genscripter
Veteran Member
I've been driving my '98 Jetta TDI for years without issues. A few months ago, I had to replace some electrical things, but aside from that, it's been driving fine.
I got the dreaded DMV letter stating that I needed to get a smog check. I went to my usual place, but there was a new guy. I don't think he knew much about diesels.
He ran the check, and everything passed. However, he said my "EGR and/or VVT System" are "not ready." He said to drive it for 50-100 miles and come back.
That's confounding, because I hadn't recently cleared the codes or anything. I had been driving it around for weeks, so everything should be "ready."
I looked up this thread on the tdiforum that had a similar issue, and the man put in the original chip and it passed the test. I never put in a new chip. Everything is stock.
I ran my VAG-COM to see if there was an engine code. There wasn't, but there was a "generator" fault:
01117 - Generator Terminal DF Load Signal
27-00 - Implausible Signal
This might have been an old fault from when I replaced the alternator a few months ago, because now that I think about it, I never cleared the code after replacing the part. I just drove it until the check engine light disappeared. I have a digital voltage gauge, and my voltages have been normal (around 13.5V). On occasion, I run a cig-lighter minifridge that can draw down the current to 12.9V, so maybe that tripped the "Implausible Signal."
Do you think the Generator fault is causing the "not readiness" of the EGR OBDII values?
Or did the newbie smog tech screw up my test? He seemed completely uninformed about how to do the test.
I'm going to delete the fault and see if it returns tomorrow after a long drive. That will help me figure out if that alternator or connections are off.
I got the dreaded DMV letter stating that I needed to get a smog check. I went to my usual place, but there was a new guy. I don't think he knew much about diesels.
He ran the check, and everything passed. However, he said my "EGR and/or VVT System" are "not ready." He said to drive it for 50-100 miles and come back.
That's confounding, because I hadn't recently cleared the codes or anything. I had been driving it around for weeks, so everything should be "ready."
I looked up this thread on the tdiforum that had a similar issue, and the man put in the original chip and it passed the test. I never put in a new chip. Everything is stock.
I ran my VAG-COM to see if there was an engine code. There wasn't, but there was a "generator" fault:
01117 - Generator Terminal DF Load Signal
27-00 - Implausible Signal
This might have been an old fault from when I replaced the alternator a few months ago, because now that I think about it, I never cleared the code after replacing the part. I just drove it until the check engine light disappeared. I have a digital voltage gauge, and my voltages have been normal (around 13.5V). On occasion, I run a cig-lighter minifridge that can draw down the current to 12.9V, so maybe that tripped the "Implausible Signal."
Do you think the Generator fault is causing the "not readiness" of the EGR OBDII values?
Or did the newbie smog tech screw up my test? He seemed completely uninformed about how to do the test.
I'm going to delete the fault and see if it returns tomorrow after a long drive. That will help me figure out if that alternator or connections are off.
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