scottbrew

I need some help here guys and quick!! My charcoal canister has more gasoline soaking the charcoal than you could use in the whole bottle of charcoal lighter on a grill. I have smelled gas for a little while and now I am seeing vapors engulf my vehicle while at stop lights. If I am sitting there at the light and someone even flicks a cigarette out the window by my car...I think I would be a goner. I removed the charcoal canister the other day and drained off about 8oz of gasoline and then i blew out a constant spray for a minute or so. I also have a lot of pressure being relieved when I remove my gas cap( equivalent to shaking up a pepsi and opening it minus the spray ) I am getting P0807 as a code which says it is the evap cansiter purge control valve. My question is how is liquid gasoline making it through a line that is intended for vapors?? Is that much vapor building up to convert to liquid? or is something else going on here? I am trying to pinpoint what I need to replace first since the parts are not cheap. Should I be looking under the hood for the problem or where the charcoal canister is located? I have to fix this immediately obviously but I cant afford to wait for the parts to come in so I intend to go first thing in the morning to the salvage yard and pull off everything from the fuel tank to the charcoal canister and put on my car while I wait for the parts to come in. I cant drive it the way it is now due to the fumes, the poor mileage and just the serious explosion risk involved. Guys I know Im not the only one this has happened to but I could not find anything in the forums past. I appreciate any information. Thanks

FallenOne

iTrader: (17)

Dude, are you talking about your Catalytic Converter? Seriously? Youve probably got a misfire.. Check your Coils and your plugs.


:EDIT:
well than, i guess i just learned something. Theres a charcoal canister as part of the fuel system? go figure? didnt see that one coming.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

Um, where did he say catalytic converter? Read the title and second line one more time.
He clearly said charcoal canister. I cant answer why or how, but in technical school my instructor said NEVER top off at the fuel pump. It can and sometimes WILL back-flow into the canister ruining it. Do you top off? its not worth the extra gas or rounding off to the nearest dollar. Change the parts and be carefull filling up.

anomaly117

iTrader: (3)

as for you fallen one ...

and to answer your why/how question, asand, the charcoal canister is an evap control mechnism. i.e. the charcoal absorbs harmful gasoline vapors from you filler neck and thereby prevents them from entering the atmosphere. topping off you tank overfills your filler neck and :duh: overflows your evap canister, destroying it

asand1

iTrader: (1)

Oh I understand all that, I just don't know his exact problem, but that was my best guess.

scottbrew

I seriously doubt that it is from overfilling the gas tank because when I noticed the charcoal canister was full of gas and actually leaking our of the water seperator, i removed it and drained it then I blew it out with the air compressor until I could hear the charcoal inside rattle somewhat. I puti t back on the car and drove the car for one day with no gas smell. The next day i began smelling the gas again and removed the canister and drained more gas out of it. There is something that is either allowing pure gasoline to make it through the evap lines to the canister or the system is building so much vapor that is converting back to a liquid state which I dont see happening without blowing a seal or something.

mad greek

iTrader: (1)

Topping off the tank is where the problem starts. The vapors and some excess liquid gas collect in the charcoal cannister. The liquid causes the charcoal pellets to brake down and clog the purge valve, and it throws a code on the restart check cycle.The charcoal will be sucked up the vent line to the vent valve on the engine untill it clogs. At that point the tank cant vent so its dumping vapors to the cannister and condensing a liquid again. You will probally have to replace the cannister.Check the purge valve operation, the vent valve for charcoal and blow out the vent line front to rear,its a big mess the other way.

anomaly117

iTrader: (3)

charcoal is VERY absorbant. the fumes are always gonna be there once it's flooded the way it probably was.

anomaly117

iTrader: (3)

not the fuel system. the evaporative control system. as i said before, EVAP system. just about every car on the road today since 96 has a charcoal canister.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

No, not , educated.
Originally Posted by FallenOne
a charcoal container? please educate me if you would?
Every car built after the early 80s has a charcoal canister to "absorb" hydrocarbons drawn from the fuel tank, rather than releasing them into the atmosphere through a vent.
During some driving conditions the tank vents through the canister into the atmosphere leaving the hydrocarbons in the canister.
During other driving conditions, the engine draws the hydrocarbons out of the canister and burns them.
The canister is a reservoir if you will. Charcoal has the ability of containg something like 600% its own weight in hydrocarbons.

anomaly117

iTrader: (3)

yea sry i was drunk. i turn into a d!ck when i drink sometimes

aussie983

iTrader: (16)

P0807 isn't the evap canister purge control valve... that's P0443.