Ensuring your Honda Civic 200 Hybrid passes an emissions test is crucial, and readiness monitors play a vital role in this. These monitors confirm that your vehicle’s emission control systems are functioning correctly. If your car has recently had its battery disconnected or experienced certain repairs, these monitors might not be ready, leading to a failed emissions test. Using an OBD2 tool like Torque Pro can help you check the status of these monitors. Here’s how to get OBD2 Torque Pro working with your Honda Civic 200 Hybrid to ensure your readiness monitors are set.
To get your Honda Civic 200 Hybrid’s readiness monitors in a ‘ready’ state, often a specific driving pattern known as an OBD-II drive cycle is required. This cycle allows the car’s computer to run all the necessary diagnostic checks. Before you start, ensure your Honda Civic 200 Hybrid has a cold start. This means the engine coolant temperature should be below 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) and close to the ambient air temperature. Also, avoid turning the ignition key to the ‘on’ position before starting the engine, as this might prevent the heated oxygen sensor diagnostic from running.
Here are the steps for a typical OBD-II drive cycle that can help set the readiness monitors on your Honda Civic 200 Hybrid. You can use Torque Pro to monitor the readiness monitor status as you perform these steps, connecting via your OBD2 adapter.
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Initial Idle: Start your Honda Civic 200 Hybrid engine and let it idle in drive for two and a half minutes. Turn on the A/C and rear defrost during this phase. This step allows the OBD-II system to check the oxygen sensor heater circuits, air pump, and EVAP purge system. Use Torque Pro to observe if these systems are initializing.
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Moderate Acceleration and Steady Speed: Turn off the A/C and rear defrost. Accelerate to 55 mph (88 km/h) at about half throttle. Maintain a steady speed of 55 mph for three minutes. During this phase, the OBD-II system checks for ignition misfires, fuel trim, and canister purge. Torque Pro can display live data to confirm these parameters are within normal ranges. This step also monitors the EGR, air pump, O2 sensors, and canister purge.
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Deceleration: Safely decelerate to 20 mph (32 km/h) without using the brakes or depressing the clutch (just coast down). This allows the OBD-II system to check the EGR and purge functions again. Monitor these functions in Torque Pro if possible.
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Re-acceleration and Hold: Accelerate again to 55 to 60 mph (88-96 km/h) at half throttle and hold this steady speed for five minutes. This step repeats checks for misfire, fuel trim, and purge, and importantly, it monitors catalytic converter efficiency, EGR, oxygen sensors, and purge functions. Torque Pro can provide real-time data on catalytic converter efficiency and O2 sensor readings if your vehicle supports these PIDs.
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Final Deceleration and Stop: Coast down to a complete stop without braking. This final deceleration allows the OBD-II system to make a last check of the EGR and canister purge systems. Check Torque Pro for any error codes or monitor status changes during this final phase.
After completing these steps, use Torque Pro to check the status of your Honda Civic 200 Hybrid’s readiness monitors. Ideally, they should all be marked as ‘ready’ or ‘complete’. If some monitors are still not ready, you may need to repeat the drive cycle. Ensure you are using the correct OBD2 adapter that is compatible with both your Honda Civic 200 Hybrid and the Torque Pro app for effective monitoring. If you continue to have issues, consulting a professional mechanic is recommended to diagnose any underlying problems preventing the readiness monitors from setting.
