Your 1996 Honda Accord is equipped with an On Board Diagnostics System (OBD
II). While you are driving your Honda the OBD II system performs internal
self tests and sets monitors as "completed" indicating that those particular
emission systems are working properly. If any of these monitors (except for
one) are incomplete the vehicle fails the smog check. California allows only
one incomplete monitor. In this case it appears your Honda Accord has 3
incomplete monitors.
If your Honda's battery had recently been removed, replaced, disconnect and
reconnected or was dead and your Honda Accord had to be jump started, the
emissions monitors were erased from the OBD II computer. You must drive your
Honda for at least one to two weeks before retaking it for a smog
inspection.
So to recap... The smog technician was correct, your 1996 Honda Accord
failed the smog inspection because the proper and required emission monitors
(also known as readiness flags) were not set or complete, and in order to
complete those monitors you'll need to drive your car through 2 or 3 "drive
cycles". You'll then be able to pass the smog check.
