I went in for an emission test with the new XJ6, let it warm up for 15 minutes, and took it down, and I got a failure saying it was not ready. I did not drive it that far, but it was warmed up. The guy was saying that I needed to check what the drive cycle is. Does anyone have an idea what that is?

 

From AJ16 Electrical Diagnostic Manual:

 

Not ready may mean the coolant sensor is not up to 88 C for closed loop engine regulation mode ( drive cycle term ? ), it is only then the O2 sensors are used for refinement getting your final result emissions meeting regulation's

Target is Lamba 1.0

Your ECU derives that all the time , their testing device determines that somehow as a compairison

Not ready can mean the testing device is not recognizing the car has the different Titania O2 sensors

To see if the coolant thermistor ( itself a solid state device ) sensor is reading at room temp ( 86 F ) it can be powered by your meter and read about 1700 ohms

There is a calibration graph on page 78

So you can pick boiling water as 190 ohms

jagrepair.com/images/Training Guides/801S - 2000.pdf

 

I’m not sure what the testing regulations are in your part of the world, but here in the UK the car needs to be in closed loop to pass. The tester isn’t permitted to connect to the cars diagnostic port to determine this, it is simply that the car will be highly unlikely to produce the necessary low level of emissions without being in closed loop.
Does your car have any codes, and can you see it going into closed loop on your scanner?

 

I think in most places in the US, 1996 and newer cars must have no CEL illuminated and all (or all but one, possibly two?) readiness monitors set.

Where I am, on my 1995, they do not connect to the OBDII port, they just sniff the tailpipe.

 

Before going back for a emissions test you can check short term fuel trim ( target 0.0 % ) that the O2 sensors are regulating , ELM - 327 device

The 0.0 % is ideal but not achieved in practice from reading others results , so + or - 3..0 % is not bad

This would ensure the fuel mixture is honed in or in tune which has a relationship with your final exhaust gasses with the condition of your cats as a variable

One of the things they look for is unburnt hydrocarbons ( too rich ) , and nitrates , a function of the cats if feed the proper gas concentrations to convert and the cats efficiency

Where I use to live , there was a tail pipe sniffer , but no emissions test where I live now

This both in the same state , but different city / surrounding county region