Volkswagen Repair: 96 VW Jetta GLS drive cycle, obd ii scanners, mass air flow sensor

Question
I just failed the my states Emissions inspection because the OBD is "not ready" the mechanic said he'd charge $200.00 to fix it. I'm assuming he'll just put it on a dynamometer until it is ready. Do u know what the corect drive cycle is for this car to get the ODB working again? I would just like to do this myswelf, i just purchased this vehicle 11 days ago.

Answer
Donovan, thank you for your question.    On all Emissions tests in almost every state, a car will fail if the “Check Engine” light is on.  That is automatic.  If no light is on, then the test requires the OBD II scanners that will show the components that are marginal or close to failure.  Normally, the MAF (mass air flow) sensor, the O2 sensor, or the EGR valve are the culprits of the failure.  I find it interesting that the shop quoted a price of $200, since that is close to the maximum in which you can get a waiver for one year (in many states).  Some states are $250 all the way up $1000.  Most auto parts stores like Autozone and O'Reilly have the scanner and they will test your car and will tell you what the problem is, plus the cost of the parts.  This is definitely a case for getting a second opinion by another scanner or even another shop. Sometimes all it takes is resetting the failure codes, but this only lasts for about 25 to 50 miles or 2 startups.  I have seen this last longer.  
Hope that helps