Secondary Air test monitor won't complete

[mesutter]

I am having trouble getting my 2001 Boxster S ready for a smog check in California. The rules have recently changed. Year 2000 and up vehicles are no longer driven on rollers with a sniffer in the tailpipe. The check is solely through interrogation of the EMU via the OBD II port. Also, whereas in the past one test readiness monitor could be not reset and the vehicle be tested and if clean, pass the emissions test, now only the evap readiness can be incomplete - no other. Although my vehicle has never thrown an SAI related code, nor pending code, the Secondary Air monitor will not set to ready. A little history. I initially had an illuminated CEL, the codes showing were P1128 and P1130. I discovered the vacuum hose feeding the SAI valve was pulled out from the port on the right rear intake rubber connector. (Wonder why this did not trigger an SAI code, since the vacuum needed to open the valve was not present). Upon connecting the hose and clearing the codes (I have a Lemur Blue Driver), neither the codes nor pending codes have reappeared after several hundred miles of driving. All of the monitors showed ready soon after restart and a small amount of driving except the catalyst, evap and SAI. After driving the prescribed setting cycle (cold idle, 20-30 mph, 40-60 mph, hot idle in gear) the evap and catalyst monitors showed ready. However, now even after a dozen or more 2 minute, 10 second cold start idles, the SAI test still shows incomplete. Does anyone know what the DME is looking for to set SAI ready? One post I found said 125 Mv or less from the pre-cat 02 sensors after 10 seconds of idle with the air pump on. True? BTW, my air pump is operating on cold start and runs for about one minute and 40 seconds. My cold idle is smooth and about 1k rpm in neutral, 800-900 in drive (tiptronic). Should the initial 2 minute, 10 second cold star idle be done in neutral or drive? (I’ve done both) Any suggestions? I’ve talked to the California Air Resources Board, and it appears the referee path is no longer an option.

[Gelbster]

I have the same car and the same Smog gestapo. I wonder if you will be noted as the first of many here with this issue?
Basics - I guess go nuts and check the entire SAI system - vacuum ,electrical,vacuum again, I just did this and totally dismantled and cleaned the motor, dielectric grease on all connections,new vac hoses.
BTW ,this may be really bad news for those with the SAI delete+ROW hack !
Sorry about your prob.I have no great expertise to offer other than the feeble offering above.

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[mesutter]

Yeah, it's even hard to find a station that will test your car with the one allowed unset test readiness flag (evap), as this can negatively affect the smog station's rating with the state. As to removing the SAI and tricking the system not to flag it -there is still a visual check requiring removal of the engine cover, so a missing air pump is obvious. Of course, one could re-install the pump and re-run the hose only under the manifold.

BTW, did your efforts pay off? In my case, the pump is working, so the other suspect parts controlling the airflow are buried under the intake manifold.

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[Gelbster]

I suggest you visit a few Smog Test Only stations in person at a quiet time of day. Explain the situation clearly and briefly.Show them your Fail documents. Ask for their advice. Offer to have a "Pre-Test" done.That means no data sent to the Gestapo Computer.If it Passes , run it again as an official test. You're done!
If it fails the Pre Test take the results to the best M96 Indie you can find in your area.
Just checked with my local Test Only guy.The info I gave above is out of date.
A "Pre-Test" now does send the License plate number and VIN to DMV. No knowing what they do with it (red flag?) if the Test is aborted at the SAI test stage.
So it is back to basics and RennTech to plod through every part of the entire system to check functionality and hope you find the problem.
Keep us posted because this could be a big issue for others who follow.

[mesutter]

Originally Posted by Gelbster

I suggest you visit a few Smog Test Only stations in person at a quiet time of day. Explain the situation clearly and briefly.Show them your Fail documents. Ask for their advice. Offer to have a "Pre-Test" done.That means no data sent to the Gestapo Computer.If it Passes , run it again as an official test. You're done!
If it fails the Pre Test take the results to the best M96 Indie you can find in your area.
Just checked with my local Test Only guy.The info I gave above is out of date.
A "Pre-Test" now does send the License plate number and VIN to DMV. No knowing what they do with it (red flag?) if the Test is aborted at the SAI test stage.
So it is back to basics and RennTech to plod through every part of the entire system to check functionality and hope you find the problem.
Keep us posted because this could be a big issue for others who follow.

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't need a pre-test, as my BlueDriver clearly tells me that my car is not ready for test -the SAI and Evap are not ready. I also talked to both the California BAR and a Smog tech recommended by the local Porsche dealer. Both informed me that the SAI not ready is an automatic fail and that EVAP CAN be waived; however a Smog test station has the right to not test a car with an EVAP not set.

[mesutter]

Problem solved with the help of Renntech forum members. After scanning the O2 sensor voltage outputs at cold start, the problem became obvious. One of the two post-cat sensors was reacting so slowly that the air pump had shut off by the time it sensed the the injected air. New sensor, problem solved. SAI test compete after fIrst cold start!

I have been using one local smog tech for years, and he was willing to pass my car with the EVAP readiness not set, so I now have a currently registered Boxster!