Got A 2004 Viper and need help all ready

[Chiefc]

Title is a little misleading. My son who is in Afghanistan got a Viper and sent it to me to take care of till he get back. The Car only has 5,200 miles and looks brand new.
My problem is that I went to register it and had to get an emissions test done. The car had a check engine light on it. It failed for a gas cap being bad. Got a new gas cap and disconnected the battery for 20 minutes to reset the computer. Went in for another emission test and failed because computer wasn't working yet. Read the owners manual and found that the if you turn the check key on (but don't start) after 15 seconds the check engine light will flash if the computer hasn't reset. Well I drove it on the highway yesterday for 100 miles. Drove around town for 30 miles and it still hadn't reset. Today after reading the forum I drove down the highway 25 mile and back 25 miles keeping the speed between 50 and 60. The computer still isn't reset. I am going to wait a few hours for it to cool off then check it again.

After reading a lot today on the subject it appears that I will need to perform the correct Driving cycles to get it to reset. Does anyone know what the Driving Cycles for a Viper is??
I have 3 days to get the car tagged before the temp tag from another state expires.

 

[KNG SNKE]

I want to say it is 3 warm up cool down cycles before a check engine light will reset. You can go to am autozone and have them reset for free as well.

 

[Viper X]

I think it's actually 6 on / off cycles of the key with a bit of driving in between.

If you are in AZ, call Eddie Martin at: 602-448-1587 or 800-528-0665 - he'll know.

Dan

 

[ROCKET62]

Sounds to me like a great reason to keep driving (I mean trying to get the computer to reset) you son's Viper

 

[Chiefc]

I think it's actually 6 on / off cycles of the key with a bit of driving in between.

If you are in AZ, call Eddie Martin at: 602-448-1587 or 800-528-0665 - he'll know.

Dan

I will call Eddie in the morning. Thanks.

 

[Tom Sessions]

Some of the monitors are picky to set. You may need to keep the fuel level between 1/4 and 3/4 of a tank. I dont think the evap monitor will not run if above or below this level. And the car may also need a overnight cool down to set the evap monitor as well.

 

[georgethedog]

I'm with Rocket. Just keep driving it... Even when it is fixed I suggest driving a little more jjjjuuusssttt to make sure.

My best wishes go out to your son!

 

[Viper Specialty]

It is possible the car has a flash tune in it. Certain editing on the flash tune will prevent a check engine light from being set due to modifications, but they will also prevent the monitors from running. If that is the case, the computer will need to be returned to stock before it will run the monitors. If the car came with an SCT Flash Device, it would be a fair bet this is the culprit.

 

[Chrissss]

Autozone will definitely do it for free. Sa
ves alot of aggravation.

I want to say it is 3 warm up cool down cycles before a check engine light will reset. You can go to am autozone and have them reset for free as well.

 

[Dom426h]

A drive "cycle" dosnt count for some of the readyness checks unless she is started up COLD. aka sitting for a few hours.

If your disconecting of the battery did clear the memory then it should take a few drive cycles for all of the redyness checks to complete. 3 trips has done it for me in other vehicles.

Going to autozone or clearing any codes is irrelevant to the fact that all the monitors have to have a status of "ready" which can only be achieved by driving the vehicle.

 

[Chiefc]

A drive "cycle" dosnt count for some of the readyness checks unless she is started up COLD. aka sitting for a few hours.

If your disconecting of the battery did clear the memory then it should take a few drive cycles for all of the redyness checks to complete. 3 trips has done it for me in other vehicles.

Going to autozone or clearing any codes is irrelevant to the fact that all the monitors have to have a status of "ready" which can only be achieved by driving the vehicle.

Had Autozone reset it, but you are right all that did was clear the computer totally. So What I need to do is get the correct drive cycle to have the computer read everything it needs. Although I dont have a problem just driving around in the Viper. I hate putting mileage on the car just to reset the computer.

 

[P1st0n]

This happened to me. I had a check engine light when I bought my 2006. I almost missed my emissions deadline for the same reason! The computer finally reset after 4-5 trips of highway driving with overnight cool downs. I drove it about 15 times over two days prior but it seems the overnight trick is the only thing that will get these cars to reset.

 

[Coloviper]

Which post did you disconnect on the battery first? I seem to remember you have to disconnect the negative post first and then postive one. It was backwards from a conventional thinking and older cars in the past. I remember on some of my hoped up 5.0 Mustangs in the day that you had to do it a certain way or the computer would get back fed a very small amount of voltage and current capacitance, just enough to screw up the computer for about 10 runs. Not sure the Viper has this problem but it was a pain in the butt on the 5.0 Mustangs I had when someone just looking to help would do it wrong.

I need to take mine down for Emissions testing today to meet the Jan. deadline. We are between snow storms and the iceberg in front of our house has finally melted to see pavement. Good thing the testing station is only 4 miles away. The fun of buying a Viper in November, man I wish I could change the date to a summer month.

Good luck with Emissions.

 

[LifeIsGood]

I need to take mine down for Emissions testing today to meet the Jan. deadline. We are between snow storms and the iceberg in front of our house has finally melted to see pavement. Good thing the testing station is only 4 miles away. The fun of buying a Viper in November, man I wish I could change the date to a summer month.

