Failed emissions due to reset check engine light

[sze5003]

Well I had my sensor replaced at tiresplus where I had the inspection. Drive the car around and plugged in my obd 2 adapter and checked torque.

It still shows pending fault code of the same thing. Spent $560 for nothing it seems.

 

[tortillasoup]

I reset my computer this morning and drove 35 miles to work today. All inputs except evaporative are completed and the light didn't come on yet. I think I should be fine without the evaporative indicator. That's usually checking the gas cap here in pa.

Edit: seems the readiness monitors reset if the ignition is turned off. After driving again they all become ready except the evaporative one.

Evap requires a warm engine and a fuel tank that has less than 3/4 full but more than 1/4 filled as well.

 

[sze5003]

Evap requires a warm engine and a fuel tank that has less than 3/4 full but more than 1/4 filled as well.

Yea I know but I just had the sensor replaced the shop got it from Mitsubishi, and torque still shows pending fault code P0145.

 

[cabri]

IF the shop stated the sensor needed to be replaced and the problem did not go away; get the shop to reverse the charges

 

[tortillasoup]

Yea I know but I just had the sensor replaced the shop got it from Mitsubishi, and torque still shows pending fault code P0145.

my instructions were for the evap readiness monitors. As for the P0145, that's a completely different issue. They need to fix that shit if they're going to charge you money.

 

[sze5003]

IF the shop stated the sensor needed to be replaced and the problem did not go away; get the shop to reverse the charges

I called in before bringing the car to get the sensor replaced telling them about the code I found. Of course they had to say the diagnostic is $90 and its more than just checking codes. They check codes for free but they said they have to test the afflicted part.

Diagnosis came back same engine code I told them about, rear oxygen sensor by the cat. They ordered the part from Mitsubishi for $420 and installed it. I got 5% off the whole bill because I opted to their credit card. Total came to $567. The guy agreed to waive the diagnosis fee because I ended up being right.

No check engine light but I called back and told them about the pending code. They told me to go through the driving cycle and if the light comes back on to bring it back and they will make sure it doesn't come back on.

If they don't fix it I'll just call the credit company they have assigned to their card and tell them I'm not paying it until its fixed.

 

[stockwiz]

glad there is no emission testing in this state. There are lots of 'classic' cars that spew out tons more exhaust fumes than today's modern cars but get by because they don't have that light on the car... don't want to have to spend hundreds to pinpoint and fix a 'minor evap leak' which has a negligible impact on the enviornment .. my check engine light has been on for 5 years.

If I overfill the gas tank it will briefly go off... a new fuel cap does not help.. I suspect it's the fuel filler neck where the gas cap goes on.. I'm not losing sleep over it. I did try fixing it once but the replacement I got off ebay wasn't the right size even though it claimed to be... I never got around to it since as it doesn't affect anything.

 

[sontakke]

I don't get it. You did the diagnosis and have them replace the part which you believe was faulty. They installed new OEM part per your instructions.

 

[sze5003]

I don't get it. You did the diagnosis and have them replace the part which you believe was faulty. They installed new OEM part per your instructions.

No my diagnosis doesn't matter. Anyone on google can look up codes that a scanner pulls. Any shop you go to here will do the diagnosis and charge you for it. I was charged $90 for a diagnosis and they took $21 off that charge looking at the details because I've been there for oil changes and had my inspection there. I was there for 2 hours, one of which they were looking at the car on the lift.

When they called me up from the waiting room they told me the same thing, its error code P0145, its your heated oxygen sensor in the back. So I had someone pick me up and two hours later they told me the car was done.

They were pretty busy yesterday so either they ripped me off and reset the codes or replaced the wrong sensor, who knows. The guy was telling me the car has two catylitic converters and 3 oxygen sensors. Im pretty sure I read on the evo m boards that it only has two sensors. It does have two cats though.

 

[DaTT]

I imagine your code will be cleared. It is pending because it still needs to cycle. Give it a few days and a couple hundered KM's (miles, whatever)

 

[sze5003]

I imagine your code will be cleared. It is pending because it still needs to cycle. Give it a few days and a couple hundered KM's (miles, whatever)

I hope you are right. But I think after they did the work they must have reset my ecu. So what I'm thinking is if the issue was fixed and computer reset why would it still show a pending code. I will know tomorrow for sure, I drive about 50 miles round trip to work.

