FAILED SMOG!!!

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my 97 civic failed her smog test due to "Emissions self test" not ready? i have never heard of a problem like this one and have no clue on how to fix it. Anyone know what is the cause of this? I have also had the car scanned for any CEL codes stored, 2 different times but still no code, took it to 2 different smog shops but still no help. Im lost and need to get it done soon so i can drive my car.

DASleeper916 in Sacramento CA

Jan 13, 2009

4 Replies

Popular Answer

patrick mannionon Jan 13, 2009

To pass the CA State Smog test vehicles have to have all the systems that the computer monitors to have run there functionality tests. Some of these tests take more than one "drive cycle" to complete.The idea being is that you can't cheat by having a car due for a smog test that has a Check Engine light on pass by just erasing the code and driving straight to the smog station without fixing the underlying problem. The systems the computers monitor are the evaporative emission system, EGR system, the cat converter efficiency, O2 sensor system, ect.... Ask who ever tests your car or scans it for codes "which monitors have not been passed".

Visitoron Oct 27, 2010

good ans

yzrickon Oct 3, 2018

thats all good and said but what drive cycle is it,how many times and how stupid is the person who came up with this i need my car for work and now i have to9 park it and how do i dop drive cycles with no tags im going insane

Reply in Thread

rdude135on Feb 1, 2009

I have experienced in the past Civics of this generation taking up to 3 weeks to run it's monitors. My best advise is to drive the vehicle as much as possible under varying conditions to try to get the monitors to set. Once that happens if there are no MIL (malfunction indicator lamp) issues the car will be able to be smogged.

jazzyjj77on Feb 20, 2010

I had a 1996 Honda Civic EX and I had received a letter from Honda that said if my car failed smog that they would pay for all the repairs because of something with the emissions system didn't meet California requirements. So maybe you should contact Honda to see if you qualify. Get what you can!! :) Hope that helps!!

k.royon Sep 13, 2010

you need to drive and drive highway driving-local driving stop and go traffic ect put the miles on it takes time for all of the sensors to re-set that is it in the nut shell

CA_galon Feb 18, 2011

rdude135 and k.roy are not entirely correct I'm sorry to say. I've owned my car for 3 years. I had the battery replaced 8 months ago (b/c the mechanic said it would go bad soon) - and since then I must have put 7000 miles on the car. I've gone on a couple of long trips (3 - 4 hours from my home), and I've done a lot of In-town driving. I recently went in for my first smog and it failed due to 3 monitors not being ready. I would think that with 7000 miles of driving this would set these monitors to 'Ready' (as some people on this website have advised), but no it has not worked. I've even gone to the dealer to get a Driving Cycle (so to drive the car according to the manufacturer). It is very complicated and a terrible way to have to drive to set these monitors right. I think the car needs to go up on a dyno (as per the fine print) and a professional needs to set it to Ready. I don't think just driving the car does the job.

Visitoron Feb 22, 2011

Well same thing happen to mine and someone told me to drive it more then 40 miles and not turn off the car at all when I got to the smog shop and they check the monitors and said they were all on and it pass smog so my computer resets every time you turn off the car maybe something goes for you good luck

lschon Jun 19, 2014

My 1998 Civic has had this problem for years. I don't think it always did, have to check on that. I've never been able to find a solution. I found a good smog check place that will keep the engine running, after I've driven 30-40 minutes before I bring it in. I'd be interested in having it fixed. The dealer I took it to was unable to. It's at 190,000 so I might just retire it at 200,000.