Passing CA Smog??

Hey Everyone,

I'm preparing for a trip in two weeks with a new to me 2004 sprinter. I have to get it registered and thus smogged in CA before I leave because I only have a temp tag on it now.

I'll need to replace my cracked turbo resonator and then have someone clear the check engine light. Once thats done I've heard that I have to drive around for a week so that the computer can show historical evidence of the van operating without any error.

Is this "drive around for a week" business true?
Will I fail the smog test if I just take it in all fixed with no check engine light on?
Can I get a plate with a failed smog?

Thanks!
Ben
 

surlyoldbill

Well-known member
I believe it's only like 100 miles, but I'm not certain. There is a minimum distance for all cars that is around that.

You can clear the CEL yourself with a scanner or an OBDII app on your phone and the bluetooth ELM327 ODB adapter to send/receive the signals. Apps are $0-5, EML327 is $10.

My neighbor got some sort of extension on the smogging, but I don't know what that entails.

Personally, I think once you fix your resonator, clear the codes and drive 100+ miles with no new CEL, you'll be fine.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
There is a number of engine-starts requirement as well (since clearing the light).
It may be as few as 10.

Many forum members have ScanGauges or UltraDAQs , both of which can clear (and read) codes, as well as providing very handy as-you're-driving readouts.
By monitoring the LOD (engine load) and keeping it below 70% (by judicious down-shifting) you can significantly improve your mileage.

--dick
 

OldWest

2004 T1N Westfalia
Thought Dennis/LindenEngineering and/or others on the other smog threads indicated that one should NOT clear CEL Check Engine Light, but instead fix the issue and let the CEL go out by itself after problem solved.

Otherwise, once the CEL is turned off directly with a computer scanner (rather than by itself), one has to drive through a driving pattern consisting of (no one has posted exactly) certain times at certain speeds interspersed with stop and go driving, etc.

And some folks apparently have been driving for months and no luck, and Daimler-Chrysler (formerly) has no fix to reset those monitors.

Note: On other threads, for NCV3 certain model years, some states apparently allow a certain number or some monitors to not be ready.

Before I saw the various smog threads--I had a 2004 Sprinter CEL on, which was then cleared directly after the glow plug was replaced. Then went to smog check place which said the Sprinter was not smog-ready to be tested and to drive around for 50-100 miles.

You can apparently get Autozone to check if you're smog ready or buy an inexpensive tester from Amazon which tells you whether vehicle is smog test ready to be tested--one-click I/M readiness:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007...i=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Innova+scanner

I lucked out and only had to do combination of city and freeway driving for about 80 miles and was smog ready to be smog tested.
 

jimwhs

New member
I agree with with OldWest, and will add this.

I have not been able to find anything concrete regarding the time/miles or # of starts you must have after clearing the CEL and any faults, but the numbers appear to be fairly small. About 4 months ago, I read everything I could find on this forum (thanks OldWest for the tread links), and didn't find anything conclusive. Instead you should fix the leak, and then start it a few (3?) times to get it to clear by itself.

One thing for sure is you need to have any EGR related monitors closed, and many people (including me) have never been able to get them to close by just driving the vehicle around a lot. The question I have never seen answered is how some T1N Sprinters have the EGR monitors closed, and some are always open, and seem to never close. My theory is some generic scanners clear (open) the monitors when a clear all codes operation is done. So, be real careful using a generic scanner to clear the CEL and all faults.

Hopefully your CEL will go off after a few starts after the leak is fixed.

And if you have an open EGR monitor on a T1N, unless you are really lucky, you will need to buy Green Diesel Engineering's ECU tune that has the EGR monitor set, since you might never get it set by just driving it around. Mine never got set in about 20k miles of driving.
 

lindenengineering

Well-known member
Thought Dennis/LindenEngineering and/or others on the other smog threads indicated that one should NOT clear CEL Check Engine Light, but instead fix the issue and let the CEL go out by itself after problem solved.

Otherwise, once the CEL is turned off directly with a computer scanner (rather than by itself), one has to drive through a driving pattern consisting of (no one has posted exactly) certain times at certain speeds interspersed with stop and go driving, etc.

And some folks apparently have been driving for months and no luck, and Daimler-Chrysler (formerly) has no fix to reset those monitors.

Note: On other threads, for NCV3 certain model years, some states apparently allow a certain number or some monitors to not be ready.

Before I saw the various smog threads--I had a 2004 Sprinter CEL on, which was then cleared directly after the glow plug was replaced. Then went to smog check place which said the Sprinter was not smog-ready to be tested and to drive around for 50-100 miles.

You can apparently get Autozone to check if you're smog ready or buy an inexpensive tester from Amazon which tells you whether vehicle is smog test ready to be tested--one-click I/M readiness:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007...i=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Innova+scanner

I lucked out and only had to do combination of city and freeway driving for about 80 miles and was smog ready to be smog tested.
This is correct!
Simply fix the problem in isolation but do NOT clear the codes because you will wipe out all the closed stored monitors and it will have to start the closing process/procedure again for ALL the monitors.
This can take ages and lots of drive cycles to get closure!
Most manufacturers have drive cycle procedures to follow but MB is never an easy one to get closure on.
Toyota is very easy and very predictable if the repair has been completed correctly!

An example!
I had an emissions failure on a Prius! Basically Cat efficiency problem.
Installing a new catalyser and O2 sensor I could see in the data that the system was working correctly by the O2 sensors operation.'
I drove it through three drive cycles and the CEL went out by itself.
Re-scanning the car I could see a stored code but it wasn't a live code.
Checking the monitors I could verify that they were all closed!
Fit now for presentation and a pass!

Now here in Colorado on a Hybrid they (authorities) only want to see a closed set of monitors by a mainframe based scanner.
The pass will often spit out a certification stating the stored codes recorded, the monitors CLOSED and CEL OFF!
This indicates that repair was successfully completed and as such passes the I/M 240 enhanced test!
Now going back to MB systems for a moment! Their feature on a factory style scanner calls for you to do a check engine light illumination check and you actually go through a procedure to get the light out if it won't go out be itself!
Just quirky MB stuff you get used to over time and experiences fixing emission problems.

Dennis
Mechanic
 

220629

Well-known member
Go to the links Oldwest provided.

California changed the game for emissions. No open monitors. There can be a glitch in some T1N Sprinters which will not allow you to pass smog even after driving to hell and back.

My recommendation.

Drive around as suggested. If all the monitors still don't close do some research about the GDE tune. That said, likely you will be fine if your Sprinter has passed before.

vic
 

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