Drive Cycle
MadeInJapan » If you are having trouble getting your 850 through state emissions test and the source of your frustration is ‚”readiness‚” codes that aren’t set, the following procedure from Volvo will help set the readiness codes.
Start with the vehicle cool, below 122 degrees F.
Turn off the air conditioning.
Select a location where the driving can be done without violating traffic laws and you can stop safely at the side of the road.
- Start the engine and accelerate to approximately 1500-2000 rpm.
- Drive for 6 minutes at 1500-2000 rpm.
- Stop the vehicle and remain at idle in drive for 70 seconds.
- Accelerate to at least 45mph and drive for 5 minutes at 1800-2200 rpm.
- Stop the vehicle and remain at idle in drive for 60 seconds.
- Accelerate to at least 45 mph and drive for 4 minutes at 1800-2200 rpm.
- Stop the vehicle and remain at idle in drive for 60 seconds.
- Park the vehicle and turn off the engine.
This procedure must be performed TWICE from a cold start to set the readiness codes.
Some people say that if doing it twice doesn’t get it, do it a third time.
Just driving around for a week or two, getting on the highway, stopping for groceries, etc. will also work if you have the time.
Pulling a battery or repairing or replacing a sensor could cause your car to not show the desired readiness codes. If you have frantically worked on your car to get it ready for an inspection, take heed. Probe your ECU with a scanner and do the drive cycles to avoid a headache and $$ at the inspection station.
drsugg » A note on readiness monitors and Volvo Drive Cycle for California smog checks. A lot of 850’s are included in California’s schedule J. These cars are exempt from readiness monitors being set in the smog check inspection. Found this out when my 97 850 would not set monitors even though I had been driving around for 6 weeks. Schedule J is a list of makes and models that are exempt from this part of test. I personally believe that the scanner inadvertently resets the monitors when accessing the ECM. When I was using a VST, I never ran into this problem. Google” OBD ll problems” for a lot of states listing a lot of exemptions. My smog inspector was not aware of a OBD ll car being on this list.
Andy_1998_S70 » MadeInJapan’s procedure just worked for me on my ’98 S70. Went through it twice yesterday after fixing an EVAP
CEL issue a week earlier. After the second drive some hours after the first, the 6 INComplete readiness codes were all OK/complete. Just wanted to chime in for folks that have seen this list of steps to try, and another much
longer list.
Note that the 6/5/4 minutes of driving at X RPM does not need to be uninterrupted — it just need to be a cumulative total of that many minutes. In my lower RPM drives I had to slow down and then reaccelerate to get back into RPM range some more, and on the higher RPM runs I’m sure I got outside the range a few times. I also idled 30+ seconds longer than proscribed just to make sure I didn’t mess up the drive cycle run.
abscate » Most scanners will report I/M readiness but the actual data available really vary according to the scanner and software.
You can generally tell by price point – if its a >$100 scanner, you can read most everything and usually plot and save it, too.
3 Comments
I performed this process to the letter, twice. The first time on Sunday morning went pretty smooth. I took the same route Monday morning and was on the last phase and only one more readiness code to complete. And what do you know? A dad gum school bus!! Ain’t no way in H. E. double hockey sticks that is going to stop me. Not on ‘my’ birthday and not on the last day to get my emissions tests passed and get my registration!!!
The school bus stop right in front of me liked it owed the whole road. Cars in the left lane slammed on their brakes and even more cars were on the left hand turning lane.
I had to maintain 1800-2500 rpm and the only way on Gods green earth this was possible was to take the sidewalk. It wasn’t all bad and was even meant to be. When I found a entry point just 20 yards from the stopped bus where I didn’t have to jump the curb but just rolled up a ramp. But it did take some manuveuring at speed to miss a utility pole. I was smart enough think think ahead and get my driver side mirror folded back which saved me about $400 for a used mirror and about the same to get it in matched paint which I needed to do anyway since the top was faded anyway. So I didn’t factor in the paint but just that damage I avoided.
Anyway, back to the readiness code. I figured I had just 1 to 2 more miles of driving before that last puppy turned green and the emissions station was just another 2 miles further up the road. So I dare not take any chances and stop.
Anyway, I reckon that two of the moms at the bus stop knew the importance of my mission and managed to yank their little ones aside. But oh no! there is always a sour apple in the bunch. I give em credit for getting the youngster on the bus despite the obvious force that was mostly uneccesary in my opinion. But it also isn’t my fault that they had little personal restraint and chose one to many times to polish off that last warm morning biscuit. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to know that if you’re carrying a bit more ‘junk in yer trunk’ than you frame allows that one is not going to be a sprite as would be neccessary when things outside ones little universe that brings potential tasks your way that must be navigated. Even the earth knows an asteroid is gonna do what amd asteroid does. And sometimes one must yield to what the cosmos brings and its up to us as individuals to be prepared to wield of defenses against such. And getting your annual emissions is as monumental as it gets. Second only to a school bus sized asteroid impacting earth.
The end result of the day was that I was right. I only had 2 miles to go before my ride was emissions ready and for that I am proud of having this site to inform me of how to perform a proper drive cycle, despite my ‘glossing over’ your cheesy disclaimer to ‘obey all traffic laws’.
I think ‘biscuit butt’ was more offended than actually ‘injured’ but I didnt stop to assess the situation. I was a bit perturbed that my mirror no longer functions like it did prior and I may very well have to fork over that $400 because of that addition 2″ of biscuit gravy residing in that white adipose tissue.
All in all, I have my emissions, likely out $400 and biscuit butt obviously was unable to get my licenses plate number.
Through disconnect /reconnect of battery the same pattern repeated after 6-8min of driving.. All dashboard out but radio fine. Turn of engine, all functions return 3xs and then the check engine light remains lit. Is this the Ecuador, ABS wiring, a system reset or something else???
I have bought a 2004 Volvo s80 & when I Had to change the battery at emissions place. I started 3xs and had running with no issues. After their diagnosis scan, I restarted 2xs. On the 2ND, electric power out and had to unlock manually. When left,within 3min Engine light on, break failure on and all electronic functions are out???? Stop & restart systems on then out again.
I replaced battery in a 2001 s80 2xs in past 6 yrs and I never experienced this issue.