Readiness Codes: Definition & Examples

Hello everyone,

"I now drive an Audi RS Q3 that has been modified with a software tune. According to the tuner, the monitoring of the lambda sensor has been disabled, so you can drive without a catalytic converter without encountering problems during emissions testing. I followed their instructions, and now the downpipe is completely open."

Okay, so I thought I'd check how to query the readiness codes in VCDS, and I clicked on "Modus 1-01 Readiness" under the OBD-II functions. However, at first glance, it doesn't look very good (see attachment)...

Clearing the fault codes ("Mode 4: Clear codes" and individual errors, not category-related) in the respective control units and a short test drive did not change the situation.

Am I doing something wrong (how do you perform a theoretical AU using VCDS), or should I ask the tuner if something went wrong?

I'm also wondering why it says "air conditioning not installed" here. I have an automatic climate control system.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Addendum:"

I had the following error in the message:

Code:

1 Fehler gefunden: 19305 - Abgasdruckregelventil           P0475 00 [047] - Elektrischer Fehler           bestätigt - geprüft seit letzter Löschung              Umgebungsbedingungen:                     Fehlerstatus: 00000001                     Fehlerpriorität: 2                     Fehlerhäufigkeit: 7                     Kilometerstand: 11469 km                     Datum: 2017.08.08                     Zeit: 20:21:16                     Motordrehzahl: 794.00 /min                     Normierter Lastwert: 18.8 %                     Fahrzeuggeschwindigkeit: 0 km/h                     Kühlmitteltemperatur: 33 °C                     Ansauglufttemperatur: 20 °C                     Umgebungsluftdruck: 1000 mbar                     Spannung Klemme 30: 13.360 V                     Verlernzähler nach OBD: 40                     Status des Motors: COENG_RUNNING                     Status des Motors-Test_Program_Co Eng st COMPU VERB UBYTE: 3 Readiness: 0000 0001

I deleted that one, and now it says "Readiness" after the short test drive.

Code:

Kein(e) Fehlercode(s) gefunden. Readiness: 0010 0001

Could this possibly be a consequence of disconnecting the exhaust flap connector, which would permanently open the flap?

The tuner needs to be adjusted again; only the monitoring for the error memory and the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) were disabled. The readiness monitors are a different issue, and it seems they were either forgotten or ignored.

You won't pass the AU (environmental test) like that. It is not possible or necessary to perform an AU with VCDS if the readiness code consists only of zeros; in that case, the AU is considered passed by the testing system.

I've done some more reading and reflected further on the date of the error.

At the aforementioned time, I was indeed fiddling with the connector of the exhaust flap. I cut the cable in the wiring harness in the trunk and inserted the original connector, so that I can later connect a remote control or disconnect the connector if I want. I have been disconnecting the connector ever since. This is probably the error that I then deleted.

The lambda sensor (bit 5) is currently set to 1, but it was 0 before the error was cleared, so this should be fine and should disappear again soon. As I understand it, clearing the error codes initially sets everything to 1, and then, ideally, the engine control unit's various tests will eventually reset them to 0.

The questions that arise for me now are:

Is the listed, now-deleted error (exhaust gas recirculation valve, presumably caused by an exhaust flap) actually responsible for bit 0 (catalytic converter), and will that bit be reset to 0 after a corresponding driving cycle if the error does not reappear by then (while the connector remains plugged in)?

Is this mysterious driving cycle always the same ("cold start, 3 minutes idling, 4 minutes at a constant 40-50 km/h, 15 minutes at 60-100 km/h with acceleration phases") for all modern Audis? Is it possible to reset this setting to 0 using VCDS?