NC inspection & CEL

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
Nephew just got a 90s Escort thats been sitting a long time. Has some issues, one of which is the check engine light is on.
I don't know the whole story, inspection place said it hadn't been running long enough to clear any code (??).
But regardless, can a car pass inspection w/ the CEL on at all?
He's driving around w/o tags trying to put miles on it. This seems crazy to me...
 
RatLabGuy said:
He's driving around w/o tags trying to put miles on it. This seems crazy to me...
Click to expand...

When I first got my tacoma running, I had to put a couple hundred miles on it before it would pass. Seems like every time I thought I had enough miles on it, the light would come back on and I would have to start over. This part of the registration/inspection laws make no sense to me either.
 
He can buy a temporary tag from DMV to drive around on I think. The way it has been explained to me is there are x amount of sensor readings stored in computer from driving and when you clear the cel you wipe those clean. Well they all have to have a reading stored except for maybe 2 to pass.
 
By 90s, Im guessing it is 95 or newer and OBDII. If so, it just has to be driven thru its cycles. Highway, stop and go, short trip, etc. Everything needs to get up to operating temp (cat, trans, etc) Just driving it 5 miles down the road wont work.

If it is older than 95 and OBDI, just stop somewhere right before the inspection station and unhook the battery for a couple minutes. CEL will clear and operate normally until you get a drive cycle in - long enough to pass inspection.
 
Its a 98 or 97 IIRC so yest its OBDII. Yes they are trying to get it up to the point the reading is stable. They gave him some kind of sheet "to show the cop when he gets pulled over". It just seems to me this is a potentially awkward/bad situation for a 17 y/o kid who is already distrusting of "the man".

But the point is that it can not pass w/ the CEL on? Or are there any allowable codes?
 
The light has to be off but it can have one system bot ready code if it 04ish and earlier from how the inspection poster reads.
 
The cheap bluetooth scanners will display readiness monitors in real time. My older hand held will, too. Handy when trying to pass inspection. As for the tag, the plate agency will give you a paper although a temporary number. This buys you 10 days to get inspected and a good tag. I just did this with my new truck. After driving about 2 weeks on the tag off the scion, of course. ;-) First sheriff that got behind me on my way from the plate agency to the inspection station pulled up next to me and asked if I knew I didn't have a tag. That was the last time anymore said anything, and I drove over a week and lots of miles with no tag.
 
FYI Obdii was implemented in year model 1996. 1995 and older vehicles are not subject to Obdii emissions inspections
 
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