Emission test question

Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Ontario
TDI
2002 Jetta
Hey Guys,

I've got a CEL light for the #1 glow plug on my '02 Jetta. Any idea if the car would still pass the emission test or would it fail just because the light is on. Glow plugs and harness are about 3 years old with only ~35k km on them.

Cheers
 

vanbcguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Location
Vancouver, BC
TDI
'93 Passat - AHU mTDI with GTB1756VK
Most places will fail you if the CEL light is on. Around here for OBD II vehicles they simply plug in and scan for codes. They even tell you not to bother paying for a "test" until you've fixed the CEL as you are pretty much guaranteed to fail.
 

steve6

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2010
Location
Beaverton, ON
TDI
2003 jetta tdi
Rapid, it will fail with that on. Can you reset it at all and have it stay off for a few days, this would be enough to get past the e-testing? Id recommend warming up the car, resetting it, drive around for 30 mins and take the car in hot for a test right away. Dont let it sit and get cold so the plugs have to activate.

since the harness is not that old, try just pulling the harness off and pushing it back on a few times, clear up the contacts a bit.
 

roast_

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2011
Location
Ontario, Canada
TDI
MK5 Jetta TDI
Fix the underlying issue, clear the code then do a drive cycle.

If you can confirm a drive cycle has been completed and all is OK, do your e-test.
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Ontario
TDI
2002 Jetta
Steve,

I can erase the code and it will stay off until I start the car again. So what you're saying is that I can clear the code, drive around a bit and get the car tested. They won't notice that the code has just been cleared?

I'll test out the glow plug and clean all the contacts to see if that fixes it.

Thanks for your help.
 

steve6

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2010
Location
Beaverton, ON
TDI
2003 jetta tdi
Rapid, if it comes on everytime the car is started, even when its warm, you have to fix the issue. When you reset the code it puts the montors in a 'not ready' state. They have to be 'ready' in order to pass, its how they can tell you cleared the code. If it comes on every time no matter the time of year, you have to fix it. Lots of times with the glow plug codes its sparatic and you can get it to stay off enough for an e-test.
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Ontario
TDI
2002 Jetta
Steve, I just don't know what the problem is. I replaced the glow plugs and the harness but it didn't get rid of the code. Could there be something else I'm not checking? Glow plugs are Beru's from Boraparts and the harness was from idparts so no cheap no-name junk.

I read on here that you're allowed to have one monitor "not ready" and still pass. Is that true?
 

P2B

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Location
Toronto & Muskoka, Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta, 2003 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon
I read on here that you're allowed to have one monitor "not ready" and still pass. Is that true?
Yes:
MTO said:
The new OBD test for Drive Clean will allow two monitors to be “Not Ready” if the vehicle model year is 1998 to 2000; and one monitor to be “Not Ready” if the vehicle model year is 2001 or newer. If more than the allowed monitors are “Not Ready”, the vehicle will not pass the OBD emissions test.
But...
MTO said:
A vehicle with a MIL on has an emissions control system problem and will need to be repaired before it can successfully pass a Drive Clean retest.
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/category/drive_clean/STDPROD_102286

I don't know of a car that has passed with one monitor not ready and the CEL on, but in theory it's possible.

My '03 throws a glow plug code occasionally, needs a dose of deoxit every few months. It usually takes at least 80km and 4-5 restarts for the monitor to become ready again after clearing the code.

Simon
 
Last edited:

GD

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Location
Toronto
TDI
2011 Jetta TDI Highline DSG
what if you manually bridget the GP#1 wire with another GP that works?
 

craig01b

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Location
Guelph, Ontario.
TDI
None
Harness and plugs are done....? Unusual...wingnut might have the right idea for a fix, given the way they monitor the plugs, I doubt bridging would work.
 

craig01b

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Location
Guelph, Ontario.
TDI
None
Ok, if you replaced the harness did you splice or take it back to original...if spliced I would be looking at the wires further downstream I guess, along with the splices. Need to eliminate the possible.
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Ontario
TDI
2002 Jetta
Well I cleaned up the harness and checked out the plugs while I was in there. Guess what, the resistance on #1 was off, what a big surprise. Swapped it out with an extra that I had which measured correctly and so far no CEL :).

I never paid attention to the glow plugs because when I first installed them a few years ago they all measured correctly but the CEL never went out which led me to replace the harness. Even after that the light still didn't turn off but I didn't bother with it because the car started fine in the winter. Oh well it looks like it's finally fixed now.

Thanks for all the help.
 

craig01b

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Location
Guelph, Ontario.
TDI
None
That makes more sense....pretty simple system albeit sensitive. Thanks for the last post with your findings, it's always helpful for others searching down the road!
 

Wingnut

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Location
Toronto & Whitby
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta Wagon
......I never paid attention to the glow plugs because when I first installed them a few years ago they all measured correctly but the CEL never went out which led me to replace the harness.
When you say the CEL never went out, did you attempt to clear the code after the repair? The light will not go out on its own, even if corrective action is taken. The code has to be cleared by a scan tool of some kind or the light will never go out.
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Ontario
TDI
2002 Jetta
Wingnut,

Yeah, I cleared the code after installing the new plugs but it just came right back again. That's why I thought there might be something else I'm not aware of. Oh well, 3 days now and no CEL so it looks like I'm good to go.
 

hobbyshop

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2004
Location
Toronto
TDI
Jetta TDI Sport, 2004, Platinum Grey
i guess you guys have done the new emissions testing? is it any different for diesels? (ie. visual inspection for smoke on idle and money grab?)
 

hobbyshop

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2004
Location
Toronto
TDI
Jetta TDI Sport, 2004, Platinum Grey
those who have egr deletes and such have their ecu's tuned to not throw cel's...

does that mean that the sensor system is still "ready"? that's what i wonder...

possibly, your sensor system has to be 'ready' state, and no CEL's
 

LNXGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Location
Barrie, Ont, Canada
TDI
'05 Jetta TDI Wagon
those who have egr deletes and such have their ecu's tuned to not throw cel's...
does that mean that the sensor system is still "ready"? that's what i wonder...
No, you can be tuned with no CEL's and still have a readiness monitor 'not ready'..
 

hobbyshop

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2004
Location
Toronto
TDI
Jetta TDI Sport, 2004, Platinum Grey
so how are those who are tuned going to pass their emissions tests now??
 

LNXGUY

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Location
Barrie, Ont, Canada
TDI
'05 Jetta TDI Wagon
I've got one readiness monitor showing 'not ready', others are fine. Not to worried about. I think I'm allowed one. I'll just get Mike @ TDTuning to send me a retune.
 

imo000

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Location
Cambridge
TDI
2009 M-B ML320 Diesel & '05 Passat TDI Manual 5-Speed
One system not ready is allowed.I think its becuse the EVAP takes a very long time to be ready so they allow one not to be complete.
 
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