Readiness Monitor Standards

Readiness monitors are self-tests performed by the vehicle's OBD system to verify emission control functionality. While most vehicles complete the various readiness monitors during normal driving, other vehicles have more trouble either because the vehicle design requires unusual operating conditions or because the owner rarely drives the car in the necessary operating mode. On occasion, the vehicle owners-manual contains driving procedures to complete the monitors, but usually this drive cycle information is only available to the OEM or found in repair industry service literature. Since drive cycles require the vehicle experience specific operating conditions: speed, temperature, pressure, engine load, etc., performing certain drive cycles may not be possible in traffic, yet could be performed using dynamometer equipment. Monitor completion is also dependent on properly functioning components, so a vehicle may never complete a monitor until a thorough diagnosis and repair of components enabling the monitor to run is performed. Readiness monitors must be rerun after a repair activity like disconnecting a vehicle's battery or replacing a defective emissions component.

The number of incomplete OBD readiness monitors that are allowed to pass the OBD test portion of a Smog Check inspection are provided below.