Battery Replacement @ Inspection time

[busykngt]

Sometimes I feel like Rip Van Winkle. My auto mechanic days ended during the old timing lights on fly wheel marks! Yesterday, I “got caught” with a peculiar problem related to these newfangled automobile computer gizmos. (Apparently having been installed in vehicles since 1996, according to my mechanic son!).

Lesson learned. My son had put in a new battery in my 2011 F-150 pickup, about two weeks ago. Since I retired, I don’t drive it as much as I used to - so it had been sitting in the driveway since the new battery was installed.

Well, in the interim, the calendar flips over to a new month - the month my vehicle license runs out. And in Texas, as y’all know, ya have to now get your vehicle safely inspection done before you can renew your license. (Another way for the state to charge you more. Inspections used to be ~$30 and now they’re almost $40; actual inspection $25.50 & license renewal inspection $14.25).

Anyway, my pickup truck fails inspection! (And some of you may know this already but IF there are any other Rip Van Winkles out there, let me warn you now). If you happen to have a battery replaced close to when you have to have your car inspected, you’ve got to drive that baby some, so those damn little computers can get reset!

The inspection guy said I just need to go drive it about 75 miles. My son told me it’s a little more specific than that (at least for my Ford F-150). He said I have to drive it for 20 miles BELOW 40 mph AND 20 miles ABOVE 60 mph. So there I go, adding gasoline cost to this year’s inspection!

[Took it back and then it passed inspection] What a PIA️

 

[Dawico]

Never heard of that happening. Strange.

 

[txinvestigator]

I think you are a little off on the fees. Inspection fees reduced at the time of inspection

https://www.dps.texas.gov/RSD/VI/CostOfInsp.htm

 

[F350-6]

They've got these fancy gadgets now that use a 9 volt battery that you can plug into your cigarette lighter before disconnecting the battery. Provides just enough juice so you don't lose your radio station presets and keeps the computer from tripping the reset code.

One could accomplish the same with a battery charger hooked to a good ground and the alternator hot lead.

 

[busykngt]

I just quoted the facts as I know them to be (for Collin County - I just paid them). I know I used to pay $30.25 or $30.50 a very few years ago. And now I was charged $25.50 (maximum permitted by the state) at the inspection location. And the license renewal notice I received from the county had the itemized “inspection” cost listed at $14.25 on the renewal paperwork itself (right there, in black & white).

Actually, I see your link shows what I just posted. [DFW area]

 

[TreyG-20]

They've got these fancy gadgets now that use a 9 volt battery that you can plug into your cigarette lighter before disconnecting the battery. Provides just enough juice so you don't lose your radio station presets and keeps the computer from tripping the reset code.

One could accomplish the same with a battery charger hooked to a good ground and the alternator hot lead.

I know some may give me crap for it, but I would leave the vehicle running while replacing the battery to avoid that problem.

 

[TexasBrandon]

I've never heard of that problem and I've had more new vehicles than most on here in the last 10 years. I've had my vehicle sit for 3 months on many occasions despite knowing better but simply not trusting anyone to drive a stick. Replace the battery and go is all I have ever had to do. Might be something specific to Ford. My Corvettes had more electronics on it than most vehicles ever will and none of them ever had that problem. That shop might have been trying to run one over on you.

 

[F350-6]

I've never heard of that problem and I've had more new vehicles than most on here in the last 10 years. I've had my vehicle sit for 3 months on many occasions despite knowing better but simply not trusting anyone to drive a stick. Replace the battery and go is all I have ever had to do. Might be something specific to Ford. My Corvettes had more electronics on it than most vehicles ever will and none of them ever had that problem. That shop might have been trying to run one over on you.

The newer computer vehicles (post 86 or so) set a code if the battery is disconnected or the codes have been cleared by a scanner and the vehicle hasn't been driven enough. It doesn't affect the way the vehicle operates, but it keeps someone with a check engine light and problems from pulling into the parking lot of the inspection station, disconnecting the batteries for 10 minutes to clear the codes, or plugging in a hand held scanner to clear the codes, then getting his car inspected.

Your corvette will do this too.

 

[busykngt]

Inspection fees reduced at the time of inspection

And that’s just “the spin” the state puts on it. The cost of the physical “inspection” did go down BUT the state [county?] began to charge their NEW “inspection fee” of $14.25 where it did not exist before. Total inspection costs netted up almost ten bucks.

 

[busykngt]

F350-6, thanks for the 9-volt gizmo thing. I don’t know how much that costs but it’d be worth something to me just to keep from having to reset the radio stations and perhaps the cell phone bluetooth thang!

 

[busykngt]

I've never heard of that problem...

That’s why I posted it. I, too, have bought new vehicles AND have replaced dead batteries (many times, over) since 1996. But it takes this specific set of circumstances. The completely dead “de-juiced” vehicle electrical system AND the computer used at / during the state inspection.

