Northern Virginia Now Emision Tests Diesel Cars

well, the service guy at Lindsay just informed me that it would cost me about $480.00 to replace the #2, #4 glow plugs, and the glow plug power distribution bus (I guess that it is the harness). However, he said that he believed that they are not yet QEQ certified so I have to have the car emissioned tested there and paid the the $28.00 again
The service guy did say that normally this would be covered by VW, but since my car is 2001 and it has 83,000 miles. It is not under warranty

the problem is putting a dent in our daughter colloge saving and my wife drives me crazy with her "I told you, you should not buy a VW..."

Is there any local guru that will be able to help me?
TIA
-vun

Car 54 in Woodbridge is a good bet if he is in your area.

To people who have had the emissions test done in NoVA... Did you see the tester plug into the OBDII port? Or did they simply do a visual check of the MIL?

Its a true OBD II test that checks the rediness codes and checks for stored codes and the function of the CEL itself.

--Nate

vun said:

well, the service guy at Lindsay just informed me that it would cost me about $480.00 to replace the #2, #4 glow plugs, and the glow plug power distribution bus (I guess that it is the harness). However, he said that he believed that they are not yet QEQ certified so I have to have the car emissioned tested there and paid the the $28.00 again
The service guy did say that normally this would be covered by VW, but since my car is 2001 and it has 83,000 miles. It is not under warranty

the problem is putting a dent in our daughter colloge saving and my wife drives me crazy with her "I told you, you should not buy a VW..."

Is there any local guru that will be able to help me?
TIA
-vun

Click to expand...

Hopefully you have not let them fix the car. I think you should buy the glow plugs and replace the harness yourself (or try the "Deoxit" tuner cleaner on it and make sure it plugs on tight) and reset the CEL. There are some threads on this list about that.

A few years ago my mother went through this very same thing (except no emissions testing was involved), where an independent repair shop wanted to charge her about $500 to fix the CEL because a glow plug was burned out on her 2000 Jetta TDI. The diagnostic fee was going to be about $250!. Five minutes with an ohm meter is all it took me to figure it out. That was a few months after I bought the '04 PD, so Mom and I went in 50/50 and bought a VAG-Com. What you experienced is Very common, and it seems to be right about $500 for what should be no more than $100 in a shop, maybe $175 if a new harness is needed.

--Nate

All,
thanks for your inputs
the stealler got me for $104 (diagnostic test)
If it was not the fact the they were not yet DEQ certified, I would had let them fix it
FYI, Lindsay VW (Sterling, VA) is not yet DEQ certified
Anyways, with a little a elbow grease I was able to "fix" the stupid MIL
Hints, hints - bridge is the keyword
Cleared the code; Drove to the gas station just to find out that the inspector was on vaction
Put on about 80 miles today. So far so good, no MIL yet
the harness looked kind bad, I supposed I need to it whenever I get some free time
Cheers,
-vun

Dave_D said:

Car 54 in Woodbridge is a good bet if he is in your area.

Click to expand...

Yep, he did mine timming belt
Thanks
-vun

Out of state registration

Braga_Dub said:

or could I just register it somewhere else and VA would say: "Sure, thats fine."?

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Virginia uses "domicile" and an "in state for 183 days per year". I think the "domicile" rule would apply to drivers' licenses, while the 183 day rule applies to registration. (One can have multiple residences, but only one domicile.)

Normally if you pay the local personal property tax, the people who enforce registration are happy, and don't care if you register in Virginia or Khazakistan. If you're ever questioned, it helps to be able to say, "because I live there" or "that's where my office is."

Curiously, most court decisions on domicile use the driver's license as one of the factors to show out-of-state domicile. I suppose that wouldn't work for a driver's license challenge, but I've never heard of residency or domicile challenged on a driver's license, at least not after the US went to a one-license rule (at least for commercial drivers; VA may still allow dual licenses).

my TDI passed the emission test last night
according to the inspector,
"...your TDI is classified as light weight diesel vehicle, not much we need to do but let the machine do the ODBII tests"
basically if the machine does not detect any fault codes, and readiness code is ok, then you're good to go
cheers,
-v

vun said:

my TDI passed the emission test last night
according to the inspector,
"...your TDI is classified as light weight diesel vehicle, not much we need to do but let the machine do the ODBII tests"
basically if the machine does not detect any fault codes, and readiness code is ok, then you're good to go
cheers,
-v

Click to expand...

__. I know that you can wipe out fault codes with VAG-Com but is it possible to "reset" the readiness code?

VAG products are really the only vehicles out there that you can go through basic settings using VAG-COM or OE tools and initiatate each readiness monitor test and watch the results in real time. This is a tremendous asset when trying to diagnose why a monitor won't set or even finding a reason for a CEL. There are a few monitors on certain cars that require a drive but for the most part they are done in the bay. Really, kudo's to VAG engineers on this, this should have been a requirement of OBDII when it was architected originally. As a VW dealer tech, you used to have to printout the readiness completion for every warranty job, kinda a PITA but ensured the tech was doing things properly. Not sure how they do it now...

All other mfg's provide a drive cycle that "should" set all readiness monitors to passed, very generic and confusing...

Everytime you clear codes, you reset all readiness monitors. Many find that following a repair, NOT clearing codes and then driving the prerequisite number of drivecycles will extinguish the light and eliminate having to get all readiness monitors to pass.

This is important in particular areas of the US such as on small islands where there is no way cars can get up to 55 MPH for any more than a mile or so or for monitors that require a certain ambient temp but the car is in Alaska and it will be months before that enabling criteria will be realistic.