 

[DaTT]

Is the Check Engine light on?

Even with a computer reset, especially with a computer reset, the car needs to run several tests. Some are completed instantly and some take several driving cycles to complete. Just because it shows "pending" right now, doesn't necessarily mean there is a problem, just that it hasn't finished its test yet.

 

[sze5003]

No the light is not on. From what I've read about obd 2 codes, pending means they are continuous running tests and one or more failed so it stores a pending code. If the failure does not occur over a certain amount of cycles it will be cleared.

If the failure happens again it will turn the check engine light on. I really hope it is fixed otherwise no clue what I'll do.

 

[DaTT]

I suggest you go for a long drive and report back.

 

[tortillasoup]

Op got ripped off buying "OEM" oxygen sensor... I mean $400 for a catalyst efficiency sensor.... wtf? The only time I've seen oxygen sensors cost that much is if they're really old wideband oxygen sensors but those are primary oxygen sensors that go BEFORE the catalytic converter, not after it. The simplest rule to getting a proper OEM replacement oxygen sensor w/o buying OEM is knowing what brand o2 sensors came with the car. The "OEM" oxygen sensor should say who made it like Bosch, Denso, NGK, etc. Typically if it's american or Japanese, it will be either Denso or NGK while if it's european, it's likely to be a Bosch.



You CAN pay a shop money to install an oxygen sensor or do a repair and just have them not guarantee the work but if you're going to be paying a shop $500+, and they're forcing a diagnostics on you, then they should be footing the bill/figuring out the issue, otherwise they're just as worthless as you are!!!

 

[sze5003]

Op got ripped off buying "OEM" oxygen sensor... I mean $400 for a catalyst efficiency sensor.... wtf? The only time I've seen oxygen sensors cost that much is if they're really old wideband oxygen sensors but those are primary oxygen sensors that go BEFORE the catalytic converter, not after it. The simplest rule to getting a proper OEM replacement oxygen sensor w/o buying OEM is knowing what brand o2 sensors came with the car. The "OEM" oxygen sensor should say who made it like Bosch, Denso, NGK, etc. Typically if it's american or Japanese, it will be either Denso or NGK while if it's european, it's likely to be a Bosch.

I'm not sure which brand is standard. I think its denso but I'm not sure. Every shop I've called gave me the same price. I could have taken a chance and buy one on my own but the one guy who wanted to install it for me never got back to me.

 

[tortillasoup]

I'm not sure which brand is standard. I think its denso but I'm not sure. Every shop I've called gave me the same price. I could have taken a chance and buy one on my own but the one guy who wanted to install it for me never got back to me.

Of course they gave you the same price, they were quoting OEM parts. A lot of shops aren't savvy so they'll default with OEM part. If you said you were supplying the part and told them that you didn't care if they guaranteed the work, just that it's installed properly, I think most shops would install it anyway. You don't need a parts warranty or diagnostic fee to install a fuckin o2 sensor lol and that's exactly what these yokels did.

Since they reversed the diagnostics fee, you might not have a whole lot of recourse since it's just cost of parts. But you did get screwed because you overpaid for the parts (dealer part ripoff, not shop ripoff).

 

[sze5003]

Of course they gave you the same price, they were quoting OEM parts. A lot of shops aren't savvy so they'll default with OEM part. If you said you were supplying the part and told them that you didn't care if they guaranteed the work, just that it's installed properly, I think most shops would install it anyway. You don't need a parts warranty or diagnostic fee to install a fuckin o2 sensor lol and that's exactly what these yokels did.

Since they reversed the diagnostics fee, you might not have a whole lot of recourse since it's just cost of parts. But you did get screwed because you overpaid for the parts (dealer part ripoff, not shop ripoff).

I've had shops install my own parts before. They were careless and some refused to do it in my area. If I had known exactly which part it was I needed to buy such as a denso model with oem fit, I would have bought it.

The one time I had my own parts put in I was charged a higher labor rate and like I said they want to cover themselves so most places refuse. I waited nearly a month because I was ready to buy the sensor according to a mechanic that does work on the side but the idiot never got back to me after numerous attempts to contact him.

