My son has a 2003 Toyota Camry. It used to be mine. I had a “check engine” light on last year when it had to be e-checked(this is EPA mandated in many major metro areas in OHIO due to air pollution. We live in Akron.
I took it(last year) to my local trusted repair place. They told me I needed a new catalytic converter(I suspected this). They reset the “check engine” light. Next morning, the “check engine” light was still off. I took it to the e-check station and it passed. Good for me.
My friend has a meter that checks the codes(much like Autozone will do) and you can hit a button that “resets” your “check engine” light. He did it with his car last year, but the e-check people seemed to realize that he had done this. I don’t think my test with my Camry roused suspicion, but I could be mis-remembering.
My question is–will this pass if I reset the light with my friend’s meter?
There is a certain length of time or distance driven, for which the computer that reads the code will say “Not Enough Data” and you probably won’t be able to pass the test. It is about 50 miles. If you get past this point, you may still have some period of time/distance driven for which the car will pass the test, but before the computer decides something is wrong.
My non-lawyer view is that using your friend’s meter to reset the vehicle’s emissions system (check light) is tampering if your intent is to “fraudulently” pass the e-check so you don’t have to buy/install a new catalytic converter.
Until recently, I had a 1994 Honda Accord and last year or the year before, I had to replace the catalytic converter to pass the emissions test, but I was surprised to find that it cost “only” $200-300. (I thought it was going to be many hundreds of dollars.) So it may not be that expensive to replace it, and if doing so means your emissions are lower, it might be worth it.
Guess here. The computer “knows” on a 2003 whether you install a “genuine Toyota part” or an aftermarket part. I’m gonna assume that in 1994, the computer didn’t notice the difference. Now it does. Talked to two mechanics. It “notices” these days. It’s at least $800.
I don’t live in Ohio, but I was a licensed smog technician in California (whose rules are stricter than just about anywhere else)
Resetting a light is not considered tampering under the law. Otherwise every shop that did any repair and reset the light would be guilty of “tampering”
Putting black tape over the check engine light would be tampering
Removing the bulb would be missing
Wiring a relay so that with the hood open, the check engine light is inoperative, would be modified.
2003 would be an OBDII car with on board monitors. When you reset the check engine light, all the monitors are reset to a not ready state.
From the Ohio e-check FAQS
So if I am reading this correctly if you reset the light, and the system is not ready, they will tail pipe the car, and if it passes you are good to go.
This is actually a gift. Here in California if the system is not ready, you have to come back. then they do a tail pipe and the e-check.
Good report. No, not trying to do anything illegal. I wouldn’t do that.
I know the vehicle needs a new catalytic converter. I trust my local mechanic.
But, I can afford that for my son much better about 10 months from now. If the car can pass the tailpipe emmisions test, then it’s all ok. Turning off the light for a day isn’t illegal.
Many emission inspections done by various states will be denied and/or failed if the “check engine” light is on or was recently reset [wherein recently means the engine’s own diagnostic routine has not cycled sufficientlu through a combination of miles/time and other engine conditions (warm up and cool down cycles)].
An example helps: Pull up to a state-run inspection station in NJ and this sign greets you: You can have your vehicle inspected with the check engine light on, but you will not be given the emissions and diagnostic portion of the test… as this is considered a failure, etc etc… (just paraphrasing).
They’ll will also explain why just resetting or disabling the light won’t work:
The gist of that is that resetting the light at some shop and driving straight back to the inspection station will wind up with the inspector plugging their equipment into data port on your car, because they don’t see the check engine light on, but the diagnostic equipment will still see this as a ‘fail’ , because the computer does not have full diagnostic info, because the car lacks the miles/time and cycles.
unlikely; the converter doesn’t have any active electronics on it. The only way the engine management would know that the converter’s not genuine is if it doesn’t work; e.g. the downstream EGO sensor doesn’t read differently enough from the upstream.
As has been said, the converter has no electronics. Furthermore if a car company did mount electronics into the converter (say similar to what printer makers do with ink cartridges) so that an aftermarket item would not work, the Feds would have their ass in court in a New York minute. This is absolutely against federal law.
This does not imply that a $200 aftermarket converter is as good as a $800 factory unit, it might not be. But it would be illegal to prevent someone from making a replacement for your car.
As an aside - The first time I saw a car with a Check Engine light (about 1983) I wondered exactly what you were supposed to do when it comes on. Open the hood and say, “Yup, it’s still there”?
I think what happens is, if you install an aftermarket converter on a 2003 Camry, the check engine light will come back on and stay on. The computer, for whatever reason, senses it.
As stated above, there would be a pre and post ox sensor in relation to the converter. The only thing a computer can do is respond to the input from the sensor.
I don’t understand why you’re getting checked. Ohio shut down E-checks in all the counties in my area. I find it hard to believe everybody is driving a 57 Chevy in Akron/Cleveland area causing that much more pollution.
a steady CEL means a fault in the engine management system was detected which could be causing the car’s pollutant emissions to exceed specification. A flashing CEL generally means a fault is occurring which can lead to damage of the catalyst, e.g. a persistent misfire.
That is because the aftermarket item is a piece of shit, not because of anything Toyota did. While I have not looked I am sure you can find an aftermarket unit that does work, and won’t light a CEL on this car. The problem is quality costs and it might approach the cost of the factory unit.
Or you can spend a small amount of money and get a Chinese replacement that A) does not fit worth a damn, and B) doesn’t work. But hey it was cheap.
I agree, the Chinese stuff are flooding the international market, the cheapest, good to look at but the worst and if not worst yeah, worth the price we spent. So it’s better to spend a lil more and get some good stuffs.
I would question that you reset the heck engine light then passed the test the next day. The cars computer is set so that you MUST put the car through it’s paces (run in each gear so many times, go faster than a certain speed and in general, do all the things that a car normally does. This is usually done in about 50 miles or so. If you try to test it before its ready, the car computer says that it does not have enough data. If the check engine light stays off after that point, it is safe to drive without any fear of damage.
As far as I know there is no law, not any need for one, to say you can’t reset it. If you look at the units for sale, all of them have a reset button. How could that be if it’s against the law to rset it?
Yes, I know that AutoZone and Advance Auto says that it’s against the law, but they are wrong. Ask them to show you that or site the specific law. I suspect that their reason is that some people would be brng that same car in every day to see it the problem goes away ( it probably won’t):smack:
