Originally Posted By: MysticGold04
Originally Posted By: wag123
The drive cycle that The Nuke posted is a good generic drive cycle, but it would be better to locate, download, and print out a readiness drive cycle specific to your 2004 Highlander and follow it TO THE LETTER. Many drive cycles have some minor differences that, if missed, will cause it not to "ready" the computer. Before you start, there needs to be a specific amount of gas in the tank, usually between 1/2 and 3/4 tank. The "secret" to getting a drive cycle to run and make everything "Ready" is that the engine's temperature needs to be between specific temperatures for a specific number of hours (typically between 40 to 95 degrees for 8 hours), or it will not run. The high ambient temperatures that we have been experiencing in many parts of the country (especially in CA) can cause it to NEVER become ready.
Do you know what happens if I cannot pass a smog check because of the CAT not being ready? Being in CA, is there a way to get a waiver and do a tailpipe test? Not sure what happens next if I can't get the IM Monitors to complete. I've already paid the REG fees to avoid penalty fees, but without a smog test cert, CA will not issue me my new registration for the year.
Yes, I do know what happens, we have the same smog checks here in Texas where I live, and the vehicle can NOT be registered without passing. I know that it is extremely frustrating, I have gone through this sort of thing myself, that is how I found out about the temperature requirement. What I ended up having to do in one case was to have the car stored overnight in an air conditioned building for 14 hours with a battery charger on it. I scouted out a route in advance with another car and practiced the drive cycle so I could be reasonably sure that I could do it accurately, then I ran a drive cycle by-the-book and all of the IM monitors went to ready. FYI, on this particular car it was the CAT monitor that stubbornly wouldn't turn ready, just like yours.
I forgot to mention, the battery condition and state of charge (as well as a weak charging system) can also keep the IM monitors from becoming ready because of out-of-range voltages.