2003 Grand Prix fails emissions

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This is an email from a friend:
Thanks so much. I have a 2003 Grand Prix GTP. Its been sitting in my garage for the past 16 months. So I decided I wanted to drive it again, Jumped it and took it to the shop and had a new battery installed. Runs Great. I take it straight to inspections and it came back "not Ready" for emissions testing. They told me to call and find out what the drive cycle was. I did Pontiac said 150 miles. Ok No problem, while driving the 150 miles my check engine light comes on. I can't take it thru inspections with the light on so I take it to a friend who owns a transmission shop. He hooks it up to the Little computer thingy and says there may be a problem with my Gas ventilation? He turned the light off and told me to get thru inspections keep it at least 3/4 full of gas and drive it for 5 days then take it back to inspections. He said the problem didn't seem urgent to him but it may get to the point that it won't take gas. So out here in Nj you can't pump your own gas. Its always full service. I have been noticing that it keeps kicking off when the guy tries to fill it. Which is a real pain in the [censored] since I have to keep it at 3/4 full and none of the gas pumper guys speak English. Anyway I take it back to inspections today and it failed again! [censored]! The paper says: Catalytic Converters, and Evaporative Systems "Not Ready".
Help. Could there be something with the gas system or what ever its called that is causing the not ready problems. It is a [censored] to fill it up and it seems to be getting worse. Please advise. I have been trying to call into CarTalk but can never get thru:) I also have a question about my Traction control module, some other time. I know its late so when ever you get back to me is cool. Thanks Honey:)
xoxo
 
Drive it for ~1000 miles. Some of the emissions tests take that long to run, especially if the car is modified like GTP's tend to be.
 
Thanks.
She just added that the car stops the pump continuously when the tank is not full.
 
Some GM cars have an issue filling the gas tank quickly. And there's a certain angle the nozzle has to be at, else filling the tank takes half an hour. My brother's Chevy Venture clone is like that.
 
Okay first call your buddy back and see if he can remember what code the car had.

Secondly the evaporative system catches the gas fumes from the gas tank so that they don't make it to the outside air. So it very well could be a problem with that system not working causing enough back pressure to stop the pump. It is an emissions item so you will get failed if its not working. Also could explain why your car said it wasn't ready due to your friend resting it.
 
Originally Posted By: wapacz
Okay first call your buddy back and see if he can remember what code the car had.

Secondly the evaporative system catches the gas fumes from the gas tank so that they don't make it to the outside air. So it very well could be a problem with that system not working causing enough back pressure to stop the pump. It is an emissions item so you will get failed if its not working. Also could explain why your car said it wasn't ready due to your friend resting it.


The rubber on older GM cars is terrible, and is likely pretty well deteriorated. I had an underhood emissions hose fall right off the charcoal canister on my 1999 Buick LeSabre because the rubber fitting was trashed. Some vacuum hose cleared that right up.
 
It is not only miles driven, but drive cycles that count towards a car being emissions ready.
[A bunch of starts in different conditions.]
So far, it may simply need to be driven more.
When the battery was off or discharged, the computer was reset.
This is normal operation.
 
It sounds like you originally only had an Evaporative Emissions control system monitor that was not setting. It also set the second time along with the cat. The systems have nothing to do with one another. You need to find out what is wrong with the Evap system first. Gas cap is the first people think of but there are many other reasons for evap system leaks. The system should be 'smoke checked' to determine where the leak is coming from. The catalytic converter monitor may not have set because the conditions to do so were not met in your driving style.

The EGR system has nothing to do with this and will not cause those monitors to fail to set.
 
When it came time to inspect the Jeep it had sat for a year or two. I took it, it failed, I threw in Techron and beat the [censored] out of it for about an hour and it passed.
 
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