Rick...I have the same issue with emissions...my renewal month is also January...you can do the emissions test and renewal early (they don't mind taking our money before it's due)...I did the emissions test on Nov 18 and paid my renewal on Dec 9 last year for a Jan renewal.

 

[Slithr]

OEM or After Market Exhaust System?

 

[georgethedog]

No emission testing in Central Illinois!!!

 

[Slithr]

No emission testing in Central Illinois!!!

You Lucky Rat ******** Shows you just how bogus the revenue generating program is

 

[Chiefc]

It is possible the car has a flash tune in it. Certain editing on the flash tune will prevent a check engine light from being set due to modifications, but they will also prevent the monitors from running. If that is the case, the computer will need to be returned to stock before it will run the monitors. If the car came with an SCT Flash Device, it would be a fair bet this is the culprit.

I think the car is stock. How do you tell if it has the flash device?

I have drove the heck out of it with all types of driving under 85. my next step is to only drive it once a day after overnight cooling, also I am having it idle in the garage for 15 minutes as was suggested. Ordinarily the computer not registering is not important except for emissions test.

On the plus side when this is all over I will know more about the Viper than My son.

 

[FLATOUT]

Mine failed stock form due to systems not reporting. Not the best system when stock cars fail like this. I always get them to report but it's a pain.

 

[Chiefc]

crap, dang, frack, and other cuss words.

After the 15 minute idle in the garage, I got a check engine light. I guess the computer is working again.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Sorry for your troubles !! What were the codes previously cleared? What is current code? It could be that you have swapped reasons for the Check Engine Light...noting that I personally worry about (and NEVER allow) a Viper idling motionless for 15 minutes as that CAN cause trouble...including but not limited to O2 sensors and their wiring (the latter can melt...especially with certain header "arrangements").

From the 2006 Viper Service Manual: "A warm-up cycle can best be described by the following: The engine must be running; (have) A rise of 40degrees F in the engine temperature must occur from the time when the engine was started; Engine coolant temperature must cross over 160 degrees F; A "driving cycle" that consists of engine start up and engine off."

 

[bigmack339]

Never disconnect the battery to reset a check engine light. Vehicle relearn can take a while.

 

[cfiiman]

Emissions Testing = Legalized Stealing, thanks goodness they did away with it here.

 

[Chiefc]

Sorry for your troubles !! What were the codes previously cleared? What is current code? It could be that you have swapped reasons for the Check Engine Light...noting that I personally worry about (and NEVER allow) a Viper idling motionless for 15 minutes as that CAN cause trouble...including but not limited to O2 sensors and their wiring (the latter can melt...especially with certain header "arrangements").

From the 2006 Viper Service Manual: "A warm-up cycle can best be described by the following: The engine must be running; (have) A rise of 40degrees F in the engine temperature must occur from the time when the engine was started; Engine coolant temperature must cross over 160 degrees F; A "driving cycle" that consists of engine start up and engine off."

Turned out to be gas cap again. Had them do a pressurization test to make sure it was the NEW gascap. They called the test a smoke test. Anyway it was the cap.
I bought the cap from autozone because the dealer said he couldnt get one until Monday. So I will get one from them and start the process again.

 

[Chiefc]

Never disconnect the battery to reset a check engine light. Vehicle relearn can take a while.

will have them clear the code when i get the new cap tomorrow. Thanks

 

[JonB]

Late to the party, but.....

I am NOT one to hawk MoPar parts for that reason alone......but I do know that several new Autozone / aftermarket gas caps have failed, and NOT maintained the vacuum needed to satisfy the emissions requirements. You really gotta clickity-click-click a new cap down a couple times. But I have never seen a problem on a MoPar OEM cap.....When you discon the battery, you purge-lose the 255 past run cycles saved in memory! Not good if you are trying to diagnose past history of the car and its codes.... Do a disconnect only as a last resort....

The only accurate answer about how many 'run cycles' is "The Code Matters" ....In OBD-2 Vipers, (1996.5+) a battery disconnect is what triggers the "Not Ready" or "Learning" mode, and the programs can take from 3 to 5 run cycles to re-learn. NOT MILES! ie 5 x 5-mile run may work, but 1 x 25 mile run wont. Some of those runs for some codes only count IF a temperature range is achieved on each run. MOST of the emissions codes do adapt / learn quicker if the A/C is turned ON! Yes, even in winter.


JonB ~~~:<~

 

[lagalaxy13]

Autozone will definitely do it for free. Sa
ves alot of aggravation.

THEY WILL NOT RESET CODES ANYMORE!

Some issues and they can even be fined, per my Local Autozone.

 

[Chiefc]

Reset it by disconnecting the battery again. Have new cap installed and have driven it three times from cold to hot. All tests on the OBDII have passed but the evap test. still reads not ready. going to keep up driving it to work until it passess.

 

[Sonoman]

Years ago, before I owned a code reader, I had a gas cap check lite on a Nissan Z, and folks told me it would take something like twenty drive cycles to clear. Can you believe it-- twenty? Wasn't worried about getting thru a smog check, but still-- it is annoying enough staring at the CEL for two weeks.