Reset check engine light

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

Posche diagnostic tools, the PIWIS, can "force" an I/M Readiness reset, which by-the-by is illegal as it subverts both state and federal emission protocols. Sooner or later the shop doing this is going to be told by their legal advisors that they can be fined, and in some states even imprisoned, for doing exactly that as it constitutes a felony nor unlike the one VW got nailed for some time back over emissions system defeat.

If you brought the car into my shop and told me what you wanted, I would tell you to take it elsewhere; no shop worth its salt is going to continue put itself into legal jeopardy just to get you back on the road. And no, the Durametric cannot do the I/M Readiness forced reset, and neither can most other systems priced below about $10-12K.

When you bought the car, you knew it was a complex performance vehicle, which was not inexpensive to buy, own, or maintain. Either get the vehicle properly repaired or sell it at a loss to someone willing to make the proper repairs.

thanks again JPF. This is what I was talking about, tho I thought it was a Durametric tool that cleared the computer.
I have no doubt clearing CEL for the purpose of getting a clear smog test is illegal. But from what I was told, the car is by no means running dirty. The results of the smog tests I’ve had are excellent and have nothing to do with the cleared CEL.

Spending $7k to clear a CEL on a $10-12k 23yr old car is silly. I’ve owned many Porsches over the last 30 years and I do not like getting $$ buried in them. I usually dump them before they begin to cost a lot. I’ll keep paying $200 every 2 years to smog it, until something majors goes wrong.

What kind of shop do you own? Have you done actuators on a 2.7 motor?

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

thanks again JPF. This is what I was talking about, tho I thought it was a Durametric tool that cleared the computer.
I have no doubt clearing CEL for the purpose of getting a clear smog test is illegal. But from what I was told, the car is by no means running dirty. The results of the smog tests I’ve had are excellent and have nothing to do with the cleared CEL.

Spending $7k to clear a CEL on a $10-12k 23yr old car is silly. I’ve owned many Porsches over the last 30 years and I do not like getting $$ buried in them. I usually dump them before they begin to cost a lot. I’ll keep paying $200 every 2 years to smog it, until something majors goes wrong.

What kind of shop do you own? Have you done actuators on a 2.7 motor?

For years, a well-equipped one that has done actuator's both engine in and engine out on several types of Porsche engines. If you have the correct tools, and know what you are doing, this is not as ugly a job as many people make it out to be. We have also seen cars that had an engine out actuator replacement at another shop that then continued to throw the same code, and turned out to only need at $150 wiring repair rather than a new actuator because the previous shop did not do the appropriate electrical tests first, they just threw very expensive parts and labor at the car.

And correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it considered illegal to sell a car in CA knowing that it has such a fault and not disclosing it to the buyer, and that it could only be sold as a parts car if it was unable to correctly pass smog?

[Homeoboxter]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

And correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it considered illegal to sell a car in CA knowing that it has such a fault and not disclosing it to the buyer, and that it could only be sold as a parts car if it was unable to correctly pass smog?

Theoretically it`s illegal but there`s no way to prove that. I wouldn`t sell a car like that because it`s just not cool but I`m pretty sure there are a lot of cars out there with CEL coming up intermittently which the seller forgets to mention. Actually there is nothing illegal in just erasing the codes then get the car smogged. When the CEL is on, many shops just erase the codes first and see if it re-occurs. As the owner, you can even naively think they solved the problem, and you are not aware that the same issue comes back, say, 200 miles later after you sold the car.

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by Homeoboxter

Theoretically it`s illegal but there`s no way to prove that. I wouldn`t sell a car like that because it`s just not cool but I`m pretty sure there are a lot of cars out there with CEL coming up intermittently which the seller forgets to mention. Actually there is nothing illegal in just erasing the codes then get the car smogged. When the CEL is on, many shops just erase the codes first and see if it re-occurs. As the owner, you can even naively think they solved the problem, and you are not aware that the same issue comes back, say, 200 miles later after you sold the car.

Been there, tried that. CA smog stations can tell the code has been cleared. The equipment will not pass a car with a cleared code.

[Homeoboxter]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

Been there, tried that. CA smog stations can tell the code has been cleared. The equipment will not pass a car with a cleared code.

Of course it won`t pass, because the readiness sensors show up as uncomplete. The codes need to be cleared AND the readiness sensors need to show completion. If these two conditions check out (and the error code won`t return) the car will pass. So the question is how long it takes for the code to return. If it returns immediately the car will obviously fail. If not, it`ll pass. You can monitor that with any generic tester, so you will know in advance.