a state or two can do spot checks besides doing the normal every xx months/years check. They questioned the accuracy of equipment set up at stops along the road vs. taking it to a dedicated test center.
Any thoughts? Was that true - about "spot checks" just like the highway patrol sometimes will randomly pull cars over for checks of lights and safety equipment?
They lived in one of the western states is all I can remember about it, but they were definitely talking a road-side spot check of emissions.
(To clarify, when I say "western states" - I mean starting with Colorado on west, being where I am, half the country is a "western state)

Not sure about spot checks, at least not in Cali.
I misunderstood, I thought he meant it passed 3 times in California. That would be 6 yrs.

 

[DankjeeP]

If at first you don't succeed, try again

The 3 failed smogs were all in the same week. Each after trying various advice that did not work.

I ended up putting 6k miles on it in 1 month. Monitors finally became ready at 3247 miles.

Got it, I thought you meant previously passed smog in Cali. Get a scanner for $50 so you don't have to keep going and failing.

 

[ThePhotoBus]

Got it, I thought you meant previously passed smog in Cali. Get a scanner for $50 so you don't have to keep going and failing.

Yup, thanks @DankjeeP...figured that one out along the way. The Veepeak reader and OBD Fusion app I found recommended on one of the threads here has been great...for both that and Regen monitoring. That's how I knew they cleared around 3300 miles.

Finally passed and got plates. Hopefully this thread will help others in the same situation. The out of state purchase was a bit more difficult in California. You're supposed to register within 10 days, smog new vehicles purchased out of state, and in my case you drive 3300 miles (I'm sure this will vary) before you can pass smog and get your plates.

Seems to me like the expectation for others might be something like: if you use transport, plan for 2 trips to the DMV. In the first, push for the extended 60 day permit rather than the default 30 days, citing that it can take 3300 miles before the monitors clear. OR plan to put the miles on the truck before driving it back into the state.

 

[FLUndertaker]

What a load of crap! Having to put needless miles on a vehicle so it can become ready to test is ridiculous. I have a total of 1000 miles on my JT since new last August. Ide be damned if I was going to run up an additional 3000 so it was ready to test.

 

[DankjeeP]

What a load of crap! Having to put needless miles on a vehicle so it can become ready to test is ridiculous. I have a total of 1000 miles on my JT since new last August. Ide be damned if I was going to run up an additional 3000 so it was ready to test.

It is. One of many gripes I have with this state. Unfortunately my wife is unwilling to move.

 

[NachoRuby]

I've never owned a diesel vehicle, but 3000 miles is an insane amount to have to drive to get readiness. Wow! I've never has to go bore than a tank full of gas at most. Glad your truck finally made it through!

 

[BamaJeepTruck]

I’m about to say something wildly unconstructive and useless but I can’t help myself. There is nothing on this earth that would ever keep me from leaving that place. I hope your wife changes her mind. Took me a decade to get mine out of the north. Maw Maw always said If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all, so this is what I think about California..................

 

[Clay]

I was stationed in California in the late 60's and I hated it. I did get a break from there when we were deployed for about nine months.

 

[Moe_Fugga]

It is. One of many gripes I have with this state. Unfortunately my wife is unwilling to move.

There are plenty of wives out there.

 

[DankjeeP]

There are plenty of wives out there.

hahaha, you are correct. I kind of like the one I got though

 

[WilliamP]

Since this is the only "Failed Smog" gladiator thread I'll add my two cents as I also faced this issue. Hopefully this thread will help others as it has helped me. Thanks ThePhotoBus!

Trim: Sport S w/ Max Tow (Custom order)
Year: 2022
Odometer Reading: 982
Purchased from: Peterson Jeep (Nampa, ID)
Residence: California
Reason for failed Smog Check: Drive Cycle Monitor Not Complete

What you should try....

Preconditions:
1. Purchase "Veepeak OBDCheck BLE OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner" ($32.99)
2. On your mobile device install "Car Scanner ELM OBD2" from the GoolePlay store (free)
3. Fuel level between 40% - 75% (I read this...somewhere)

Why was my vehicle not completing the drive cycle monitor?
The "Car Scanner" app said ERG monitor was 'not ready'.

How do I get the ERG System Monitor to pass?
1. Find a long stretch of a quiet street, preferably outside city limits
2. Start the Jeep and let idle for ~ 5 minutes
3. Accelerate to 50-59mph (do not hit 60) and hold for 2-3 minutes
4. Remove your foot from the accelerator
5. Allow the Jeep to coast to ~10 mph
6. Pull over on the shoulder and let the Jeep idle for 2-3 minutes
7. Repeat Steps 3 - 6, three/four times.

Any gotchas?
Yes. Most of the monitors reported by the "Car Scanner" app pass in real-time. As you're driving the app is updated when conditions are met; however, the "ERG System", "Oxygen Sensor", & "Oxygen Sensor Heater" monitors only updated when I (on a fluke) shut off the Jeep (for 1 - 3 seconds) and then turned on the Jeep again. I say this to say, you could have finished Steps 1-7 above and be frustrated that the "Car Scanner" app hadn't updated. So....be aware of this.

How many miles did you need to put on your new Jeep to pass?
Roughly 25 miles. I went through each monitor in the app and made sure they passed before I got to the "ERG" monitor. This worked for me. My smog check now passed and I still have less than 1000 miles on my new Jeep (I picked up ~700 driving from ID to CA). I don't know about "ThePhotoBus"'s Rubicon needing ~3300 miles but I can say it's possible to pass the smog with a Sport S w/ Max Tow with under 1000 miles at least.

Again, thanks to "ThePhotoBus" because without this thread my quest for plates would have been much more strenuous! Time to get those plates!

Additional Resources

(He says bring it up to 65 though, so you could try it)



https://smogcheckvacaville.com/chrysler-drive-cycle-odb2-readiness-monitors/

 

[TwelveGaugeSage]

Anyone just take it to a dealership and tell them to fix it? Seems like it should be Jeep's problem for selling you a vehicle that doesn't pass smog.

 

[NachoRuby]

Anyone just take it to a dealership and tell them to fix it? Seems like it should be Jeep's problem for selling you a vehicle that doesn't pass smog.

There's nothing wrong with the vehicle. It's a California thing, where they require new vehicles purchased out of state to pass smog immediately. But it takes a while for all of the readiness checks to occur on a new car (or after the battery is pulled). If the vehicle is purchased in California, it's not an issue.

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