The inspection computer returns (in my case), a print out of three lines marked: failed. And they’re all related to the issue I described above. I don’t think it’s just a Ford thing. But the driving mileage / speed reset criterion may be different between makes of vehicles.

My son told me what to Google to check but naturally, I’ve forgotten what he said to check. (I’ll post a follow-up with that info).

 

[boomgoesthedynamite]

This is the OBD II readiness check. Basically it is diagnostics to make sure the sensors are working correctly. I experienced this first in California after fixing a faulty o2 sensor and failing again. I failed in Texas and then researched it. Here is the info for those interested. You can do this in one drive or over a period days. My first truck had more wires coming from my stereo than the engine.

The universal OBD-II drive cycle begins with a cold start. You should have coolant temperature below 50 C/122 F, and the coolant and air temperatures within 11 degrees of one another. This condition can be achieved by letting the car to sit overnight.

The ignition key must not be left ON position before the cold start. Otherwise the heated oxygen sensor diagnostic may not run.

Start the engine and idle the engine in drive for two and half minutes, with the A/C and rear defroster on if equipped.

Turn the A/C and rear defroster off, and speed up to 90 km/h (55 mph) under moderate, constant acceleration. Hold at a steady speed for three minutes.

Slow down to 30 km/h (20 mph) without braking. Do not depress the clutch if you are running with manual transmission.

Speed up back to 90-100 km/h (55-60 mph) at 3/4 throttle. Hold at a steady speed for five minutes.

Slow down to a stop without braking.




Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[busykngt]

That’s it!!! OBD... that’s what my son told me to Google. Thanks boomgoesthedynamite !!!

OBD = Onboard Diagnostics and the two (II) is the type of connector/interface that forced all the vehicle manufacturers to use a defined ‘standard’ rather than their own individual design for the emissions checking.

 

[Bozz10mm]

Similar experience for me. A couple of weeks before I took my '03 Expedition in for the state inspection, I had had to pull the battery to get to a vacuum hose that needed replacing. When I took the vehicle in for inspection, one of the sensors, EVAP, I believe showed "Not Ready". The other two showed "Ready". I was surprised that it passed. Apparently, one "not ready" is acceptable, as long as the SES light is not on.

 

[busykngt]

Damned computers.... they’re going to be the death of me! (Except my iPhone & iPad.... of course!).

 

[texasnurse]

Hell in College Station My inspection only costs $7.50; any code can be cleared with a scanner(I have one) Autozone reads codes for free.


Sent with my IPhone with electronics and fuzzy logic...

 

[busykngt]

It’s not a question of reading or clearing codes. You’ve missed the main point of my post. Once the OBD have electrical power cut to the computer(s), the sensors are reset and will not communicate with the inspection computer, thus “failing” the inspection.

I would venture to say the shortcut solution probably resides in the 9-volt temporary power supply that F350-6 mentioned earlier. That may supply enough electrical power to keep the OBD computer(s) up and running while the main battery is swamped out.

And of course, TreyG-20’s approach would would work as long as you’re *really* careful!

And PS - according to the inspection link posted earlier, looks like they’re overcharging you $0.50 for your inspection!

 

[DubiousDan]

It’s not a question of reading or clearing codes. You’ve missed the main point of my post. Once the OBD have electrical power cut to the computer(s), the sensors are reset and will not communicate with the inspection computer, thus “failing” the inspection.

I would venture to say the shortcut solution probably resides in the 9-volt temporary power supply that F350-6 mentioned earlier. That may supply enough electrical power to keep the OBD computer(s) up and running while the main battery is swamped out.

And of course, TreyG-20’s approach would would work as long as you’re *really* careful!

And PS - according to the inspection link posted earlier, looks like they’re overcharging you $0.50 for your inspection!

How do they check the codes? When I get inspections they don't connect anything to the car. They just check wiper blades, lights, turn signals and brakes. It's about 7.95 at the inspection station but there is an added fee for the license tags.

 

[busykngt]

How do they check the codes?

Have no idea - I’m not a state inspector. Recommend taking a look at the link that txinvestigator posted. It lists the Texas counties where the “emissions test” is currently conducted as part of the annual vehicle safety inspection.

My story obviously concerns only those folks required to get the emissions testing done (which tends to be Texas’ larger population areas, encompassing many millions of Texans). And it requires a very specific set of happenstance before failing this type of state vehicle inspection would occur, which I mentioned earlier and was the main point of my original post.

 

[DubiousDan]

Have no idea - I’m not a state inspector. Recommend taking a look at the link that txinvestigator posted. It lists the Texas counties where the “emissions test” is currently conducted as part of the annual vehicle safety inspection.

That answers it. No emissions test in San Antonio.