2003 V6 Camry failed smog check with P0500

[looseelaa]

Hi!

I took my car for a smog check a few days ago and the test center stopped the test because of the check engine light, code P0500. The light wasn't there when I drove in, but when they put the car on the dyno and applied a load, it lit. I drove home as normal and got gas for my car. Later, I noticed the light went away on its own. So, today I went in again to see if I could get it tested. Once again, when the car was put on the dyno, the light came on again, with the same code.

The code is P0500 (vehicle speed sensor [VSS] malfunction). I looked online to see what was going on and I found these two pages:

http://www.justanswer.com/questions/...-dyno-not-ever
http://www.fixya.com/cars/t2369636-2...6_check_engine

It sounds like (assuming the info on those pages are correct), that my car has speed sensors on each of the four wheels (due to ABS) rather than on the transmission and that, as a result, when being put on the dyno (where only the front two wheels are turning), the computer is weirded out by only 2 wheels spinning and the other two not, resulting in the code being thrown.

So FIRST, do I have the right picture about what's going on?

SECOND, if this really is the case, I would imagine that this is a very common issue for 2003 Camry's getting smog checks, no? I was surprised that I didn't find a load of threads on this issue.

THIRD, what have you guys done about this issue when getting your cars smogged?

Thank you!

[LoudCamry]

that happen to me a few month back when i went for my smog, i fail so i got my uncle resetting the code.

[Asteroid]

Surely this would happen on any vaugely modern car with four wheel ABS? The testing centre must be aware of the issue.

[looseelaa]

Well, the place I went to was certified for smog checks, but they didn't know what to do except tell me that I'd have to come in for a diagnostic check of the speed sensor (at another date because their technician wasn't around) or that I could get it fixed elsewhere and bring it back for the smog check. So apparently they don't all know about this issue?

[looseelaa]

Ok, I spoke with Toyota corporate and they gave me a pretty useless answer about there being a problem with my 02 sensor and that I need to bring my vehicle in for a diagnostic check of that. Not going to do that...

Instead I called my local Toyota dealership and got an answer from their techs who perform the smog checks regularly for the Camrys. They told me that the smog check places need to know the proper procedure for our cars. Apparently when configuring the computer for the smog test, they need to choose

"Non-Disengagable Traction Control" and perform a "2-Speed Idle test" instead of putting the car onto a dyno. I'm going to head to my smog test center again to see if they're trained to do that.

Hope this helps anyone else hitting the same issue.

[apexbrit]

2003 Camry never showed a check engine light until I tried to smog per California law. On the dyno machine it immediatly threw a po500 code that would clear after a few starts. I called Calif consumer Affairs and was told this is a common problem. They gave me the number to scedule a test with the Referee at the local Jr. college. Will let you know how it turns out. Apparently when the car is put on the dyno, front wheels turning, rear stopped, the computer detects a skid and the ABS system causes the code to throw.

Took the Camry to the referee at Santa Rosa Junior College. I was in and out in 10 minutes; passes smog and charged $8.75 for the certificate.

[amudhan]

My 2003 Camry failed Smog Test due to P0500 Speed Sensor Malfunction. It seems this car cannot be put on 'dyno'. Based on a psoting on this forum, I made an appointment with State Gov. Refree. I took the car to State Gov. Referee at the Evergreen College, San Jose. They performed 2 idle tests and gave the Smog Certficate.

[LoudCamry]

I smog my car yesterday and it fail, the code p0500 pop up while it was on the dyno, today I went back and told the smog tech about the non disenagable tracion control and ethe 2 speed ilde, he told me it's for 4x4 car only and it's illegal to have such test perform for a smog check. I did reset the code from yesterday and it pass today

[arabianobsession]

Then your smog tech was misinformed.