Check Your Repairs With The PGM Tester (HSN 0801-12)

CHECK YOUR REPAIRS WITH THE PGM TESTER

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN

SERVICE INFORMATION

To avoid comebacks when doing OBD II emissions-related repairs and to ensure customer satisfaction, make sure you check the repair using the readiness codes displayed on the PGM Tester. Don't just rely on a test-drive. Some DTCs are two-trip DTCs. Temporary DTCs are stored on the first failed drive cycle. If a failure is detected after the second consecutive failed drive cycle, the MIL comes on and a mature DTC is stored in the ECM/ PCM memory. If this happens after you've returned the vehicle to your customer, you're looking at a definite comeback.

The OBD II Evaporative Emissions Control System (EECS) Monitor, controlled and run by the vehicle's ECM PCM, checks the EECS for proper operation. With the PGM Tester, you can check the status of the EECS readiness code it's displayed as EVAP MON on the PGM Tester). That check makes sure the repairs you've done for the MIL being lit (DTC P1456 or P1457) are successful and the vehicle is ready to return to your customer. Here's how to do it:

1. Connect the PGM Tester to the 16P data link connector.
2. Turn on the PGM Tester, and select GENERIC OBD II MODE. The display for readiness codes is available only through this mode.
3. Clear the DTCs. This resets some of the displayed readiness codes to read INCMPL (Incomplete). See Fig 1 .
   Fig 1: Incomplete Readiness Codes

   
4. Select READINESS CODES. The resettable readiness codes should all read INCMPL.
5. Start the engine, and test-drive the vehicle. The ECM/PCM needs to have certain enable criteria met to run the EECS Monitor and to switch the EVAP MON readiness code from INCMPL to COMPL (Complete). Here are the criteria it needs:
   • The engine must be cold at startup. [The engine coolant temperature (ECT) and intake air temperature (IAT) values must be greater than 32°F (0°C) but less than 95°F (35°C).]
   • The ECT and IAT values must be within 12°F (6.67°C) of each other at engine startup.
   • The EVAP bypass solenoid valve must be on within 5 seconds of engine startup.
   • The vehicle must be driven through an "urban drive cycle." This cycle consists of driving patterns commonly faced during a home-to-work commute. It includes such patterns as cold starts, stop-and-go driving, and short periods of steady cruise.
6. Watch the EECS (EVAP MON) readiness code on the PGM Tester display. Generally, the code should switch from IMCMPL to COMPL after about 2.5 miles of the drive cycle, but that distance can also vary depending on ambient air temperature, traffic density, and other factors. When the code switches to COMPL, it means the vehicle is fixed and ready to return to your customer. If the readiness code doesn't switch, and still reads INCMPL, check for a temporary DTC stored in the ECM/PCM memory. If a temporary DTC is stored, the vehicle isn't fixed and needs further repair. If no temporary DTC is stored, the enable criteria were probably not met. Test-drive the vehicle again, making sure you're meeting the proper enable criteria to switch the readiness code to COMPL. See Fig 2 .
   Fig 2: Complete Readiness Codes