fail CA smog

[demonshin]

I have recently purchased a 2008 m3 and I need to get it smog check. It passes all emissions tests but testing OBD self tests it spits out "not complete" for Catalyst and Oxygen Sensor.

I took the car into BMW and they say they are getting no errors. I hooked up a OSB sensor tester myself, I get link errors and can get no readings what so ever. Bad fuse?? but would BMW find that?

I am not sure what to check next and any recommendation would be grateful.

[surlynkid]

will the dealer do your state inspection in CA? they do in TX. if they says it good, and they can do the check, let them do it.

[demonshin]

Originally Posted by surlynkid

will the dealer do your state inspection in CA? they do in TX. if they says it good, and they can do the check, let them do it.

I am thinking about doing it...

I asked my friend who does smog and showed him the print out and he said it is not an error but inefficient data. That I have to drive the car more, but I been dealing with this over the passed month and drove at least 1000 miles.

There is something wrong with the car and what it is I have no idea.

[THE TECH]

Could have a tune.

[WillC310]

Didn't the seller smog the car before you bought it?

[demonshin]

Originally Posted by THE TECH

Could have a tune.

It's been tuned by ESS. I did not think it would effect smog testing? I am contacting them now to verify.

Originally Posted by WillC310

Didn't the seller smog the car before you bought it?

The car was from out of state.

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by demonshin

It's been tuned by ESS. I did not think it would effect smog testing? I am contacting them now to verify.



The car was from out of state.

They can manipulate the OBD readiness with the tune.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by demonshin

It's been tuned by ESS. I did not think it would effect smog testing? I am contacting them now to verify.



The car was from out of state.

We had a MY08 fail smog here a couple of months ago @ just under 50K (excessive NOx). With a spark plug change and reflash to 231E, it passed with flying colors.

Check to see what SW version you have and when plugs were changed last. O2s are not normally an issue but can be if mishandled during exhaust swaps.

[demonshin]

Originally Posted by THE TECH

They can manipulate the OBD readiness with the tune.

if that is the case...bastards! >.<

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

We had a MY08 fail smog here a couple of months ago @ just under 50K (excessive NOx). With a spark plug change and reflash to 231E, it passed with flying colors.

Check to see what SW version you have and when plugs were changed last. O2s are not normally an issue but can be if mishandled during exhaust swaps.

The car is stock everything except the ESS tune. It passes all emissions with flying colors, the spark plugs were changed around 36-38k at BMW and the car has 51k now.

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by demonshin

if that is the case...bastards! >.<

Not really. It's common when getting a tune since most people are doing an exhaust system which if it includes an x-pipe, will set off a CEL.

[demonshin]

Originally Posted by THE TECH

Not really. It's common when getting a tune since most people are doing an exhaust system which if it includes an x-pipe, will set off a CEL.

AH I see!

So I was also reading on the forums about a 213E OEM flash update, would this benefit me in this issue?

Also after talking to my friend who's a smog tech and after plugging his reading tool said that there is no error but the incomplete message means there is no data to be collected. He said, he saw this before and told the customer to drive their vehicle around 40mph for a length of time to collect OBD data and said that could be my problem but I been having this issue over a month and I drive my car daily.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by demonshin

AH I see!

So I was also reading on the forums about a 213E OEM flash update, would this benefit me in this issue?

Also after talking to my friend who's a smog tech and after plugging his reading tool said that there is no error but the incomplete message means there is no data to be collected. He said, he saw this before and told the customer to drive their vehicle around 40mph for a length of time to collect OBD data and said that could be my problem but I been having this issue over a month and I drive my car daily.

231E is the version we've been updating to.

Did you clear (or attempt to) codes recently? This would be the reason the O2s have not entered into readiness state yet. If so, you'll simply need to put miles on your M3 (~50mi or so, varied driving) to enter readiness. Otherwise, contact your tuner to see if O2s have been tampered with.

[demonshin]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

231E is the version we've been updating to.

Did you clear (or attempt to) codes recently? This would be the reason the O2s have not entered into readiness state yet. If so, you'll simply need to put miles on your M3 (~50mi or so, varied driving) to enter readiness. Otherwise, contact your tuner to see if O2s have been tampered with.

I just had my friend clear the settings last night (after a months of driving) in hopes this might resolve my issues. I will go see him again friday to see what readings come up after this.

As for a tuner I do not have one and will look for one after this attempt in fixing this problem but regardless I want to tune my car and rid of this ESS tune as I want something more local.

I just really want to get this issue resolved.

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by demonshin

I just had my friend clear the settings last night (after a months of driving) in hopes this might resolve my issues. I will go see him again friday to see what readings come up after this.

As for a tuner I do not have one and will look for one after this attempt in fixing this problem but regardless I want to tune my car and rid of this ESS tune as I want something more local.

I just really want to get this issue resolved.

That will explain the O2 situation.

See if ESS will update you to 231E. Otherwise, if you're in the SoCal area anytime soon - we can bring you up to date and provide a dyno to verify results.

[demonshin]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

That will explain the O2 situation.

See if ESS will update you to 231E. Otherwise, if you're in the SoCal area anytime soon - we can bring you up to date and provide a dyno to verify results.

Well I was receiving these incomplete reading over a month of going in each week, checking the OBD reading at the smog station to see if it cleared and it did not. So last night I had my friend take a look to see if he had any insight and he recommend maybe clearing the settings and start from scratch to see if it resolve the issue and that is where I am at.

I have contacted ESS and in hopes they can assist me. I actually dyno'ed my car couple weeks ago while I was at thunderhill raceway. I will post up my results from it but I might take up your offer Tom

[demonshin]

an update...I recently clear the codes in hope to resolve my issue and it did not. The same 2 imcompletes were still there. The BMW smog guy told me that to resolve this is to drive between 40-60mph, under 3k rpm for 16miles to fill in the data and should resolve this. I will attempt to do this sometime next weekend as I will be out of town. So...wish me luck lol

[Z K]

Your car is tuned which means the ECU is modified. They probably put in some code that makes it unreadable or locks out the ECU for reading the tune they installed. Lots of tuners do this so people don't steal their tunes.

Otherwise they might have changed the parameters with the oxygen sensor readings so it doesn't return a result when read.

An easy fix would be to put back the stock program. You need to find someone who can put the car back to stock.

[demonshin]

Just an update..

I had my software updated and it resolved my ECU issue. Went back to the smog station and it passed with flying colors!

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by demonshin

Just an update..

I had my software updated and it resolved my ECU issue. Went back to the smog station and it passed with flying colors!

Good to hear!

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by demonshin

Just an update..

I had my software updated and it resolved my ECU issue. Went back to the smog station and it passed with flying colors!

And there we go. Thanks for taking the time to update your situation.

[demonshin]

Yeah no problem! Also I want to everyone who assisted me in this, very grateful!

Tom I will try and visit your shop when I get a chance, hopefully in mid July and get a tune done

I also forgot to add the bmw tech guy had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned 213E he said all software updates are at least 6 digits and he said the latest one was 2.44xxxx something

oh and my car had factory software since day one...never got updated until now >.<

[THE TECH]

Originally Posted by demonshin

I also forgot to add the bmw tech guy had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned 213E he said all software updates are at least 6 digits and he said the latest one was 2.44xxxx something

oh and my car had factory software since day one...never got updated until now >.<

That is correct. Only the board uses "231E" as terminology. The dealership uses another code as you found out. At least you got the newest software which is what counts.