Frustrated New Owner, Need some help!

[CoyoteBlack]

Hey all! Got a good snag on a 1997 DAP purple civic. I love the thing, super quick.

Here is my issue, I bought the car in West Virginia...I live in PA. Pennsylvania inspections are some of the worst pretty much anywhere.

Its got p28 running neptune...I have no idea what that means exactly but the issue is the code reader will NOT read on this car. I need it to to come close to passing emissions here. I'm pretty frustrated being this green with these cars and I cant figure out what to do. The clock is ticking on my time left to get this thing stickered.

I'll provide any info on the car I can if it helps. I really appreciate it!

 

[lethal6]

Neptune is the tuning software. Why was it tuned? Is it boosted? Is the engine factory? Don't know why someone would have tuned unless they built the motor, swapped out the motor, or boosted it. If it was swapped or boosted, you might be s**t out of luck on the inspection. I know a lot of states won't pass with swapped/boosted vehicles. Needs to be factory or an original motor from that year of car. Don't know your inspection laws in that area, so can't really help there.

 

[CoyoteBlack]

Yeah its modified, Its a built/boosted car. The fact that its boosted shouldnt matter in the inspection really unless its f**king with my emissions...which is more than possible. I cant see that however without the computer checking the system. It wont even connect.

With that tuning software, is it possible the computer is totally disconnected? I dont mind putting some money into getting the oxygen sensors and s**t put into it, but its gotta read.

 

[CHILD]

Neptune is used for several reasons beyond just tuning the car. It comes in handy when doing engine swaps period, and having a chipped obd1 ecu makes things much easier than trying to use a piggyback'd obd2 setup.

OP, your car won't read basically because of the ECU you're using. If you want your obd2 port to read, you're going to need all the obd2 parts back in the car, simple as that.

 

[lethal6]

From my understanding, you aren't going to read that with a normal scanner. It's like jailbreaking a phone and then trying to get apple to diagnose it. The tuner with the software that put on neptune needs to do it. Or another tuner with the ability to read and write to it. I don't know neptune all that well so someone that has experience with it here can chime in on that.

Does it even have the correct factory emissions stuff? I am betting no. If they are that strict with inspections, you aren't going to get a car to pass there that was built without emissions in mind. That is why, at least around here, guys find ways to register their built vehicles in a county that doesn't require emissions.

Neptune is used for several reasons beyond just tuning the car. It comes in handy when doing engine swaps period, and having a chipped obd1 ecu makes things much easier than trying to use a piggyback'd obd2 setup.

OP, your car won't read basically because of the ECU you're using. If you want your obd2 port to read, you're going to need all the obd2 parts back in the car, simple as that.

Didn't think of that. You suspect they went down to OBD1 then? How is an OBD2 car going to pass emissions with an OBD1 system? It can't, can it?

 

[HeX]

What type of code reader did you use? Im not at all familiar with heavy engine mods & ECU programming but I would assume its possible that a simple code reader may have an issue where a higher end one may not, given your set up. Im just throwing out possible ideas. Ive personally never heard of an ECU being unreadable so im curious to know of the cause. Could it be as simple as the actual plug being damaged or disconnected?

 

[HeX]

Considering what Lethal6 wrote, it may be best to backtrack through the owners to find and contact those who programmed and/or worked on the engine to know and not guess what it has done to figure out your next step in passing emissions.

 

[XpL0d3r]

^ OBDI ECU's will error out when attempted to be read by an OBDII scanner. As the car is a 97, it requires OBDII emissions.

OP, pull the wastegate spring, put stock injectors in, put the stock ECU back in, and hope that you have both O2 sensors plugged in and working (one before and one behind the cat). Drive 20-30 miles to get the sensors ready, then immediately go get it inspected.

DO NOT do anything more than baby it during the 20-30 mile drive. Turbo shouldn't spool with WG spring pulled anyways, but the goal here is to trick the OBDII ECU into thinking there are no issues.

If you don't have both o2 sensors working (or a cat), don't bother with any of this, because you're effed. I read that PA uses a tail pipe test, so in addition to plugging into the OBDII scanner it sounds like test exahust quality as well. Good luck.

 

[mc360]

the car being a 1997 and he said its running neptune means that it was infact converted back from obd2 to obd1 and it will not pass emissions for the mere fact that the code reader cannot communicate with the ecu. depending what was done to the motor besides the turbo you might be able to convert back to n/a to pass emissions then reinstall the turbo, if you have higher compression pistons and stuff like that you might be putting out higher emissions numbers though so you might not pass

 

[Esotericimage]

Xplod3r nailed it

put OEM injecotrs in, take out WG spring or disconnect the intake pipe at throttle body or before the throttle body

Use the OEM ECU and add sensors..


If you plan on keeping this car, then you should buy what you need and once a year do this crazy s**t to register your ride.

 

[CoyoteBlack]

Finally got a chance to check up on this. I really appreciate all the input for sure. It's got a cat, O2 sensors and all that fun stuff for sure. I may have found some weird loopholes to get this thing to pass. We're going to find out Monday. If not I'll start ticking things off the list you folks mentioned. I'll update if it passes

 

[CoyoteBlack]

Car should be passing inspection today, thanks a ton for all the help in here!