System readiness tests

97 SL2

What driving conditions have to be met to complete all the system readiness
tests? While I was out of town over New Years, my girlfriend ran the car
out of gas (bad!) She put a couple gallons in, limped home, and it wouldn't
start the next day. I bought a Chilton book, replaced the fuel filter, had
the injectors cleaned and rebuilt, replaced the PCV valve, and removed the
throttle body and cleaned it out. It runs great now except for a P0133
code-slow response for bank 1 sensor 1 O2 sensor.

I've driven about 25 miles at a variety of speeds (city and hwy) and when I
plug in the scan tool, it shows that the catalyst monitor, O2 monitor, and
EGR system monitor tests aren't complete. My tabs are expired, and I need
to pass an emissions test to renew them, and my understanding is that I can
only have 2 incomplete readiness tests.

What do I need to do to make these tests complete, and do I need to worry
about the slow response from the O2 sensor?

Thanks for your help,

Scott

 

Have you reset the code and does it come back again?

No hits on Google for sl2 readiness test. I made the mistake of using saturn
in the search and got a bunch of NASA stuff. You might try the forums at
www.saturnfans.com also.


btw, you're not the dilbert guy, are you?

Oppie

 

No, I wish I was the Dilbert guy-I could have paid somebody to do all the
work on my car. I'll swing by Schucks and reset the code-see what
happens. If the slow O2 sensor code comes back, can the sensor be cleaned?

BTW, after a very meticulous hour of Google searching (I have dialup), I
came across this on some guy's website-

Performing a GM OBDII driving cycle:

1. Cold Start. In order to be classified as a cold star the engine coolant
temperature must be below 122F(50C) and within 11F (6C) of the ambient air
temperature at startup. Do not leave the key on prior to the cold start or
the heated oxygen sensor diagnostic may not run.
2. Idle. The engine must be run for two and a half minutes with the air
conditioner on and rear defroster on. The more electrical load you can
apply the better. This will test the O2 heater, Passive Air, Purge "No
Flow", Misfire, and if closed loop is achieved, Fuel Trim.
3. Accelerate. Turn off the air conditioner and all the other loads and
apply half throttle until 55mph (88km/hr) is reached. During this time the
Misfire, Fuel Trim, and Purge Flow diagnostics will be performed.
4. Hold Steady Speed. Hold a steady speed of 55mph (88km/hr) for 3 minutes.
During this time the O2 response, Air Intrusive, EGR, Purge, Misfire, and
Fuel Trim diagnostics will be performed.
5. Decelerate. let off the accelerator pedal. Do not shift, touch the
brake or clutch. It is important to let the vehicle coast along gradually
slowing down to 20mph (32km/hr). During this time the EGR, Purge, and Fuel
Trim diagnostics will be performed.
6. Accelerate. Accelerate at 3/4 throttle until 55-60mph (88-96km/hr).
This will perform the same diagnostics as in step 3.
7. Hold Steady Speed. Hold a steady speed of 55mph (88km/hr) for five
minutes. During this time, in addition to the diagnostics performed in step
4, the Catalyst Monitor diagnostics will be performed. If the the catalyst
is marginal or the battery has been disconnected, it may take 5 complete
driving cycles to determine the state of the catalyst.
8. Decelerate. This will perform the same diagnostics as in step 5. Again,
don't press the clutch or brakes.

It worked for me-it reset the readiness flags and I passed the emissions
test.

Scott

 

Nice work!
It is customary to give credit to the source website when you quote
information from it by including a link.

I have heard both good and bad reports about cleaning bas O2 sensors by
heating them with a propane torch. I personally just replace them. Some
money can be saved by replacing with a non-heated sensor. They take longer
to go into closed loop and may trigger another code that no current is being
drawn by the O2 sensor heater circuit. Whether they work on your model or
not, I can't say. I just spend the extra bucks and get the OEM types.

Oppie
(short for Robert Oppenheimer)
No relation to the fund or the Nuclear Physicist

 

I would have credited the source, but I copied and pasted it into a word
document to make it easier to print on my POS computer, and forgot to save
the link. Will do it right next time......

Thanks for the tip on the O2 sensor. I'll reset the code and see if it comes
back, then do some pricing.

Scott

 

Likely to have came from one of these

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=lang_en&safe=off&q=%
22The+engine+must+be+run+for+two+and+a+half+minutes+with+the+air%22+%
22Decelerate&btnG=Search

Copy and paste all that in.

 

Thanks Blah,
It will probably make a liar out of me but I have often found that when
pasting a long URL, adding a space immediately after pasting will preserve
the link from fragmenting.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...minutes+with+the+air"+"Decelerate&btnG=Search

 

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Nope when I type something thats not a reply my newsreader does an
automatic break at 72 characters.

I'll just add a reply arrow to the start of the url from now on and
confuse some people ;-)

thanks