What is the drive cycle or vehicle break in for 1999 Malibu After I changed the battery last week, I went to inspection today and failed

the reason it failed was you have a battery failure .. now that you have it charged and running drive vehicle 10 to 15 miles and try to get inspection again. the computer that does inspections tells the tech you have either disconnected battery or or dead one . if they gave you a print out it should tell you what codes came up and what it was.

Hello,
What you are experiencing is this.
Your computer in your car runs on "Drive Cycles". Each separate time you start your car you enter a new drive cycle. In order for the Evaporative and the Oxygen to activate the drive cycle must be long enough and far enough to get all the systems up to the right temperatures. This could take up to 15 miles of continuous driving.
What your problem sounds like is you are not driving your car long enough the very day you have it inspected.
What you did last week cannot effect a new drive cycle today. For each cycle is independent of the others.
Try driving it longer than you have in your previous attempts of inspection.
Best Wishes,
Wayne

When the battery went dead you engine control module lost all learned programming, drive it for a few weeks as normal to restore this and the mileage will be back to normal.

Hi, I found this answer online for you.
"Just drive the car normally for about a week (50-75 miles various driving conditions) and the ready status should be complete to the point where the smog check will show ready. You can ask the smog check technician to check the readiness status before the test is redone to be sure."
Good Luck,
Wayne

What type of Honda Civic do you have? There is a difference between the LX and EX civic exhaust systems. And your vehicle will not pass inspection with your check engine light on.

Usually 40 to 50 miles.

Seriously! Take the car for a drive in the country.
It has to go threw a few drive cycles (Ign On and Off miles at particular speeds, cooling fan has to cycle a certain number of time etc etc...)If you live by a turnpike take it for a spin.

the monitors should have set by now. usually its around 50 miles. and a couple cold starts. i would have the computer scanned if the monitors have not set and youve driven quite abit more than this. we change batteries all the time and usually have all the monitors set in a couple hours.

Follow the positive battery cable down to the starter.

It usually takes more than one drive cycle to clear all monitors to "ready".The vehicle may take multiple "from cold" drive cycles and hundreds of miles to clear all.Drive normally with varied driving and include long coasting down stops.Buy a cheap scan tool ($35) and check monitors as you drive.
DO NOT CLEAR CODES or run the battery dead or you will have to start over!