Hey, everyone. I'm pulling my hair out trying to get my 1999 S70 to pass the California smog test. Emissions aren't the problem. It's the stinking computer. Several months ago I disconnected the battery to clean the posts, and when I did that it reset all the computer monitors.

1500 miles later, three of the monitors -- the catalyst, evaporative, and oxygen sensor -- still aren't ready. I can have 2 "unready" monitors, but not 3.

My mechanic tells me the car isn't throwing any codes, so there's nothing to fix. I just need to keep driving it. Specifically, there's a 30-step drive cycle that will reset all the monitors (he gave me a copy), but it's been impossible to complete in Los Angeles traffic. Meanwhile, the DMV tells me that due to new legislation they can't extend my registration any more than 1 day and that the car is now illegal to drive.

So I'm not allowed to drive the car because it's not registered . . . but I have to keep driving it to get it registered

Faced with that, I took the car to the dealer this week and asked if I could pay them to complete the drive cycle. This morning, they called back to say they had to do the following before they could reset the monitors: replace the battery cables ($450), replace the main relay ($60), replace the evaporative valve ($90), and clean the throttle body ($220).

For those of you who know what all goes into resetting a monitor, does this sound plausible? Could these issues really being causing the monitors to remain unready? Seems odd, especially when the car isn't throwing any codes.

Thanks in advance.

 

1. Sell the car to your wife or someone that can have some time to get it registered.
2. Move out of that political state.
3. Buy another car or get a ticket and challenge it in court.
4. Get an attorney and challenge it.

Man, that really sucks! If you don't have a cel, what do they do that indicates that something is not ready?

 

Unfortunately, none of those options are options Can't sell it unless it's registered. Unless I can figure out some way to fix it, my only other option is to "retire" it to the state for $1000.

 

Why can't you sell it? People sell cars all the time that are not registered :-/