Etest question.

[BackinBlack]

OK, so I just bought this 2002 GT. It has just had plugs done, and i did a oil change. It runs great and no check engine lights are on. It has a piggy back chip of some sort with a dial for 3 performance settings. And 1 setting for the stock tune apparently. \the gent I got it from ran 87 in it and kept it on the 1st setting on the dial. He said it was just a slightly more aggressive than stock and you can still run 87 with no issues. I like to run 91 or 94 octane in the Buicks and figured on doing the same with the Mustang. So on sat I filled it up with 91, and switched the dial to the #2 setting. cant say i noticed any difference in the car , but if nothing else maybe the fuel mileage would improve. I drove it all around on the weekend, got on the hiway drove to St Catharines and back. Put on about 200 klms and burned 1/2 tank of gas or so. I took it in for the etest today , and they said it came up as " Not ready " ?? WTF , it was not giving any readings or codes. he said I needed to drive it on the hiway and around some, and flog it a bit. it was not ready for a etest ?? The guy I bought it from drove it from Brampton to Guelph daily. It had sat all winter but, has been driven steady the last few months. Im pissed, $35 for nothing and I have to go back. Anyone ever heard of this?

[Ponyryd]

Yes, your monitors need to be ready, all except one on a 2002. Most likely they were ready until you switched your tune, at which point it reset the computer and all the monitors needed to run again. Usually a good drive in mixed driving will get them all ready, about an hour's drive should do it.
Now it may be that the level three tune you installed just keeps the monitors from running, so they will always say "not ready" and you'll never get your etest, if it was me I woulda left it where it was, or set it back to stock, then go for a good drive once or twice over a couple days, after which you will need to check readiness status, you can do it with a scanner or cheap code reader.
Honestly you're probably better off ripping out that "tuner" and going to stock or using a proper tuner like an SCT or similar, the piggybacks never really seem like they're doing anything and are probably just running a resistor or two through some fuel trim wires to run it a little rich. But hey, it's your car.

[BackinBlack]

OK, thank you ponyryd. So its not all that unusual. I will drive it for a few more days and go back to see them again. It has passed the last 3 times without issue. the last one was in May of last year, if I had bought it a few weeks earlier I would have got away without needing one.... A day late and a dollar short. My life story lol.

[Intmdtr]

Yes basically once you switch that dial it resets the computer....

[ZR]

Unless it's an SCT chip (with an external switch) I'd also suggest removing and drive to bring the monitors ready. Pay attention to the drive cycle procedure, some can take several starts from dead nuts cold to go ready.

[BackinBlack]

Unless it's an SCT chip (with an external switch) I'd also suggest removing and drive to bring the monitors ready. Pay attention to the drive cycle procedure, some can take several starts from dead nuts cold to go ready.

I'm guessing its a SCT or Bama , it has a long wire that comes out under the steering wheel with a dial from 1 to 4 on it. Thats what i dont get though, after I switched the dial to the number 2 on the switch, i have run the car for 4 or 5 days and put a couple hundred klms on it. I will take if for a run on the hiway tomorrow and try again....
Thnx for the input, i do appreciate the help.