'97 Sentra 1.6L - ODBII & Emission Problems...

[MadPSI]

I have been challenged to fix my friend's pesky little Sentra that's being retarded... The following are Cliffs Notes on what has happened so far:

- Car was stolen, returned with Check Engine light on...- Car taken to emissions for OBDII check (bulb check, whatever that is...) - Key off/crank test = PASS - Key on, running, etc. = FAIL - Every other reading on the sheet (MIL, etc.) = UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE

- At this point, I poke my head around underneath looking for loose plugs & wires, everything seems intact. So I go to AutoZone for a redundant OBDII check...

- Autozone OBDII scantool check (car on, but not running) = EGR flow failure (at least it connected)

Now, is the "UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE" stuff in any way related to the "EGR flow failure" reading I got from the scantool? Are there two separate problems?

Will the emissions place let you do a non-OBDII test in an OBDII car given extenuating circumstances?

Thanks In Advance...-Brandon
Modified by MadPSI at 5:16 AM 7/11/2005

[NISTECH]

Emissions tests vary from state to state. I can only comment on california tests. If you have a communications failure it will not comunicate with any other scan tool via the OBDII test port. This is usually because the fuse for it is blown. If autozones scanner communicated with the car and they did it using the OBDII port and not the Consult port. Then something is wrong with the smog centers test equipment.

The egr failure code would not be related to the communication problem. But your egr failure is due to the little rubber tube under the BPT being burnt out[has a hole in it or has completely disolved.] The bpt is the upper most gold saucer of 2 gold saucers near the firewall toward the drivers side on the engine.

[MadPSI]

Nice work. You nailed it right on the head. The rubber tube was wasted...

Thanks again!