The code is pending still and the shop assured me that if it comes on again they will figure it out and make it go away. If they want to charge me more for other parts to replace I'm going to refuse as they had the car for 4 hours and failed to diagnose it correctly if the light comes back on.

After that, I hope I can get an extension on the emissions past 30 days seeing how I paid a lot to trying to fix the issue.

 

[cabri]

No check engine light but I called back and told them about the pending code. They told me to go through the driving cycle and if the light comes back on to bring it back and they will make sure it doesn't come back on.

If they don't fix it I'll just call the credit company they have assigned to their card and tell them I'm not paying it until its fixed.

The code is pending still and the shop assured me that if it comes on again they will figure it out and make it go away. If they want to charge me more for other parts to replace I'm going to refuse as they had the car for 4 hours and failed to diagnose it correctly if the light comes back on.

After that, I hope I can get an extension on the emissions past 30 days seeing how I paid a lot to trying to fix the issue.[/QUOTE]Follow their instructions and bring it back if it does not clear.

You paid to get it working using their diagnosis.

If they do not fix the problem within one more visit; then do not pay the bill; have them put the old part back in.

Then go somewhere else.

Make sure that you have a copy of their work for the emissions; they should allow an extension based on your good faith attempts

 

[Yuriman]

For the record, I picked up a downstream O2 sensor for $12 (OEM), and it's within easy reach from above the engine. 30 seconds with a 7/8" wrench and I had the new one in place.

The downstream O2 sensor *should* just be there to check if the cat is working. AFAIK, they generally serve no other purpose than to fail you at emissions testing if your CAT is bad. Driving around with a bad downsteam O2 sensor will not generate any more pollution than if it's working right.

 

[sze5003]

The code is pending still and the shop assured me that if it comes on again they will figure it out and make it go away. If they want to charge me more for other parts to replace I'm going to refuse as they had the car for 4 hours and failed to diagnose it correctly if the light comes back on.

After that, I hope I can get an extension on the emissions past 30 days seeing how I paid a lot to trying to fix the issue. Follow their instructions and bring it back if it does not clear.

You paid to get it working using their diagnosis.

If they do not fix the problem within one more visit; then do not pay the bill; have them put the old part back in.

Then go somewhere else.

Make sure that you have a copy of their work for the emissions; they should allow an extension based on your good faith attempts.

I doubt they have the old part. I will definitely refuse to pay the bill when it comes in if its not fixed.

I drove around some more today. I've put about 30 miles so far since yesterday and no light so far.

Also checked torque with my phone and the pending code was no longer there. Hopefully it will stay that way while I drive some more tomorrow.

I notice that some emissions monitors reset to incomplete after engine shut off.

For the record, I picked up a downstream O2 sensor for $12 (OEM), and it's within easy reach from above the engine. 30 seconds with a 7/8" wrench and I had the new one in place.

The downstream O2 sensor *should* just be there to check if the cat is working. AFAIK, they generally serve no other purpose than to fail you at emissions testing if your CAT is bad. Driving around with a bad downsteam O2 sensor will not generate any more pollution than if it's working right.

What kind of car was it for? No oem part for my car that cheap unfortunately.

 

[Yuriman]

2000-2006 Honda Insight. I'm pretty sure there were less than 25,000 of them made in the US, and probably less than 60k in the world.

Anyway, a (narrow band) O2 sensor should function the same and cost about as much to make as any other narrow band, shouldn't it?

 

[sze5003]

Yea it should but the one in my car is also a lambda sensor. The other two are less expensive.

 

[sze5003]

This is strange. Yesterday after I got back from the food store Torque said there were no codes at all not even pending.

Today I drove to work, about 27 miles and the same code showed up in Torque as "pending". But still no check engine light. I wonder what it will do next when I drive home.

 

[sontakke]

I notice that some emissions monitors reset to incomplete after engine shut off.

Some tests are continuous and some are non-continuous. Continuous tests run all the time and non-continuous run only when some of the enabling criteria are met.

If you see bunch of test starting as incomplete every time you restart the car, then you have electrical issue. Possibly fuse providing keep alive memory to the ECU is blown.

This is going to be even more fun to debug that the original issue :-(