Smog Check Warning!

[Jeff Weston]

This may be common knowledge to many but it I hadn't considered it. Do not take your OBD II vehicle in for a smog check immedieately after having the battery disconnected. My Jeep passed the sniffer with flying colors and the tech said that it'll be no problem assuming the battery wasn't recently dead or disconnected. Whoops!

Apparently, in addition to the sniffer and the visual, there is an OBD II monitor check. For my TJ at least, there are 8 different monitoring tests. To pass smog, the computer must have at least 5 of the 8 passing tests stored in memory. You guessed it, I only had 4 stored. The guy tried to force the computer to run a test but it couldn't because the next test required a cold start. Fortunately, my dad has dropped a boat load of money into his shop when he had computer problems in his YJ, so he kept it overnight and got it to pass the next day. If not for him helping me out, it woulda' cost me double.

Anyway, now that I just passed smog, that stupid evap leak failure has kicked the check engine light back on. I've loosened the straps on my gas tank skid and that seemed to help (last light was 6 months ago) but I'm thinking maybe I need to put a liner in there to take the pressure off of the pump recess.

Thoughts?

[Dukes69]

Jeff, keep us posted. I have the same problem on my Jeep . . . Gross leak in the Evap system. I havent been able to track it down.
Thanks

[Jeff Weston]

Chris,

What gas tank skidplate are you using?

[Robert J. Yates]

Yep, drop the tank and check the nylon lock ring for the fuel pump. If you are running a flat bottom skid, most likely, it has exerted enough pressure over time on the pump to pop that ring off a thread. Eventually, besides triggering the light every 50 starts, it will turn into a full on leak. BTDT.

[Dukes69]

Originally posted by Jeff Weston
Chris,

What gas tank skidplate are you using?

FXD

[Robert J. Yates]

.....same as a Kilby then which is what I used to have. BTDT again.

[Jeff Weston]

Originally posted by Dukes69
FXD

Mine's FXD also and I think Robert's is (was?) Kilby. The common link is the flat bottom skid. Has anybody heard of the evap check engine light being a problem on a non-flat bottom skid equipped TJ? Maybe I'll put on a new pump housing gasket and line the bottom of the skid to take the pressure off the pump and see if that helps any.

<edit> Robert beat me to the punch. What do you have now Robert?

[Robert J. Yates]

ACF/ICM with the dimple.

[Paradiddle]

All that flat skid stuff causing fuel tank problems is rubbish - the guys who own Kilby and FXD skids told me so!



Jeff

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Dukes69
Jeff, keep us posted. I have the same problem on my Jeep . . . Gross leak in the Evap system. I havent been able to track it down.
Thanks

If you are running any kind of a raised tank skid, you need to drop the tank and check a couple of things.

One is what Robert posted and the other is the "Y" fitting for the two vent lines.

Mine was broken and the code reader showed the gross leak and when I replaced the tank and used all AN fittings to duplicate the factory function, the Check Engine light turned itself off after a few restarts.

[Jeff Weston]

When my check engine light comes on it's for the minor leak. Last time I had the tank dropped the vac lines/fittings looked good and the ring was so tight on the tank that I didn't change the gasket. I've re-set the battery again and I'll see how long it stays off.

[JLemieux]

FYI - Some EVAP leaks with the equivelent of a .020" leak will fail smog. Gross leaks are over .040" leak. The best way to fild these leaks are with a smoke machine. This machine injects smoke into the system (at no more than 1 psi) and you just look for the leak. Some systems even have a UV dye in the smoke to make it easier to see with a UV light. If your leak is an intermittent problem the better machines have a calibrated flow guage that can tell you if the leak really is present at the time of the test. Try a local auto shop and see if they have one.

[Jeff Weston]

Thanks John. My light came on again today so that's probably where I'm headed next.

[JLemieux]

Originally posted by Jeff Weston
My light came on again today so that's probably where I'm headed next.

Before you head to the shop you might try buying a new gas cap. It could be the problem and isn't too much money if it doesn't fix it.

[ChrisK]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
ACF/ICM with the dimple.

So do they have a website. Been trying to find it but cant.

Chris

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by ChrisK
So do they have a website. Been trying to find it but cant.

Chris

IMC Fabrication, talk to Wally @ 970-245-5686

Tell him someone sent you.

