SoCal Avanti

Everything went fine, until the very end. The reason was: "This vehicle failed the MIL/Check Engine Light Test due to failure to successfully complete all OBD self tests" The tech asked if the car has been in storage for a long time or the battery replaced. I said no. He then said to drive for 50 miles to reset the computer, then come back and it should be ready for a retest.
Backstory: The MIL has been going on every 3 weeks to a month, due to insuficient secondary air flow, bank one. Today, before going for the check, I connected VAG-COM and cleared the air flow fault, since the MIL has been on for a week or so, and it takes a while for it to come on again. The smog test didn't see any faults stored in the OBD test.

Do you think the 50 miles will reset the computer/OBD memory? Is there a more direct way to do it?

Bad Justin

sorry about the non-topic related bro.... just got me thinking ( a couple of beers on Friday night)

austinado16

There's actually a driving proceedure that you can do that specifically resets all the values. Once they are reset, this "proves" that all of the vehicles emmissions control devices are working properly.

So that's why you failed. You'll probably continue to fail because the readiness codes could reset themselves via normal daily driving, but in doing so, your CEL is going to come back on for your secondary air fault code.

You're going to need to fix the fault, and then reset the readiness codes, and then go back for reinspection.

I used to do this when I worked for the VW Dealer and there was a specific number of "things" I had to do during the readiness code resetting test drive. I don't remember all of them, but basically it boils down to putting the VAG-Com into "Basic Settings" mode for the engine computer. Then you toggle through each of the channels and look at the values in the windows. In many of these channels, you'll see instructions like, "run engine at 1800-2000rpm" so you sit in the parking lot and do that while you watch the values in the windows and you might get something like "on" in a window and that tells you the computer is currently running a diagnostic test on the item you're looking at. For example, it wants to see the cats come up to tempurature......so you run the engine at a steady speed in Park, and wait to see the word "OK" and then you switch to the next channel and do that test. Part of the Basic Settings include driving under load, decel, holding steady rpm, etc.

You may find instructions in your Bentley on how to do it all.

Sorry to be sort of vague about it. When I worked for the dealer, VoA (Volkswagen of America) would not pay your tech time on PDI's (pre delivery inspections) unless you took the car out and spent the 15-20min setting the readiness codes, and you had to prove you'd done it by including a printout from the VAG1552 that you carried in the car with you. Same rule if you did any warranty repairs to the engine/injection/emmissions. You had to include that printout or you wouldn't get paid for the repair work.

Joey T

<ul><li><a href="http://www1.snapon.com/display/DocMgmtDisplayFile.aspx?fileid=4671">I know. You love me for this.</a></li></ul>

SoCal Avanti

I realize that I need to take care of this, I just hope that it is just a loose hose or something minor...

austinado16

First inspect the plastic hoses that come from secondary air pump.

SoCal Avanti

The only error I get is for bank one, so,....

austinado16

You are incredible. Just printed out all 128 pages and am making a binder for it. Thanks!

austinado16

I'm not very familiar with the system but if the hoses connect to some sort of valves, see if you can check those valves for being blocked or failed.

The ECU must have some way of checking for flow.....like in the EGR system, there's temp sensor and unless it gets to a certain temp in a certain time, the ECU throws an insufficient flow code....so look for sensors, diaphrams, etc. that the ECU might be using in order to compare "air pressure" to "time" and then know if the system is working properly.