OMG what a pain in the ass today has been.
tl;dr = Can't get my car's "drive cycle" to reset so I can get smog check.
My "Service Engine Soon" light went on last week so I took my car in for servicing. The last time the light went on it was caused by a faulty gas cap which was an easy/cheap fix. Not this time:
1) Leaking coolant and thermostat going bad. So new thermostat, hoses and coolant flush.
2) Complete tune up. Plugs and wires.
3) Computer Diagnostic check.
Plus the normal periodic maintenance.
4) Air filter.
5) Oil/filter change.
6) Fuel filter.
7) Tire rotation.
8) Brake adjustment.
My car (2002 Saturn SL2) just passed the 100k mark and has never had a tune-up so I'm not too upset about the repairs or the $1100 price tag for repairs and service.
Here is where my day went south. After the repairs all the computer codes were reset, but I have to get a "smog check" very soon. The tech says I have to get all the emission sensors reset and in a "ready/working/good" state because if more than one isn't reset I automatically fail smog check. He said drive 30-50 miles, then come back and we'll check the OBDII to see if the "drive cycle" has been reset.
Well they were not all reset. I drove 50 miles. I did city driving (start/stop) then hit the freeway for 10+ minutes of constant driving, then more city driving. Still no-go.
What a PITA. Well I'm off to try
this again.
I did learn one thing...If you want to F*ck with somebody and you know they are going for a smog check soon, just loosen their gas cap. That will throw a check engine light and they will auto-fail the smog check. Or just disconnect there battery to reset computer. No completed drive cycle also equals an auto-fail smog check.