[ChrisK]

Originally posted by mrblaine
Tell him someone sent you.

[KINGSIZE]

Well i got enough emails on this thread so i thought id take a look at this (again)

Jeff, (Paradiddle) when did you talk to Brad or Mike about their skids? Do you have a TJ?

I understand you have a friend that had a issue with this on his rig.....Please feel free to have him call me Robert King or Brad Kilby at 818-848-2900 M-F 8AM to 4:30PM to help him with his issue.


Its funny how there are nearly 2000 of our skids on the trails today and it only seems to be 3 or 4 of the same people running around talking about how its the dimple thats going to save the day. Well if it is that much of a issue you can always run a 1/2" spacer between the skid and tank to solve any potential problem. Anyhow, sounds like installer error to me.

As for the dimple.....we here at Kilby are looking into running one. Not because of the 3 or 4 issues that seem to keep popping up. We are doing this to make the big wigs at DC happy.....as we are looking into making a aftermarket skid for them. If we don't do the dimple, we'll make a spacer like mentioned above.

Robert Yates,

The Kilby skid that you where running was a ptotoytpe that raised it 1.5" right? If so you cant use your issues as a example to the production skids. Did you ever get/have a body lift? Or was it just crushed against the bottom of the tub?

CSO- Robert King
Kilby Enterprises

[Jeff Weston]

Kingsize,

I, for one, am not running around that the sky is falling because of my gas tank skid. Simply, I'm having some issues with the EVAP which were previously solved by loosening the gas tank straps at Brad's suggestion. This time, I can't loosen them anymore to solve the problem so I'm looking for suggestions from others who have had similar problems (at least 3 or 4 on this board alone).

Whether or not there are 1996 other skids out there on Jeeps without this problem doesn't fix my Jeep. I'm happy wth the product other than my EVAP leak which appears to be related based on the immediate fix of loosening the straps last time. Whether or not it was installation error or simply fatigue, I'm going to fix it and put in a spacer and see if that keeps things happy.

[mnjeeper]

Originally posted by KINGSIZE
Well if it is that much of a issue you can always run a 1/2" spacer between the skid and tank to solve any potential problem. Anyhow, sounds like installer error to me.

Maybe a silly question...but I'll ask anyway.

Would this half inch spacer negate one half inch of the clearance gain you get with the skid also? Or is is simply between the tank and the skid and still gaining a full inch on the bottom between the skid and the ground?

[ChrisK]

Originally posted by mnjeeper
Maybe a silly question...but I'll ask anyway.

Would this half inch spacer negate one half inch of the clearance gain you get with the skid also? Or is is simply between the tank and the skid and still gaining a full inch on the bottom between the skid and the ground?

It is placed between the tank and the skid with no spacer in the center to let the dimple hang down to the skid.

[mnjeeper]

Originally posted by ChrisK
It is placed between the tank and the skid with no spacer in the center to let the dimple hang down to the skid.

I got that...but does the whole skid need to be mouted lower to compensate? Also, what would said spacer be made of?

[TObject]

Why the fudge didn?t I remember this thread. Grrrr?.

[Jeff Weston]

Sergey,

Thanks for the BTT, I've got a smog check due before November! Did you have the check engine light on or did you have the battery disconnected?

[edit] never mind, I see your other thread.

[NAILER341]

Originally posted by Jeff Weston
Sergey,

Thanks for the BTT, I've got a smog check due before November! Did you have the check engine light on or did you have the battery disconnected?

[edit] never mind, I see your other thread.

oh, those minitors can be a real pain in the ass on some vehicles. on my ranger for example, there was a certain way you had to drive it to get the monitors all reset. it took me a long time to get them right. you had to idle for 7 minutes, then drive 45 for a number of miles, then follow a series of other ridiculous instructions to get it done. it was a MAJOR pain in the ass.
i dont think the jeep has nearly the same problem with the monitors as the ford.

http://www.neons.org/neontsb/TSB/25/250298.htm

have a look at this link for more info on the READINESS MONITORS

[NAILER341]

http://www.obdii.com/drivecycleford.html
http://www.obdii.com/drivecycle.html
http://www.obdii.com/

here are a couple pf links for this. i have read that resetting the monitors on a chrysler vehicle will work the same as the ford drive cycle. you're gonna love this