Readiness code

mrGutWrench said:

__. I know that you can wipe out fault codes with VAG-Com but is it possible to "reset" the readiness code?

Click to expand...

Yes, and I don't know how to manually. I know how to do gassers the old way, but I need the Guided Fault Finding for the TDI's.

There is a specific series of key off, wait 10 seconds, key on, wait 10 seconds, glow test runs, wait 15 seconds, start engine, run at 2800-3400rpm until O2 heater is ready (90 seconds?), idle, wait for oxygen sensor heater to go active, wait for misfire monitoring to go active (2 minutes), accelerate to 50km/h in 2nd gear then coast to stop. Check bits in MVB and repeat one more time.

This works for BEV engine code. Problem is I don't know which Basic Settings group I need to be in during each test. The guide program does that for me. I have done even less ALH cars, but there is a similar procedure for them.

Jason

mrGutWrench said:

__. I know that you can wipe out fault codes with VAG-Com but is it possible to "reset" the readiness code?

Click to expand...

according to the inspector, all one has to do is to drive the car for about 20-30 miles at various speed, and the rediness will be set

All I did was reset the error code and drove it around for about > 30 mi

He did say that it varies amongst different manufacturers

Does anyone know the $28 goes to? All to the inspection station or does part of it go somewhere?

I understand it's a not that much and only every two years, but it's yet another expense we have to shell out, in Northern VA only, due to ineffective state regulation. I probably breathe in more pollutants from the Mirant power plant.

$3.89/gal for B20 in Citgo Pentagon!

vun said:

according to the inspector, all one has to do is to drive the car for about 20-30 miles at various speed, and the rediness will be set

All I did was reset the error code and drove it around for about > 30 mi

He did say that it varies amongst different manufacturers

Click to expand...

It took me only seven miles to clear the readiness codes. The biggest pain is that if you clear ANY DTC, it will fail the readiness tests, so you do have to go out and drive around...

vwlogue said:

Does anyone know the $28 goes to? All to the inspection station or does part of it go somewhere?

I understand it's a not that much and only every two years, but it's yet another expense we have to shell out, in Northern VA only, due to ineffective state regulation. I probably breathe in more pollutants from the Mirant power plant.

Click to expand...

For our cars it does seem largely pointless, but the clean diesels that will start coming out next year will get a full emissions test very much like a gasser.

What are Vag Com procedures to see if your readiness code is set? I am moving to Arlington......thx.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=259745
It depends on your version of vag com. If you have 409 and up, its easy to click readiness at the main page I believe. Otherwise you have to look at measuring blocks group 17.

If you have a code, clear it out under engine-> fault codes. Then drive a bit so the readiness gets set.

Guess it's a good thing my cars are registered in Michigan.

robnitro said:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=259745
It depends on your version of vag com. If you have 409 and up, its easy to click readiness at the main page I believe. Otherwise you have to look at measuring blocks group 17.

If you have a code, clear it out under engine-> fault codes. Then drive a bit so the readiness gets set.

Click to expand...

Thanks. My vagcom is about ten years old, so it's an old version. I'll check that I don't have any CELs stored, and drive around. My vagcom cable is screwy so my frustration level peaks pretty soon!

I'm moving into Prince William from a county that doesn't do emissions checks. Regarding the OBDII check for diesels - do they just check for fault codes and readiness, or do they actually check for proper EGR flow according to what the ECU is reading? I have a race pipe and all EGR stuff removed (MIL always on). I've always planned on getting a chip to get rid of the MIL as well for the performance benefit. Looks like that plan is about to be accelerated. With the chip "deleting" the MIL, what does it make the EGR flow say? Will the inspection pick up on it? Should I give specific instructions when getting the chip to have it report some fake value on EGR flow?

Thanks.

My RC4 tune shows 850 requested, 460 actual at idle. Seeing how the requested is higher, the EGR vac solenoid doesn't even open. To the ECU, everything is checked out ok. That's all the ecu needs to see to say "pass" on EGR.

Btw, with functioning EGR it might ask for 270, so if the maf reads 460, it will see that there is a problem as all of the air is coming from the intake.

nukefission said:

I'm moving into Prince William from a county that doesn't do emissions checks. Regarding the OBDII check for diesels - do they just check for fault codes and readiness..........................

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Strictly an OBDII scan, fault codes & readiness. No tailpipe or actual data. Generally it's a generic scanner = they can't really read all the details. As long as ODBII shows clear you're good to go.

It's just a revenue generator anyway, they figured out they were missing collecting $$$ from an whole group of vehicles

In pheonix you can get a waiver if you can show that the repairs cost more then something like $750. Just get your estimate from a VW dealer saying your turbo needs to be replaced and your in the clear

Regarding the OBDII check for diesels {in VA}- do they just check for fault codes and readiness, or do they actually check for proper EGR flow according to what the ECU is reading?

Click to expand...

I think they just check for fault codes and readiness. My chipped TDI breezed through the inspection. My car has no fault codes though, and all emissions equipement is visually there.

-J

Up from the dead.. Will a malone tuned DPF deleted car pass? Debating whether or not to pull the trigger.

That depends on the county. If you're in Richmond or one of the outlying counties, you might be okay.

Henrico.. The plan is to get inspected in NY. Then delete and tune before I move down here for good!

Wondering if anyone down here has gone through this? Can recommend a shop? Pointers? Etc.. Thanks.