Drinking and driving is a serious crime and could result in loosing your license or other penalties. In some states, a judge may order you to install a breathalyzer into your vehicle to prevent you from starting it while drunk. SmartStart is one popular model of breathalyzer that you can install in your vehicle if ordered. If you are having issues operating your SmartStart, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can follow to try and fix them.
Check the display screen on the SmartStart for an error code if you are having issues using the device and starting your vehicle. Do not attempt to try and blow into the unit if the display reads "Wait" as it is still preparing for the test. Make sure you drink some water at this time before you take the test.
Blow into the unit when the LCD display reads "Blow." This means it is ready for the test. After the test, you will see your results on the screen. If "Pass" or "Warn" is on the display, you are able to start the vehicle as normal. If you see "ABRT" wait a few seconds and try again. An "ABRT" is not a failure; it is caused by blowing too hard, not hard enough or not long enough.
Wait for several minutes before blowing in the unit again if you see a "Fail" warning message. This means that your BAC was over the limit set on the unit. A "Fail" will not prevent you from starting the car -- just wait for "Blow" to appear and try again. If you see "Viol" you have exceeded the number of fails allotted and you will be unable to start your car.
Contact the service center number given to you when you installed the unit if you see "Lock" or "Falt" on the display. This means that the unit has been locked and you are unable to start the vehicle. This could be due to an error with the unit or too many successive failures to start the vehicle.
Press the "four" button on the unit if you see the "Appt" message on the display. This means that you have an upcoming service appointment for the unit. Pressing the button will show you the date and time of the next appointment.
