I’m happy that I put the “reverse curse” on that job. It was easy for me. I am also overjoyed that electrical tape saved $900. Imagine how much duct tape saves. May the code never return.
See correction below. Math can stay.
Technically, it saved $800. 
THE SAGA THAT JUST WON’T END!
So yesterday I went down to the place and talked to the guy who was driving my car around, and he said there was only one monitor left to be ready, and then they could do the state inspection.
Technically, in Texas, you’re allowed to have one monitor not ready with an 03 year car. So, technically, he could have done the inspection yesterday.
Anyway, so today I call and I find out: one of the battery cables was loose and IT RESET ALL THE MONITORS!!! So we’re back to square one! big facepalm
Am told he just left to pick up some parts and is going to drive it around and try to get the monitors ready today.
Unbelievable.
Too much drama. Battery cables should not fall off, who installed the battery?
After repairing a customer’s vehicle, I road test with the scan tool until the monitors are complete, takes 5 to 10 miles. Usually return to the shop in less than 15 minutes. How many days will your van be the parts delivery truck?
I only see 3 things to do after the tag renewal . Trade this thing off - never use this shop again - or both .
Your car may have expired before the tag does.
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I assume the person unhooked the cable when he was troubleshooting the electrical short.
I hope that’s not the case. When I spoke to the person yesterday he said it takes about 30-50 miles, and he has a certain route he goes, with a combination of street and freeway driving, to get it ready. I hope that the picking up of the parts thing is just them combining two tasks and that they’re not dragging it out purposely.
It takes some people a lot longer than others to complete a drive cycle. My service manager will send a valet on a 50 mile drive to complete the emission monitors, it can take a long time if you don’t understand the process.
That’s true. It took me 98 miles. And that was with following a list I found of what to do to get the monitors ready!
Still others I’ve talked to online say it takes them 100-200 miles.
Using a scan tool is more informative. The evaporative emission monitor will not pass by driving a certain distance, that monitor requires two cool down cycles. Since one incomplete monitor is allowed, if the evap monitor is the only one incomplete, the vehicle is ready for testing.
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Yes, getting it inspected before the evap monitor was ready would have been helpful, since, as I noted at the top of this thread, I had all monitors ready and no check engine light, and then the check engine light for an evap fail came on just as I pulled into the bay to get it inspected.
Thanks for the story! I’m not too worried about it. I still got eight days to go until my tag expires. Should be okay. Just a bizarre comedy of errors!
Meanwhile, I’m getting some much-needed exercise using my e-bike to get around. LOL
Sorry you are having this difficulty. It is providing some amusement for the rest of us, if that’s of any consolation … lol … These sorts of over-the-top emissions regulations with seemingly endless drive cycles needed, and no clear , precise, and unambiguous description how to accomplish the drive cycles, it all seems to go too far. It’s just not fair to the car owner. That Nevada (above) knows how to complete the drive cycles quickly doesn’t do you any good.
That all said, imo the shop made an error in failing to perform the test when it could (with one monitor not complete), and owes you some consideration for that. Suggest to ask for some discounts on future work.
If you are unable to get your tag before it expires, you might ask shop to help w/that too, since you may have to visit DMV and won’t have a registered car to drive. If so, ask shop to loan you their car to drive to the DMV.
One more note: Years ago I had a dealership car repair problem that the shop was having much difficulty to complete in a satisfactory manner. The only thing I knew, somebody at the shop wasn’t telling the truth, but no way for me to determine who it was. All that aggravation is what caused me to take a night course in auto repair, and hence my presence here.
Really?
Type the year and ,make and model of any vehicle, and then drive cycle into your search engine, and see what comes up!
Tester
2021 Dodge Caravan drive cycle
These are the first of many, many lines of text
All Monitor Drive Trace
Pre-Conditioning Requirements:
– MIL must be off
– Cold start (Note: cold start temperature is undefined)
Are you saying that requirement is perfectly clear and unambiguous? Really?
Coolant temperature and ambient temperature must be within 10 degrees of each other, technicians should know this.
Opinions could vary about what “clear, precise, and unambiguous” means I guess.
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It is pretty amusing to me, as well. I’m trying to keep a positive attitude. As I’ve mentioned, being without my car has gotten me to ride my ebike more, which I’ve needed to do. So this is helping me to be less dependent on my car and get some exercise, which is good. I just hope the situation is resolved soon.
I don’t blame the mechanic for this, as many people don’t know you’re allowed to have one monitor not complete, and his job was just to drive it until it was ready. At the time, I could have said, “Oh, you could go ahead and test it now, since I’m allowed one incomplete monitor.” But I didn’t, because I figured he might as well get them all complete. (I just didn’t expect all the monitors to be cleared before it was tested!!! LOL)
Well, I’ve got 8 days left. Tomorrow’s Friday, and he drove it some today. So hopefully it’ll be ready by Monday. If it’s not, then I’ll just pick it up and drive it around myself and get it inspected.
The reason I wanted them to drive it around, apart from saving me time, was in case there was any problem (such as what happened the other day when the car died) it would have been while it was in their hands, and I couldn’t be blamed for having done something. But at this point they’ve had it long enough and have driven it enough that I don’t think there will be another problem (although given how things have gone, I probably shouldn’t say that…).
Thanks for following along. I appreciate everyone’s comments. They’re very helpful.
Don’t ever ask a postal clerk what is or isn’t “regular printed matter.”
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Oh no! Not That! … lol … Reminds me of that Abbot and Costello routine Who’s On First? … lol
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